MEET THE YOUNG NIGERIA APP DEVELOPER Afuwape Ifeoluwa Ayodeji

Born Afuwape Ifeoluwa Ayodeji, this 200 level Agricultural Engineering student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, is the stuff that geniuses are made of, writes TOFARATI IGE.

At a time when many of his peers have not yet charted a definite course for their lives, the strong-willed young entrepreneur has created an indigenous chat application that has the potential of raking in millions of Dollars, and putting Nigeria on the world map.

The app is called HiphecktsChat, and it is compatible with all Android OS devices. Some of its functions include File Sharing (any format), mp3, mp4, mpeg, flv, exe, apk,cdr, pdf and others, Swipe Screen Control, gifdisplay picture, among others.

Speaking on how the journey began, Afuwape said, “Creating software has always been one of the things I wanted to do, but when you consider the requirements for this, both financially and materially, you’ll almost get discouraged but I never let all this weigh me down. I kept on trying and researching, and because of my vast knowledge and desperate desire to learn and develop myself, this made me face the world of programming as a novice though I had internet aids with which I was able to come up with my first android application (Hiphepault), a catarpault game with zombies.

On how he felt seeing his creation come to light, Ife said, “When the word “Install” appeared on my phone’s screen, I felt on top of the world. I knew I had scaled one height in learning to create software even though it was just a one-level game without many effects, it was a dream come true for me,” he stated.

Speaking further, Afuwape revealed that creating a mobile hymnal for his church, The Church of the Lord (Aladura), was what motivated him in trying to create software. According to him, “The major aim of me trying to learn software development was to create a mobile hymnal for my church, and since I never enrolled in a programming school, I had to find a way to do that all by myself. I kept on researching and at the end, it was another project that succeeded when I created the ‘TCLAW Mobile Hymnal.’ This breakthrough increased my thirst, so I continued to research and study even during my school examinations. While my colleagues read their course notes and textbooks in the library, I was doing something different entirely trying to develop myself on software development. A colleague once walked up to me and asked if I was alright, because to them I was doing the wrong thing even at the wrong time. However, few days after the exam, when most students had gone back home for the holidays, I was at the ICT centre of my school where I got it done eventually, and the scream let out at my first chat with another phone was like that of a lion’s roar because it never looked like I could, but HiphecktsChat for Android OS is here today and soon, we’ll be coming up with the Blackberry OS 10 version. HiphecktsChat is the best instant messenger you can think of with unbeatable functions like file sharing (any format) docs, mp3, mp4, mpeg, flv, exe, apk,cdr, pdf and others, swipe screen control, gifdisplay picture…etc. and it’s free forever,” the fair-skinned software-developer enthused.

Taking a stroll down memory lane, Afuwape noted that his love for computers started at an early age. In his words, “Right from childhood, I have had passion for learning; most especially for music and technology, and till date, it’s still my best hobby,” he hinted.

Speaking further, he said, “As a little boy, my sister used to work in a business centre where they had many computers. I used to save my ‘food money’ and some other tips I got, so I could go to the Internet Cafe to spend some time with the computers even though I never knew anything about them, but because of the gift bestowed upon me which God is the author and finisher of, whenever I get close to any device, gadget or musical instruments; in one way or the other, I’ll get to know the functions and how to utilise them appropriately. These traits grew with me which has helped me in knowing all I know and the things I’ve done in my life. I’ll always be grateful to God for the gift as long as I live,” Afuwape said with a smile of appreciation to God sitting on his lips.