How I Began Designing Applications

 

Published on February 18, 2013 by pmnews   ·   1 CommentNigerian web designer and developer, Olaseni Odebiyi recently won Etisalat Innovation Prize for a commercial product, for designing the Mobile Maths Practice application. This application can be downloaded on any mobile device. The Geology graduate grinned from ear to ear as he was presented with his cash prize. He had earned himself thousands of dollars but also because his hard work over the years had finally gained the recognition and reward it deserved. In this interview with SEUN BISUGA, Olaseni tells his story from being jobless to being one of the most sought after web developers in Nigeria
You just won $25,000 for the most innovative product or service at the Etisalat Innovation Prize award. What inspired you to design the Maths Practice app?
The rot within the educational sector in Nigeria was usually the headlines of so many newspapers in Nigeria, and no one has proffered a solution to it. I felt I needed to find a solution to it. That was one of the main factors that inspired me to develop the application for Nigerian students.
To what extent do you think this application will help reduce the level of failure at WAEC and JAMB in Nigeria?
I believe there are so many distractions out there for students and one of it has to do with the use of their mobile devices, connecting to Facebook, Twitter and so many other social media. They simply cannot do without their mobile devices. Having the application (Mobile Maths Practice) running on their devices actually brings their books closer to them, and we believe that it’s a better way to study and prepare for their exams because they could be reluctant to carry their books these days.
You have got more Maths Practice app downloads from India and China. Would you consider designing a program specifically for these regions?
Most of the applications that we have developed are meant for local contents within Nigeria, but also created to meet global standards: that is why you have people within India, China, and other parts of the world downloading it more. So we really do not have to develop an app for a particular region, we built our apps based on the need of the people and this is the driving force for us. I mean developing more apps based on people’s needs.
How would you describe the Etisalat Innovation Prize concept? To what extent has it helped your career?
The Etisalat Prize for Innovation is actually one of the best awards in Africa. This is the first time a mobile network operator, MNO, will really reward mobile/web developers. It was not just about rewarding the winning companies, Etisalat Nigeria also helped in creating a wonderful relationship with the winning companies in creating road maps on how their products will be in the Nigeria market. With the prize money that I got from the competition, I have registered for a Project Management training as well as other trainings on how to develop better apps on other platforms. Right now, I just finished a three-day training on developing apps for Smart TV. I am now set to be a wonderful ambassador for my country in terms of showcasing what the youths in my country are capable of achieving if you create an enabling environment for us.
What would you want other web designers and programmers to learn from your achievement?
The truth is, mobile and web developers do not really make money from their applications, but the irony is the fact that if you build something relevant for the society, you will make your money. My advice will be for the mobile/web developers out there to build something relevant first and definitely the world will notice them no matter how long it takes.

•Olaseni Odebiyi, web designer and developer

Your app was a collection of past questions and answers. How easy is it for students to study on their own using this app?
The app is actually a user friendly app, partitioned to 10 questions, options and solution; so that the users won’t be bored with trying to go through all the questions at a go. The ease of flow of the app also helps the users, where users can simply read a question and options and after solving the question they can check for the solution to the question and then move on to the next question. (I will attach the images for this). So you really don’t have to be an expert to use the app, it actually runs on the same concept of using their books; but on a mobile device.
Can you tell us how you started your career as an app developer?
I started developing apps, because there was really no suitable job out there for me, especially with the fact that I finished with B.Sc in Geology. I decided to create wealth for myself. The first app I created was the Street Map of Lagos; two weeks after I launched it and that was when Nokia came into Nigeria and that killed it all. I lost so much during that period, but I will always be grateful to Cellulant Nigeria, my wife and everyone in my family that believed in my vision by allowing me to deploy my apps on their server and raising funds for adverts respectively for me. Right after then, I had to develop more relevant apps, the Nigeria Constitution, Disaster Preparedness, Crime Stopper, etc. I just couldn’t stop right after all that, so, if I find anyone developing same app as mine, I will always have an edge by making mine better than theirs. And so far so good, it’s been awesome being one of the best developers in Nigeria or even Africa.
I have over five years experience in developing apps for J2ME-enabled devices, Nokia and BlackBerry. I have over three years experience in developing for Android and two years experience in developing for iOS (Apple) and Window Phones.
What are the things you have learnt in the UK that have made you a better app developer?
In UK, I work for a company that develop mobile payment apps for different financial institutions in  the UK and US. This has given me the opportunity to work side by side with 40 top developers in UK to develop apps for different platforms. And the best part is working with the R&D team, where we break loads of codes and devices making sure that everything works according to specification.
I have read all the EMV Documentation of creating contactless application for mobile payment, I have been part of different hackatons in UK. Electricity in the UK is very encouraging. It is an enabling factor in achieving more. I have worked on several NFC applications for the past two years and I believe this has given me an edge over many other developers in Nigeria.
What other things are you working on now and what are your immediate plans for the future?
I am presently working on mobile payment wallets on the BB10 at the moment, as well as trying to find a way to make the SIM cards to act as your credit cards, using BB10 and other BlackBerry devices. However, I need the MNOs more on this than trying to create it on my own. The Mobile Maths Practice runs on the BB10 now and we have created more years and more subjects on the device faster than on any other platform.
The future is mobile devices, as everything from your PC and laptop is now going on your mobile devices, and with this, we are constantly moving with whatever devices are launched. We plan to create a mobile store that actually conforms to world standard and just waiting to finalise with PayPal on this, as we intend using their payment portal as our billing server.