After dropping out of the university, this Nigerian lady built an AI shopping assistant for Nigerians

In this edition of After Hours, we follow Amina Asu-Beks and how she built an AI-shopping assistant without a technical background or a completed university degree.

For Amina Dennisa Asu-Beks, the journey into technology began with curiosity and a growing fascination with how systems work behind the scenes. From writing her first line of code as a child to building Prizeless, an AI-powered shopping assistant, her path has been anything but conventional.

Without a technical background or a completed university degree, she has built a career in digital skills and systems thinking.

In this edition of After Hours, Asu-Beks shares how she went from early experiments with Facebook ads in 2014 to building an AI-powered shopping assistant with thousands of users.

Early interactions with technology

My first real interaction with technology came quite early. I must have been about nine or ten when I got access to a laptop. My dad used to send my siblings and me for computer lessons, and I clearly remember the first time I wrote a line of code.

There was something powerful about writing a simple line and seeing it come alive on a screen, knowing I made that happen. It made me happy, but more than that, it sparked creativity.

I’ve always seen myself as a creative person, and technology, for me, became a tool for expression. The idea that you could build anything, think outside the box, and bring ideas to life was what drew me in.

Growing up, I also spent time in cybercafés, as many people did then, mostly using Facebook. But beyond that, I used this app on my laptop that worked almost like an early knowledge tool. It helped me with schoolwork, especially because I struggled with English. Later on, I relied heavily on platforms like Wikipedia.

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