Okechukwu Nwaozor’s AI platform, OkeyMeta, is a hybrid system built on existing infrastructure rather than a Large Language Model (LLM developed from scratch, as initially reported. The platform leverages open-source models such as Google’s Gemma-2B to deliver AI functionality, according to recent clarifications.

While building an LLM from scratch requires massive compute resources, trillions of tokens, and specialized engineering teams, OkeyMeta’s development at age 17—including assembling a team, preparing datasets, training experiments, prompt engineering, hosting APIs, and making the product publicly accessible—remains a notable achievement.

Experts note that while the project is feasible and impressive for a young innovator, distinguishing between creating an AI product from existing models versus training a fully original LLM is essential for accurate understanding of its technical foundation.

Nwaozor’s efforts underscore Nigeria’s growing ambition and early engagement in the global AI ecosystem.