Oladejo Ayobami Abiodun is a graduate of Mathematics from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He has been known to promote the use of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) as a veritable tool for development right from his University days as the president of his departmental society. He bought his association’s first computer system and became the first departmental society in his University to be connected to the Internet; that was in the year 2000. 

Ayobami presently works in the Engineering Group of Vmobile Nigeria, a first generation GSM company in Nigeria. He is an ICT professional with a relatively broad spectrum including Telecommunications, Web Development, Database Designs, Network Administration and Security, Windows and Linux Systems Administration, Programming, e.t.c. He is a consultant to private companies and government institutions especially in ICT policy research. Ayobami is a volunteer at the Lagos Digital Village where he teaches and mentors young people; he is also involved in many other ICT for development initiatives.

He is the team leader of Nigerian Anti-Scam Network – www.cybercrime.org.ng, a group fighting the scourge of online scam and other related cyber crime. A creative thinker and business developer, Ayobami envisioned and produced the OAU Interactive Multimedia CD in the year 2002; the first of its kind in any Nigerian University.

He is co-author of a book titled – Global Process, Local Reality – a book that chronicles the participation of Nigerian youths in the World Summit on the Information Society process. His main aim is to participate actively in the emergence of a “New Nigeria” that we can all be proud of. (www.ayooladejo.org.ng/blog)

Uhnnnn, well a day in my life depends on if it is a weekday or a weekend. On a typical weekday, I wake up 5:10 a.m, do some communing with my heavenly father committing the day into his hands. I get to the office at about 7:30 a.m and list out my action points for the day. I usually have breakfast at 9:30 a.m and the rest of the morning is spent on attending to emails and technical support for my platforms. Afternoons are normally spent reading, support and attending various meetings. Lunch comes up at 2:30 p.m and various unplanned activities come up until normal close of business at 5:30 p.m. I spend the next 1-2 hours doing my personal stuffs or developing myself. I typically get home by 8.00 p.m and I just basically have dinner, relax and do a recap of the day’s activities. I go to bed at about 12:00 midnight daily…. Pretty late, right, but not without adding value to myself through various means and bidding goodnight to papa God.

I love what I do because of the value being added to people. I work as a Telecoms professional and this brings me joy especially when subscribers use the services to develop their minds and do great things for themselves. As we all know, communication in various means is a very key catalyst for development. On the other side, I am a part of a number of initiatives aimed to making life better for Nigerian youths. I love this part very much as it helps me to express myself and contribute to the development of the Nigerian state.

I attended Loyola College Ibadan for my Junior Secondary School Education (1991-1993) before doing my Senior Secondary School Education at School of Science, Ile-Ife Osun State (1993-1996). I have a B.Sc in Mathematics from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in 2002.

I believe only positive reports from people and from God, so the mentality of being discouraged by pessimists has not really bothered me. Yes, people have put me down before but I always remind myself that I can do anything I propose in my heart. I am from a humble background but my parents are people of integrity and the training I received helped in shaping my mentality. Also, I make sure I move with high-flyers and not mediocre; such that I am always challenged to achieve great feats and my religious convictions also help to instill in me a spirit of confidence in the almighty about my life. 

Not really. However, when I look back to some situations of yesteryears; I sometimes hope I had handled those things in a better way.  

The Nigerian youth will be competitive in the international scene thanks to the advent and use of ICTs. Never have we seen a tool so important and relevant to the development of a nation as Information and Communication Technology. My advice is that regardless of our endeavors and career paths, ICTs will make things easier and seamless. The kind of exposure that computers and its allied products have brought into our lives cannot be over-emphasized and a lot of advantages have been identified via job creation and the development of our young minds with a view to positively competing with the youth from developed countries. 

We have many dysfunctional youths due to the prevalent poverty and low moral standard accentuated by the decay of the Nigerian state. But I also see a lot of young, bright and focused Nigerians who are bent on making things work. We have always being the driving force for youths in ICT4D for Africa and have proven this a lot of times. There will be a better Africa when we have more Nigerian youth taking initiatives that are positively aimed at creating opportunities for growth.

The media all over the world has done us great injustice but we actually gave them the right to do it. Our society respects money and people will do anything to get respect, hence the incurable thirst for money. Until our value systems are restored and people are praised for adding value to the nation not because of money; we will not resolve this problem. We should celebrate teachers, lecturers and others who touch lives, not a political godfather who made his money through dubious means. There should also be a general improvement in standard of living before things can get better, a situation where everyone is a local government providing electricity (Generator), water (borehole) and other amenities personally is slap on the government’s face and this actually gives a poor man cause to look for more money. Until people have jobs that can feed and make them live reasonably well, the fight against dubious practices will be a fruitless war. It is then that a re-orientation of the mind could actually do any good to our society. 

If it is a passion, then it will work. The rule is not to go for things because of money but to add value to your nation and the world in general. A good example is the Google bguys who started the search engine to help people search better online. Their motivation was not based on money but adding value; this paid of later and they are very rich now. So, add value and then make money!

Be confident; do not be discouraged by your environment, dream big and large. We are the only hope this continent has to meet up. And let us read, read and read…. We need to develop ourselves to meet up with the developed world. Readers are leaders.

I am a co-author of Global Process, Local Reality – a book that chronicles the participation of Nigerian youths in the World Summit on the Information Society. My first solo book will come out in 2008, the title…. I will tell u then.

Brains, Integrity, Optimism, Prudence, Innovation, Hardworking, Godliness. Reforms – Mindset, Education, Priority Redefinition, Rail System, Industry, Job Creation, etc.

Mentorship based on the need to make young people confident of their abilities. Identification of legal alternative income sources from the Internet and other sources. Identifying reasons for engaging in positive activities and the boomerang effect of fraudulent activities on the economy of Nigeria.