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.

As I got older, tools evolved. One product that has stayed with me in recent years is Notion. I started using it about three years ago, and it has become central to how I organise my thoughts and my life.

From uncertainty to digital marketing

I studied educational administration and planning at the University of Calabar, but that wasn’t what I originally wanted. I had always been interested in economics, statistics, business, and how systems work. Still, I ended up in a different course, and over time, I lost interest.

Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer

Techpoint Digest

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While I was in school, around 2014, I started learning Facebook ads. At the time, it wasn’t popular at all. I was experimenting and figuring out how digital systems worked. I wasn’t interested in coding itself, but I was very interested in everything around it: the business side, the marketing, the strategy.

In my first year in university, I was already working. I joined a media house in Calabar as a digital marketer at 16, handling Facebook ads, email marketing, and even shopping. I was also consulting for brands because I had learned so much on my own through the Internet.

By my third year, my academic performance dropped significantly. Not because I couldn’t do the work, but because I had mentally checked out. I was more invested in what I was building outside of school. Eventually, I dropped out.

But I already had skills, had worked with companies, made money, and built confidence in what I could do. So even though my parents were unhappy, I knew I would be fine.

After leaving school, I moved to Lagos and continued working. Every job I’ve gotten has been based on my skills, not my degree. I worked across corporate organisations, in hospitality, and later at a major business consulting firm in Nigeria. That’s where my career really took shape.

Building Prizeless and rethinking e-commerce

Now, I’m the founder of Prizeless, an AI shopping assistant designed for African consumers.

We’re building something that helps people compare and monitor product prices across different eCommerce platforms. The goal is simple: help users maximise their budgets. You can set a budget, search for products, and Prizeless will recommend options across different stores. It brings everything into one place so you can make better decisions without stress.

We launched our MVP two years ago to test the product. In 2025, we launched a beta version after refining the system, and in January 2026, we rolled out a major update. We’ve already seen strong traction, with thousands of active users.

But beyond comparison, we’re also tackling deeper problems in the shopping experience, especially around payments and refunds. Shopping online in Nigeria can be frustrating. You order something, it’s not what you expected, and then you’re told your refund will take five to seven working days. That doesn’t make sense to me.

We’re building towards a system where people can shop freely and get their money back instantly if something goes wrong. That’s a huge gap in the market, and it’s something I care deeply about solving.

How I use technology in my daily life

Technology is central to everything I do, both personally and professionally.

I use Notion heavily. I’m not naturally a routine person, but Notion has helped me build structure. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from tracking what I’ve done, seeing progress, and staying organised.

As a founder, especially one who isn’t deeply technical, tools are essential. I rely on platforms to monitor operations and manage workflows. My team is fully remote, so visibility and coordination are critical.

We also use project management tools to track tasks and ensure everything is running smoothly. I’m very detail-oriented when it comes to operations, so these systems help me stay on top of things. For me, technology isn’t just about tools; it’s about discipline and systems. It’s about creating processes that make work and life more efficient.

One of the most interesting things I’ve worked on recently is understanding how large platforms turn attention into revenue without relying on traditional ads.

With my technical partner, we studied how companies like Facebook and WhatsApp built massive systems that generated value long before monetisation became obvious. WhatsApp, for instance, operated for years without ads, yet still built immense value.

We’ve been able to experiment with similar principles, testing systems across different platforms and eventually implementing them within Prizeless. It’s about understanding how traffic, user behaviour, and systems interact to create sustainable revenue. That kind of thinking excites me, not just building products, but understanding the deeper mechanics behind them.

I don’t follow the tech trends. Instead, I focus on what will matter in the next five to ten years. When a new technology comes up, I ask myself: will this still be relevant in the future? Will it matter to what I’m building? If the answer is no, I ignore it.

We’ve seen this pattern before during the dot-com era, many companies rose and disappeared. The same will happen with AI. Not everything we’re celebrating today will last.

So I focus on long-term relevance. Right now, AI is important because it represents a major shift, like the agricultural and industrial revolutions before it. But even within AI, not everything will survive.

For me, technology is not about solving problems; it’s about eradicating them. There’s a difference. Most products today solve problems temporarily. You fix something today, and the same issue comes back tomorrow. That’s not good enough. Technology should eliminate problems completely through systems thinking.

In Nigeria, especially in fintech and eCommerce, we still see recurring issues such as payments failing, poor user experiences, and complicated systems. Even something as simple as signing up on a platform can be frustrating.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I’ve tried using some platforms and couldn’t even complete the onboarding process. That alone is a failure. Technology should be simple. It should work for the average person, not just technical users.

The future of technology in Africa

I strongly believe Africa will become a global centre for innovation in the next five to ten years. The market is rich with opportunity. Technologies that are already mature in other parts of the world can still be transformative here. That alone shows how much room there is for growth.

Beyond that, I believe we’ll see more stability and more global attention on Africa. People will start looking towards the continent not just as a market, but as a hub of innovation across sectors such as technology, agriculture, science, and more.

The potential is massive. And for those building now, it’s an opportunity to shape what that future looks like.



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