As we draw the curtain of 2024 to a close, I thought it will be a great idea to look back at the events of the year and put it into writing especially the lessons learnt. I hope it worth your read.

Accra, Ghana

Earlier this year, in January, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the annual Africa Tech Exposure Week 2024, held at the Google AI Lab in Accra, Ghana. Organized by the Google AI and Google for Education teams, in partnership with VarsityMentor—a US-based non-profit connecting African university students to professionals in the diaspora for mentorship and career guidance—the conference focused on the theme: "Crafting a Tech Career: Strategies for Empowering Change."

I was honored to be invited as a speaker to share the journey of MeekFi and to inspire young university students to explore entrepreneurship as a career path. My talk centered on the challenges and successes we've experienced at MeekFi, artificial intelligence and how it will shape the future of innovative startups and also include practical advice on leveraging technology for impactful innovation. You can find the presentation from my talk here.

Joining me on this journey was my Co-Founder and CTO. We opted for an unconventional yet enriching approach: a six-hour road trip from Benin Republic to Accra, Ghana, instead of an hour flight from Lagos to Accra, Ghana. Despite a few checkpoints and border stress, the scenic views, cultural exchanges, and unique experience made the journey memorable. If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend a road trip—it’s an adventure worth taking!

Beyond the honor of sharing my entrepreneurial journey on a Google stage, meeting Prof. Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Chairman of Tekedia Capital US, was a personal highlight. After many virtual conversations, it was thrilling to connect in person. Prof., the keynote speaker, has been an inspiring mentor, and sharing the same stage with him was a moment I’ll always treasure.

Building MeekFi

I am the Co-Founder of MeekFi, a financial technology company dedicated to building modern financial infrastructure that works for under-served communities across Africa. At MeekFi, engineering lies at the heart of everything we do, and I am privileged to lead the engineering team in driving our mission forward.

Our primary market is currently Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where infrastructure deficits have historically limited financial opportunities. We are committed to bridging this gap by creating solutions that work—solutions we believe will act as a catalyst for explosive innovation and economic transformation in the region.

Last year, we launched a groundbreaking Cardless Infrastructure in Benin Republic, the first of its kind in the region partnering with United Bank for Africa, MTN MoMo and Moov Money. This innovation enables individuals to withdraw cash from ATMs or make payments without the need for a physical card. Despite the fair share of challenges that this infrastructure brought, we were able to see the tangible impact of this solution—unlocking economic opportunities and driving financial inclusion—has been incredibly rewarding. Currently, we are working to scale this solution.

Lagos, Nigeria

Lasgidi—my city, the place I call home. If you've ever been to Lagos, you’d know there’s something electrifying about this place. From the high-rises in Marina Road on the Island to the hustle and bustle of Oshodi on the Mainland, the energy here is unmatched. Lagosians don’t just live; they vibe!

Weekends in Lagos are prime time for owambes—and trust me, we don’t play when it comes to turning up! This weekend was extra special for me because my good friend was getting married, and guess what? I got to suit up as a groomsman for the very first time. Lol! It was all vibes, love, and laughter as I watched two lovebirds tie the knot in holy matrimony. A truly unforgettable moment!

But it’s not all party vibes in Lasgidi. During the week, I’ve been neck-deep in some exciting work with Right International School, helping them navigate their digital transformation journey as an advisor on the school board. We teamed up with SmartHub Academy, a EdTech company, to introduce our students from junior secondary school to the world of tech. Seeing those kids dive into coding and getting curious about how computers work was beyond inspiring. Imagine young minds lighting up as they write their first lines of code—I had that feeling over 10 years ago and I can tell the ecstasy.

Lagos is the city that never sleeps, and one has to embrace its relentless energy from one unforgettable experience after another!

Abidjan, Conakry and Dakar

One of the coolest things about working at MeekFi is the chance to travel across Africa—it’s always an adventure! This time, I had a two-week business trip to Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Senegal to conduct market surveys and explore partnership opportunities.

My first stop was Abidjan, the bustling business hub of Cote d’Ivoire(they also call it the Francophone Africa Business Hub). I landed at Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport after a smooth Air Peace flight from Lagos to Dakar (with a touch of delay). Abidjan was an experience! I got a front-row seat to Ivorian daily life and saw how fintech companies like Wave are shaking up financial services. I also had some eye-opening conversations with senior banking professionals, where I peppered them with questions(trust me) about the market and soaked up all the insights I could. The only sad part in my trip to Cote d'Ivoire was not tasting Ashake.

From there, it was off to Conakry, the capital of Guinea, where I spent over a week working with our partners to launch MeekFi’s innovative Cardless Withdrawal Product. Fun fact about Guinea: the country is currently under military rule, and their currency is struggling (imagine spending 100,000 on a plate of rice). Despite the challenges, the work was fulfilling, and it felt great to see our solution come to life.

Next up was Dakar, Senegal—and this part tested my patience. Thanks to a ridiculous 12-hour flight delay, I was practically begging for teleportation technology. But Senegal made up for it. I instantly fell for the peaceful vibe of the people. Their spoken French, though? Let’s just say it gave me flashbacks to the differences between Nigerian and Ghanaian spoken English. I loved how Senegal felt like proof that a country in Sub-Saharan Africa can actually work. From stable democracy (no military coups since independence!) to reliable basic amenities, Senegal just gets it. Sure, they’ve got their own issues, but they’ve cracked some important codes, and I was eager to learn how they did it. Just like in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire, I meant with senior professionals to gain more insight into the Senegalese market and explore possible partnerships.

Finally, I made my way back to Nigeria, reflecting on what an incredible trip it was. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to explore, learn, and contribute in these vibrant markets. It was a journey worth every minute, even with the hiccups along the way.

Learning

I decided to scale-up my technical skills by improving my current technical skills and taking up new tech stacks like Python and Go. I got courses on Udemy, the courses include

• Python Masterclass 2024: Build 24 Real World Python Projects

• Understanding Node.js: Core Concepts

• Go - The Complete Guide

I strongly recommend this course if you are looking at a deep dive into any of these tech stacks. Also one important resource I always recommend is this Developers Roadmap it is a community that create roadmaps, guides and other educational content to help guide developers in any tech stack paths.

Building

Aside from my work at MeekFi which involves a lot of building software solutions, I took out time to work on other side projects to build and improve my technical skills. Although I did little side projects, I am committing to doing more in 2025. I worked on only 2 side projects and they include: -

• Text-to-Speech App: - It converts a text from a PDF file or a Word document to an audio in at least 6 different languages of choice.

• Weather App: - gives weather condition of major cities in the world and also provides travel advice to these cities.

2025

I am super excited for what 2025 will bring and I hope to be more confident to pursue and achieve my goals.