By Rose Ajayi
The digital economy is changing rapidly and data has become the new oil. However, few voices resonate as powerfully as Dr. Ibukun Aina’s. In an exclusive sit-down with TechCabal, the internationally acclaimed data analytics expert walked us through his journey, charting a path from humble beginnings to global acclaim, and shared his perspectives on the evolving landscape of data analytics as both a science and a business solution framework.
Dr. Aina, who has carved a formidable reputation as a data analyst, business intelligence strategist, and innovation leader, speaks not in abstract concepts but in results, solutions, and impact. “Data analytics is not about making fancy dashboards. It’s about helping businesses make decisions that matter. Decisions that increase revenue, reduce waste, or uncover new market opportunities,” he said.
The journey to the top
Unlike the typical trajectory of many in the tech field, Dr. Aina didn’t merely follow a trend, he helped shape one. After years of navigating the complexities of analytics roles in industry settings, he began to notice a recurring gap: organizations were swimming in data but starving for insight.
“I’ve seen multi-million-dollar companies hoard terabytes of data that mean absolutely nothing to their growth because no one was asking the right questions,” he explained. “Analytics should begin with business objectives, not data points. If you don’t know the problem you’re solving, even perfect data won’t help.”
This realization didn’t just shape his philosophy; it birthed a tool that is fast becoming an industry standard.
Introducing DABRIA™: The tool changing the game
Dr. Aina is the creator of the Data & Business Analysis Readiness & Impact Assessment Tool (DABRIA™), a groundbreaking framework designed to evaluate how prepared an organization is to integrate analytics into its business processes and to measure the real-world impact of its data initiatives.
“Businesses often rush into analytics with buzzwords like data lakes, AI, predictive models but without asking: Are we even ready for this? What KPIs do we care about? Who are the decision-makers? DABRIA™ tackles these foundational questions,” he said.
The framework has been praised for its practical, no-nonsense approach. By scoring organizations on readiness dimensions like data maturity, analytical culture, stakeholder alignment, and tool integration, DABRIA™ provides a clear roadmap that business leaders can use to guide strategic investments in analytics.
DABRIA™ has already made waves in sectors ranging from retail to public health, enabling organizations to move from ‘data chaos’ to ‘decision intelligence.’
The crisis of misapplied data
In the interview, Dr. Aina didn’t shy away from criticizing the current state of data adoption in many companies. “Too many businesses are suffering from what I call ‘analytics inflation’ – massive dashboards, endless KPIs, and zero impact,” he said. “People are impressed with visuals, but they forget the analytics function exists to support decision-making.”
He cited an experience where a firm had 15 Power BI dashboards that were rarely consulted. “They were beautifully designed, but no one used them because they weren’t answering any business-critical questions,” he shared. “We rebuilt the analytics strategy from the ground up, beginning with leadership interviews and business case analysis. Within three months, operational efficiency increased by 18%.”
For Dr. Aina, it always circles back to impact. “If your data work isn’t changing how someone makes a decision tomorrow, it’s ornamental.”
Training the next generation
Despite his own success, Dr. Aina is deeply concerned about the rising skills gap in the data field. “There’s a lot of focus on tools: Excel, SQL, Power BI but not enough on thinking,” he lamented. “Data analysis is not about software; it’s about solving problems.”
He’s a strong advocate for training programs that focus on business-centric problem-solving, storytelling with data, and interdisciplinary thinking. “We need data professionals who understand supply chains, finance, human behavior and not just how to use filters in Tableau,” he said.
Global recognition and the road ahead
Dr. Aina’s work has earned him numerous recognitions, including the Global Tech Hero Award, a nod to his innovations in data strategy and business transformation. But he insists the journey is just beginning.
“I see data analytics becoming more embedded, more invisible. The future isn’t about people asking questions of dashboards, it’s about intelligent systems that provide insights before you even ask,” he predicted.
He’s now working on advanced iterations of DABRIA™ that incorporate machine learning to dynamically assess organizational readiness, and he’s consulting with international agencies to deploy data tools in developing economies.
Final thoughts: data with a purpose
In a world oversaturated with noise and dashboards, Dr. Ibukun Aina cuts through with a message of clarity, purpose, and transformation. “If I could summarize my journey and my philosophy,” he said, “it’s this: Data is a language. And if you learn to speak it with purpose, it will always tell you what to do next.”
