Glory Olamigoke is many things – Founder, TekNexus Africa, a leading tech mentorship platform for African talents; Co-Founder, Tech Revolution Africa, one of the biggest tech talent conferences in Africa; and a product manager at Kuda, one of the biggest digital banks in Africa.
Over the past 4 years, he has continuously launched initiatives aimed at helping young Africans learn tech skills, land jobs and grow digital literacy on the African continent.
When you were growing up, did you envision yourself doing all these?
No, not exactly.
I mean I believe I was always ambitious as a young boy but I studied something totally different from what I am doing today.
I studied Human Anatomy, a medical related course in the university and it was an interesting journey. I didn’t exactly like it so much and when the opportunity for me to transition into tech after school came, I embraced it fully.
Tell us about your transition into tech. How did that happen?
I transitioned into tech in 2018 during my NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) service year. I got the opportunity to work in a broadcasting studio during the period and stumbled on web design using WordPress.
I learnt the skill and started to use it to creatively build websites. Later on, I learnt how to code proper, and used that to build interactive web applications.
While working on projects, I realised that I loved leading and managing people. Somehow, I seemed to be natural and good at it.
This realisation brought me to discover project and subsequently product management which is the tech field I work in today.
During my time as a developer, I founded Cleonify, a software development agency that has helped startups build their MVPs – websites, web apps and mobile apps.
The team worked with almost 80 companies building their products, with these companies coming from within and outside Africa.
What has your experience been as a product manager?
It’s been super exciting. Getting to work with multiple teams to build, launch and manage products has been fulfilling.
The last couple years building products in the Fintech space has seen me build and launch new products to the market with thousands of customers acquired, as well as value realised in the scores of millions of dollars for the companies.
I love it here.
What inspired you to launch TekNexus Africa, and what were your objectives? Can you share some success stories from this too?
TekNexus Africa came from a hunger for impact. A desire to live beyond just myself.
My first ever initiative was launched in 2020, It was called CWD Bootcamp. Its goal was to help young Africans learn how to code.
The goal was simple – if more people could learn how to code, then more people would be empowered to build digital solutions for our problems in Africa.
We went on to organise several training bootcamps and reached over 700 African youths. Some of these persons have gone on to build amazing software development careers today.
Next, in January 2022, I conceived another initiative – Get Into Tech Africa – to help African youths learn tech skills, and start their careers. It was a much bigger vision than CWD Bootcamp.
The goal was to provide clarity, a roadmap and practical help to get these persons started and on their way to their first tech job.
It launched in March 2022 with the first program cohort taking place from March till May 2022. We got 3,000 participants from 8 African countries in total, who for over 3 months learnt how they could get started in 12 top career paths, getting all the support they needed along the way.
Get Into Tech Africa is what has transformed into a much bigger and more structured platform called TekNexus Africa with over 5000 community members.
TekNexus Africa is a mentorship platform where African tech talents receive all the help they need to grow their skills, launch their careers and create real impact.
We do this through monthly group mentorship sessions, our industry-leading apprenticeship program, exclusive internship program and more.
It’s been a lot of work but I am excited to say we have had many success stories with our community members landing internships and entry-level tech roles in local and foreign companies.
How did Tech Revolution Africa come about?
Through some of the work I have done, I noticed a gap. You can train, mentor and teach others tech skills, but how do you get them to believe in the African tech ecosystem and its potential? How do you give them a peek into the future to see what’s possible, their growth and impact possibilities in the tech landscape?
Coincidentally, a good friend of mine, David Ogebe who also leads a training platform for tech talents had noticed the same gap, and we came together to launch Tech Revolution Africa – the biggest tech talent conference in Nigeria and one of the biggest in Africa.
An event that will bring together the leaders and the newbies, bridging the gap and facilitating the most powerful growth, innovation and impact-driven conversations. I am also excited to share that MTN has agreed to be our headline sponsor.
Tell us more. When is Tech Revelation Africa holding? What is in store for participants?
Tech Revolution Africa will bring together leaders from some of the biggest African companies – MTN, Kuda, Piggyvest, NigComSat, SemiColon, Providus Bank, Sterling Bank, FairMoney, ShopEX, Cchub, Reliance Health, Quidax as well as global companies like Visa and more.
Participants can be sure to have an exciting time over two days on January 31st and 1st of February, 2025. There would be rich and impactful sessions around 8 content tracks including the startup economy, the tech talents/job market, digital economy forecast for 2025 and more.
There will be a lot of top level learning, networking, collaboration, idea sharing, and enriching conversations. Leaders in the industry will be sharing their incredible journeys of growth and innovation to inspire newbies in the room. We will also be showcasing startups and their innovative products.
I look forward to the masterclasses where we would be in-depth sessions around Products, Marketing and Engineering (technology).
MTN is your headline sponsor for Tech Revolution Africa, 2025. How does that make you and the team feel?
Honestly, it’s been incredible. MTN is the largest telecoms company in Africa. Taking an interest in our work, and deciding to support us as a sponsor, as well as drive our conference experience is amazing. It is a major feat for us and we are every bit proud.
For me, if you dare to dream and put in the work, then nothing is impossible.
You work at Kuda as a product manager. Can you describe how that has been too?
I have loved every bit of it so far. Getting the chance to build and manage products catering to the needs of millions of customers has helped me grow and learn further as a product manager. I have and work with a great team, very amazing colleagues. Together, the job is much easier.
When you are not thinking of your many initiatives or professional work, what are you doing?
I am either reading or writing (I’m a published author), playing the piano, seeing a movie or travelling.
I am a passionate Christian and I love to get out there, meet people and share about my faith too.
What can the world still expect from Glory Olamigoke?
I believe there is still a lot coming. I have only unravelled parts of myself and unveiled them so far.
Ultimately, I am passionate about Impact, big on helping young Africans become leaders and solutions makers, and in love with tech. So yes, there’s a lot more coming ahead.
Glory Olamigoke currently lives in Nigeria from where he is changing the world, one African at a time.
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