By Kenneth Oboh
Like most Nigerians, Alabo was pressured by his parents to become a medical doctor. Even though he listened to them and applied to study medicine and surgery at the University of Port Harcourt, he couldn’t get admission into the medical department; instead, they gave him admission to the Microbiology department.

While at university, Alabo came to terms with the fact that he was studying Microbiology because of his parents and not because that’s what he wanted. So he decided to try software development and started teaching himself how to write code using the textbooks he had at school and the free resources he had found online.

Alabo faced challenges getting a functional laptop because he had no money. Luckily, he received funding aid from his community and bought a good laptop. He used this laptop to improve his front-end development skills and began developing websites for companies in Nigeria as a freelancer. He even became a finalist at one of Nigeria’s most challenging internship programs, HNG.

In a couple of years, Alabo went on to work for international companies worldwide, building software products that are used by thousands and even eventually launching his product.

When I asked him what advice he had to share with other Nigerians who were looking to start a tech career, he said, “Well, if there’s one thing I’d tell people to do, it is that they should go after what they want without listening to naysayers.”

He recalled how the first person he asked for advice on becoming a software engineer told him he wasn’t smart enough and wouldn’t be able to learn how to code. “If I had let the person’s words stop me from pursuing my dream to become a software developer, I wouldn’t have been here today,” he said.

Alabo also discussed the need to practice continuously. He shared that many people try learning how to code a couple of times within a month, and when they find it difficult, they automatically assume that they are not good enough for it. All they need is patience and continuous practice. He recommended that people give learning time and remember that it is a journey, not a sprint.

Alabo inspires several software engineers across Nigeria. He built a successful career in software engineering even though he studied microbiology by being consistent, putting himself out there, not being scared to fail, and, most importantly, believing in himself when nobody else did.

Alabo’s story is an example of the tenacity that Nigerians have and how they continue to push themselves beyond expectations and not let their environment or finances define them or their dreams.