Our developers’ stories won’t be complete if at some point, we don’t talk about the female developers who are contributing to the growth of the community. One such female coder is Bukola Akinfaderin who Microsoft Africa named as developer of the month.
Bukola is a tech guru, entrepreneur, coder and the founder of Jandus Mobile Solutions. Born in Lagos and raised in the U.S., Bukola has been in technology for 11 years and now specialises in mobile solutions to meet needs in Nigeria. Her most known app is Jandus Radio. Here is our chat with Bukola.
Can we meet you? (name, family, educational background, career path)
My name is Bukola Akinfaderin. I am the CEO of Jandus Mobile Solutions LTD. I was born in Lagos and traveled to the US at age 12. I received a Bachelors in Computer Science in 2002 from Wesleyan University and a Masters in Information Systems from New Jersey Institute of Technology. After which I worked in Information Technology in Corporate America for 10 years.
What language do you program with?
Java, PHP, C#, MYSQL, HTML5
How did you get into programming?
I have a background in computer science but mostly self taught through online tutorials and programming books.
Tell us about your app?
Jandus Radio is a mobile application that allows you to listen to Nigerian radio and other African radio stations on your mobile phone anywhere in the world. I originally created it for diasporans to be able to get easy access to news, music, entertainment and current affairs back home.
How is your app doing in the market and what are you doing to make it better?
We are doing very well, over 200,000 downloads cross platforms. We continue to partner with radio stations, brands and OEMs to further our marketing efforts.
How has it been like, being a female developer?
I suppose it has been the same as a male developer. People normally judge the end product and are not aware if it was a male or female who produced it.
Have you been facing challenges or enjoying some benefits as a female developers?
I have not faced any challenges yet but also I am not aware of the benefits of female developers.
Congratulation on being the Microsoft Africa developer of the month. How does it feel to be chosen?
It was exciting to see the responses on my selection. I feel quite happy and honored to have been chosen.
What is your advice to aspiring female developers?
If you have a passion for coding, pursue it. Do what makes you happy even if you are the only one doing it.
How do you see the future of software development for ladies?
I hope to see an increase in women pursuing developer opportunities in Africa. It’s encouraging to see some progress in these areas already.
I have another application called Caban for property search in Nigeria. I will continue to build on this opportunity as property search is still quite a frustrating process in Nigeria.
