“It is Our Duty to Contribute to Our Countries of Origin”

With a bachelor’s in information technology and a master’s degree in software engineering, Sodruldeen Temitayo Mustapha has been working in IT for 6 years. Currently, he is working for an electric vehicle company. He has always been interested in giving back to the community and has found being involved in local society is very motivating.

“Originally I am from Nigeria and for a long time, I had this wish to contribute to the development of my home country. I found the CD4D2 project on LinkedIn and it immediately appealed to me. This was what I was looking for: CD4D2 enables me to share my expertise with my community back home. I find that very motivating.”

“It is Our Duty to Contribute to Our Countries of Origin”

Sodruldeen has been placed with Galaxy Backbone in Abuja, an institution established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to operate a nationwide IT network. “Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the government is very keen to invest in the digital economy and therefore also in a solid IT structure. Galaxy Backbone will provide a common platform for connectivity and other infrastructure services for all Ministries and government-related Agencies.”

Sodruldeen’s assignment consists of knowledge transfer to develop Galaxy Backbone’s capacity in IT infrastructure, development and in software development. “In view of the pandemic, my assignment happens virtually and is going very well. The assignment was well-defined with clear objectives and the expectations of the Host Institution are met. I began by advising Galaxy Backbone on building and operating a nationwide e-government system, which involves a lot of information exchange. This can easily be done virtually. The second phase will consist of developing and training staff on how to implement the software. Galaxy Backbone already set up a team to be trained and they are very motivated. I think the CD4D2 project should grow further: I have already recommended it to a friend. It is a very good platform for diaspora to offer knowledge and expertise. Personally, I think it is our duty as a diaspora to contribute to our countries of origin.”