Adaeze Nwaohiri: Nigerian analyst using data to predict market trends, strengthen financial decision-making

When the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced new capital requirements in 2024, commercial banks across the country raced to raise funds through public share sales. For many, it was a compliance exercise. But for Adaeze Pauline Nwaohiri, it sparked something different, a data driven curiosity.

“I kept wondering which banks would actually deliver long term value after raising capital,” she recalls. “Everyone was talking about meeting the CBN deadline, but I wanted to see which institutions were likely to experience real share price appreciation.”

That single question became the foundation for a major research project that would eventually bridge her finance background with advanced analytics. Today, Nwaohiri a graduate student in Data Analytics and Information Systems at Texas State University, USA builds predictive models that use financial data to forecast stock performance.

Before moving into the world of analytics, Nwaohiri carved out a strong career in finance. As a Financial Analyst at Zenith Bank Plc, she managed term loans, fixed deposits, and short-term financing facilities within the bank’s $17 billion portfolio, helping optimize liquidity and improve reporting accuracy. Her earlier work at the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN) was equally impactful. She collaborated with international organizations including the World Bank, WTO, and UNCTAD to strengthen Nigeria’s trade data systems and contribute to the nation’s first Trade Remedies Framework. As part of this initiative, she was selected to join the Nigerian delegation to the Australian AntiDumping Commission, where she understudied global best practices in trade remedies and datadriven policy enforcement, experience she now channels into her analytics work..

“Those experiences made me realize how critical data is to financial strategy,” she explains. “Whether you’re managing a national trade policy or a bank’s balance sheet, you need data you can trust.”

At Texas State University, she channeled that insight into her project on stock price prediction and feature analysis, which was recognized for its accuracy and real world relevance. Using machine-learning techniques like linear regression and random forests, she tested how indicators such as P/E ratio, dividend yield, and operating revenue affect share price behavior across different sectors.

“It started with Nigerian banks, but it grew into something bigger,” Nwaohiri says. “Now I’m looking at how data analytics can inform investment strategies globally.”

Alongside her studies, she is preparing for the AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate exam, expanding her technical capacity to design and manage large-scale analytics pipelines on cloud platforms like AWS Glue, Redshift, and Athena.

Despite her growing international focus, her commitment to Nigeria remains clear. She believes the future of finance lies in data-driven transparency and predictive intelligence tools that can help banks, investors, and regulators make faster and fairer decisions.

“Our financial institutions have the data,” she says. “The next step is using it to create insight, not just reports.”

As Nigeria continues to navigate economic reforms and recapitalization efforts, professionals like Adaeze Nwaohiri represent a new generation of analysts, ones who blend accounting, technology, and strategy to build a more resilient financial system.