Meet Onyedikachi Ibeabuchi, 2022 Africode Mentor of the Year!
Onyedikachi is a long-standing member of the Africode community who works as a Java Developer and STEM advocate in Abuja, Nigeria. He has worked as an IT support and WordPress developer at Solamith Nigeria Limited, a Software Engineer fellow at TIIDELab, and volunteer Training Facilitator at Suacode.ai and TechQuest STEM Academy, who introduced Processing language, Robotics, Scratch Programming and Computer Safety to young people. Onyedikachi joined Africode as a mentee in 2017 and has since grown into a mentor.
About Onyedikachi:
I am a Nigerian of Igbo extraction who grew up in Northern Nigeria. I speak English, Igbo, Hausa and understands a pinch of Yoruba. I got my first tertiary degree from Auchi Polytechnic in Computer Science and volunteered as a programming tutor to fellow students.
After graduating, I worked as an IT Support and later, a WordPress Developer for Solamith Nigeria Limited in Abuja. While working, I gained admission to further my studies at the Federal University of Technology Minna (FUTMinna) for a 5-year Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science. In my third year, I tried moving to another school when I couldn’t get my desired grade (first class) and almost quit when the move failed. I eventually completed my studies at FUT Minna and now, I work as a Java Developer for Hardcore Biometric Systems.
How long have you been in the tech space at the professional level and how did you get in it?
I've been a Software Engineer for about three years, as well as an IT Support and WordPress Developer for almost five years. I became interested in computers as a teenager, thanks to my older brother's passion for hardware. That was the main factor that influenced my course of study.
On my Nokia E5, I can still remember writing Python code that I didn't understand. I took over my brother's laptop when he got one and mostly utilized it for word processing and graphic design practice. I was then exposed to GW-BASICS at Auchi Polytechnic, and the experience was just mind-blowing. I experimented with a variety of programming languages, which I now realize was counterproductive and stifled my growth. I later fell in love with Java and its been an awesome journey.
How did you find out about Africode and why did you choose to become a mentor?
In 2017, I signed up to be an Africode mentee after learning about it from a university classmate, and Rosebud Anwuri was assigned to me as a mentor. I had a lot of help defining my path from Rosebud.
As mentioned earlier, starting out, I dabbled into several programming languages without making any real progress. I decided to sign up to be a mentor to be able to give others a better professional start.
What did you enjoy about being an Africode mentor this year / What are the makings of a good mentor?
I am aware of the frustrations associated with graduating from university and the challenge of gaining employment with little or no experience. I find it quite rewarding assisting people who aspire to work in tech.
In order to help the mentees who were assigned to me see various aspects of tech and help them make better career decisions, I shared my failures, challenges, and wins (both small and great) with them.
How did your experience in tech allow you to be a good resource for your mentees?
I was a student developer that mostly knew how to write program to solve for the roots of a quadric equation in various programming languages with knowledge of industry jargons and little technical depth of key concepts. I made sure my mentees understand the need for practical knowledge of key concepts and technologies used in the industry.
What are your academic or professional ambitions?
I intend to pursue a master’s degree in software engineering and artificial intelligence, and maybe a PhD in similar field. My goal is to contribute to the growth of future tech leaders in Africa.
What is something in the African tech space that currently interests you?
One thing that makes me so excited is the enormous talent growth in Africa. I'm more optimistic than ever that soon, Africa will also be a major worldwide contributor. If it isn't already, Africa will likely soon become a significant IT hub.
If you’d like to connect with Onyedikachi, you can find him on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Africode thanks Onyedikachi and all of 2022 mentors for their dedication and support in helping us grow the African tech community and build up future technologists!
Congrats again to Onyedikachi!