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Map and Build (or Fully Specify) an AI Workflow Agent for a Nigerian Business

The capstone project for AI Agents for Business Workflows — a free AI & Emerging Tech course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

One shared link containing: a business + workflow description with a 'before' baseline; a Trigger→Steps→Output→Exceptions map with marked human checkpoints; the chosen tools, the agent's actual instructions, and at least 4 guardrails; a working automation link OR a precise build plan; and a test-and-measure report with a before/after time saved in hours and naira.

What to do, step by step

  1. Pick one real or sample Nigerian business and one repetitive workflow worth automating (for example: WhatsApp price enquiries for a skincare brand, order-logging for an Aba fashion seller, daily sales reports for a food vendor, or first-line support for a phone-accessories shop). In 3–4 sentences at the top of your submission, describe the business, the chosen workflow, and why this task is a good automation candidate (state roughly how often it happens and how long it currently takes).
  2. Map the workflow using the Trigger → Steps → Output → Exceptions frame. Write the trigger, the ordered steps, the output, and the exceptions where it should stop or call a human. Capture at least one 'hidden step' a person does without thinking (e.g. checking stock), and clearly mark every point where a human must approve with '[HUMAN APPROVES HERE]'. Include a one-line 'before' baseline of the current manual time and frequency.
  3. Specify the build: name the tools you would use across the three layers (the AI brain — e.g. a custom GPT — the wiring — Make or Zapier — and the apps connected, e.g. WhatsApp via the official Business API, Google Sheets, Gmail). Write the actual agent instructions you would give the AI (its job, tone, limits, and what to do when unsure) and list at least 4 guardrails that protect the business.
  4. Either build the working automation in your chosen tool and share a test link/screenshots of it running, OR write a precise build plan: the exact connections in order (e.g. 'WhatsApp message in → custom GPT classifies → draft reply → log to Sheet → queue for owner approval'), plus any costs, forex, or WhatsApp verification waits the client should expect.
  5. Write a short test-and-measure report (6–10 lines): list at least 5 things you tested (including one attempt to break a guardrail, e.g. a rude message or a payment-confirmation request, and one Pidgin/confusing input), what the agent did each time, and a clear before/after estimate of time saved stated in both hours and naira.
  6. Put everything into one clean, shareable document or live link (Google Doc, Notion, or the working automation link plus a short doc), set sharing to 'anyone with the link can view', and submit it.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Workflow is well chosen and clearly mapped using Trigger→Steps→Output→Exceptions, includes a hidden step and a recorded 'before' baseline of current manual time and frequency25%
Agent instructions are specific and on-brand, and at least 4 sensible guardrails are listed that genuinely protect the business (prices, payments, data, over-promising)25%
Human checkpoints are clearly placed where the risk is real, with control matched to risk (automatic for low-risk, human-approved for money/public/sensitive actions)20%
A working automation link OR a precise, correct build plan (right tools across the three layers, real connections in order, official WhatsApp API where relevant, noted costs/forex/verification)20%
Test-and-measure report shows real testing including a guardrail-break attempt and a Pidgin/confusing input, plus a clear before/after time saved stated in both hours and naira, all in one tidy shareable link10%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish AI Agents for Business Workflows before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in AI Agents for Business Workflows is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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AI Agents for Business Workflows is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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