Over the past decade, Nigeria has witnessed an extraordinary surge in its developer population, fueled by increased access to technology, an expanding startup ecosystem, and a renewed global appetite for African talent. Between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023 alone, Nigeria’s developer community grew by a staggering 45.6%, reaching over 872,000 active software engineers. This positions Nigeria as the fastest-growing software development hub in Africa, and second globally, just behind Bangladesh.
As this momentum continues, Nigeria’s tech scene is evolving into a formidable force home to innovative startups, global engineering hubs, and a new generation of talent making waves across borders. At the heart of this movement is a cadre of software engineers whose impact stretches far beyond code. These individuals are designing scalable systems, leading product strategy, contributing to open-source communities, and mentoring the next generation of developers. In this feature, 10 outstanding Nigerian software engineers whose work is not only powering critical platforms at Fortune 500 companies, unicorn startups, and global multinationals but also elevating Nigeria’s reputation on the world stage.
Olaoluwa Okelola
Olaoluwa Okelola stands as a veteran in the software engineering world, with over 20 years of experience at some of the most prestigious tech firms globally. His academic path began at the International School Ibadan, continued through Avi-Cenna International School, and culminated at Howard University in Washington, DC. His professional journey took off at Microsoft, where he interned as part of the Explorer program in 2005. He later joined Google as an Engineering Intern in 2006 before moving to Facebook in 2007. His role at Facebook marked a significant milestone as he became one of the first Nigerians to secure a position at a major Silicon Valley company. Over the span of a decade at Facebook, Olaoluwa helped engineer and scale widely used consumer-facing products, playing a vital role in technologies that shape our daily digital interactions. His legacy continues to inspire a new wave of African tech professionals seeking to break boundaries on the global stage.
Martins Okafor
Martins Okafor is a Lead Software Engineer and accomplished tech leader whose influence spans enterprise firms, startups, and developer communities. A graduate of Mathematics and Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Martins has brought his skills to global organisations such as Deloitte, UPS, Airnow UK, and National Grid UK, delivering robust, scalable digital platforms across domains. He is the co-founder of Voomsway, a logistics SaaS company dedicated to transforming mobility and supply chain infrastructure in Nigeria. More recently, Martins received an offer to co-found and serve as CTO for Korrency, a Canada-based fintech startup working on simplifying cross-border finance. This invitation signals growing global recognition of his leadership in engineering.
His technical expertise spans full-stack systems including React.js, Next.js, NestJS, Express.js, and PostgreSQL, as well as machine learning and AI. Equipped with an MBA from the University of East London, Martins combines software engineering proficiency with strategic thinking and business insight. Passionate about community development, Martins regularly organises free workshops at Nigerian universities and mentors engineers worldwide via Codementor, ADPList, and MentorColor. His latest focus involves building AI systems that counter deepfakes and misinformation an area where ethics and innovation intersect in urgent, global ways.
Prosper Otemuyiwa
Prosper Otemuyiwa is a well-respected full-stack engineer whose career spans over a decade of shaping software culture in Africa and beyond. Known not only for his technical prowess but also for his ability to teach and inspire, Prosper has long been a central figure in the Nigerian and African developer ecosystem. He was an early team member at Andela and has contributed to widely adopted open-source libraries. Today, he is the CTO of Eden Life, a lifestyle tech startup that has secured $2 million in venture capital, and co-founder of forLoop Africa, the continent’s largest developer network, active in over 40 countries.
Over the years, he has delivered talks at over 100 conferences worldwide, including Facebook Developer Summit, Google Developer Agency Day, Zeit SF Day, and CodeFest Russia. In 2016, GitHub ranked him as the world’s second most active PHP developer, outranking developers from tech giants like Facebook.
Adaora Nwodo
Adaora Nwodo is a multi-award-winning software engineer and a certified Google Associate Android Developer. Her expertise lies at the intersection of cloud engineering, automation, and developer productivity tools. A First Class Computer Science graduate from the University of Lagos, she founded NexaScale, a social enterprise designed to equip early-career technologists with training, projects, and hands-on work experience. Through this initiative, she has helped many young professionals break into the tech industry.
