Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions leaders ask us most: what we do, how we work, what it costs and how we keep AI safe. If your question is not here, write to [email protected].
About Cognis
What does Cognis Group actually do?
We help organisations decide where AI will be useful, prepare their people and build the tools they need. Our three main services are AI Strategy & Advisory, AI Training & Workforce Development, and AI Agent & Automation Engineering. The aim is always a practical result your organisation can use.
Where are you based, and who do you work with?
We are based in Lagos, Nigeria, and work with organisations across Africa and beyond. We support large organisations, public institutions, banks, and small and medium-sized businesses in every sector. Client names remain confidential unless we have permission to publish them.
Does Cognis Group build its own products?
Yes. We advise clients and build our own software. Our products include Cognis Brain for private AI that runs on your own servers, MarketSage for marketing and sales research, Migratio for moving business data safely, and SPOG for viewing operations in one place. See the full products overview.
What size of engagements do you take on?
We handle focused 6–8 week projects as well as longer transformation programmes. Before we accept an engagement, we make sure we can give it the senior attention it needs.
What makes Cognis practical?
Senior people stay close to the work. We agree clear goals, build what is needed, test it in real working conditions and prepare your team to run it. As clients say: “They don’t just advise; they ship.”
Engagements
Do you build and operate AI systems, or only advise?
We do both. We can help you make the plan, build the system and support it after launch. You can use us for one stage or for the full journey.
How long does a typical AI engagement take?
A focused AI strategy usually takes 8–14 weeks. A well-defined AI tool usually takes 10–16 weeks to reach supervised use, where people review its work. A full governance programme generally takes 12–20 weeks. Larger transformation programmes are broken into clear phases.
What does it cost to work with Cognis?
Cost depends on the problem, timescale and people required. We first understand the work, then give you a clear price. Strategy is usually a fixed-fee engagement; larger builds are divided into fixed-fee phases linked to agreed results.
How do you prevent AI projects from stalling at the pilot stage?
We plan for everyday use from the start. Before choosing any technology, we agree who will use it, what task it will improve, which data it needs, who owns it and how success will be measured.
What happens after a project goes live?
We hand over the tests, monitoring, operating guides and documentation your team needs. You can run the system yourself, ask us to support it, or use a mixture of both. We do not design projects to make you dependent on us.
Technology, data, and governance
Which AI models and cloud platforms do you work with?
We work with leading AI models, including Claude, GPT, Gemini, Llama, Mistral and Qwen. We build on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, as well as private or local systems when data must stay in a particular country or organisation. We choose the option that best fits the job, not the vendor we prefer.
How do you handle data location and cross-border transfers?
We decide where data may be stored and processed before the build starts. Where Nigerian law, sector rules or company policy applies, we use suitable local, private-cloud or on-site options and put the required legal safeguards in place for any cross-border transfer.
Do you work with the EU AI Act, ISO 42001 and NIST AI RMF?
Yes, where they apply. These are recognised laws and frameworks for managing AI risk. We also work with Nigeria's Data Protection Act. We help you put the required controls and records in place; an independent certifying body handles formal certification.
Can you work with older systems, difficult data or a small AI team?
Yes. That is normal. We help organisations clean and connect the data they already have, and we integrate new AI tools with existing systems where practical. A complete replacement is not always necessary.
Training
Do you deliver AI training, and at what scale?
Yes. We run short executive sessions, practical team programmes and organisation-wide training for thousands of employees. Each programme is built around the work people actually do. Where relevant, we also cover the EU AI Act's requirement for staff to understand the AI they use.
Working with us
How do I start a conversation with Cognis?
Write to [email protected] or use the contact form. A senior team member replies within two business days. First conversations are exploratory, confidential, and at no cost — our job in that call is to understand the problem well enough to tell you whether we are the right firm for it.
Do you sign NDAs before discovery calls?
Yes. We sign mutual NDAs at a client's request before any substantive discussion of strategy, data, or systems. If you do not yet have a template, we can provide a standard one.
How do I reach a member of the team?
General enquiries: [email protected]. Privacy and data rights: [email protected]. Legal: [email protected]. Phone: +234 908 000 1101. Our people pages list named leads and their areas of focus.
Still have questions?
Tell us which task is slow, costly or difficult to manage. We will help you work out whether AI is the right fit.
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