She has authored several technical courses and blog articles, including content on infrastructure automation and engineering career growth via her platform, AdoraHack. Adaora actively promotes diversity and inclusion, especially for women in technology, by organising events for communities like unStack Africa and contributing to open-source initiatives.
Favour Ohanekwu
Favour Ohanekwu is a rising star in the global open-source community. A standout graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, he earned a record-breaking 97.8% average equivalent to a 4.89 GPA alongside nine academic awards from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Favour has spent over three years leveraging open-source software to solve complex problems. He now works with global companies to deliver impactful, value-driven engineering solutions. His work, mentorship, and advocacy have earned features in media outlets like Nigerian Tribune and ScholarshipRegion.
Currently, he is a senior engineer at Appsmith, an open-source low-code platform that enables businesses to build and automate custom applications. Through his work, Favour continues to drive innovation and efficiency in digital product development.
Ire Aderinokun
Ire Aderinokun is a widely recognised software engineer, investor, and tech entrepreneur. With a career spanning a decade, she has made her mark as a Google Developer Expert in frontend technologies and has spoken at over 60 global tech events, including those hosted by Google and WeAreDevelopers.
She co-founded Helicarrier, a company focused on building cryptocurrency infrastructure for Africa, and launched Frontstack, Nigeria’s first frontend-focused engineering conference. Ire also runs a scholarship program to help Nigerian women pursue Udacity Nanodegrees in tech. A champion of education and women’s rights, Ire is a founding member of the Feminist Coalition, a group advocating for equality in Nigeria. Her work bridges tech, activism, and economic empowerment.
Chukwuemeka Afigbo
Chukwuemeka Afigbo is a prominent figure in global developer relations, currently serving as Senior Director of Developer Success at Okta. His leadership journey includes prior roles at Google and Facebook, where he helped shape strategic partnerships and empower developer communities across the Middle East and Africa. Afigbo studied Electronic Engineering at the University of Nigeria, followed by a Master’s in Technology Innovation Management at Carleton University and additional credentials in Advanced Project Management from Stanford.
At Google from 2011 to 2015, he was instrumental in building programs that helped Sub-Saharan African developers access global platforms. At Facebook, he managed platform partnerships that enabled regional innovation at scale. Today, he continues to expand opportunities for developers on a global stage through his work at Okta.
Fara Ashiru Jituboh
Fara Ashiru Jituboh is the founder and CEO of Okra, a transformative open finance platform enabling African businesses to build intelligent financial services. In a remarkable show of startup momentum, she secured $1 million in pre-seed funding within just six months of launch.
Prior to founding Okra, Fara worked with Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups including JP Morgan, Fidelity Investments, Canva, and BMW. She also co-founded Shixels Studios, where she built enterprise technology solutions for clients like Airtel, Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, and AXA Mansard. Fluent in over 20 programming languages, Fara is frequently cited in global media such as Forbes for her technical and entrepreneurial leadership in fintech.
Segun Famisa
Segun Famisa is a Berlin-based Senior Software Engineer and Android specialist with a proven track record in building scalable mobile experiences. With a background in electronic engineering, Segun has worked with top companies like Andela, SoundCloud, Wolt, Delivery Hero, and DoorDash.
As a Google Developer Expert for Android, he shares his expertise through technical writing, community speaking, and conference presentations. His ability to bridge engineering depth with user-centric design sets him apart in the competitive world of mobile development.
Moyinoluwa Adeyemi
Moyinoluwa Adeyemi is a UK-based Senior Android Engineer and Google Developer Expert who has dedicated her career to building technology with real-world impact. She started early, creating apps like Tour9ja (a tourism app) and Efficacy (for detecting counterfeit drugs) while still a student.
She graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University with a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics and later worked at Swifta Systems, Zola Electric, and Twitter (now X), where she led significant mobile engineering projects. Moyinoluwa has long been a force in tech education and community building, serving as a leader in Google Developer Group OAU and mentoring emerging engineers. Her work combines technical excellence with a deep commitment to solving societal problems through code.
