As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, the demand for software engineers capable of building and maintaining dependable technology is growing. Nigerian technology professional David Daniel Igbigbi believes that meeting this demand requires more than teaching young
people to write code. It also requires equipping them with the practical skills needed to develop, maintain and scale reliable digital systems.
With professional experience spanning Duplo Finance, International Breweries Plc, part of the AB InBev Group, and The Bulb Africa, Igbigbi has worked across technology environments where software performance, business operations and system reliability are closely connected.
According to Igbigbi, effective software engineering involves understanding the business problems a system is expected to solve, anticipating operational challenges and making technical decisions that support long-term reliability.
Building Software Businesses Can Depend On
Financial technology and enterprise environments place significant demands on software engineers. Systems supporting payments, settlements, reconciliation, expense management and approvals must maintain accuracy and reliability while integrating with other services and business processes.
Igbigbi noted that software that performs well during development may encounter challenges in production when transaction volumes increase, external services fail or different components interact unexpectedly.
He explained that engineers must look beyond whether a feature works as intended and consider how a system responds to failure, how it recovers and whether its data remains accurate. He also emphasised that changes must be introduced carefully to avoid disrupting existing operations.
In financial technology, where transaction processing and reconciliation require particular attention, reliability is essential to maintaining accurate records and supporting customer confidence.
Igbigbi stressed that system design, testing, monitoring, security and maintainability should be considered throughout the development process rather than treated as afterthoughts.
Igbigbi observed that learning a programming language provides a foundation, but professional software engineering requires a broader range of capabilities. Developers must be able to navigate existing codebases, investigate unfamiliar systems, identify the causes of failures and evaluate architectural trade-offs.
He added that practical engineering also requires knowledge of version control, testing, security, performance, deployment and collaboration within technical teams.
According to him, these capabilities develop through practice, constructive feedback and exposure to increasingly complex problems. He argued that theoretical learning becomes more effective when developers have opportunities to apply their knowledge, make technical decisions and understand the consequences of those decisions.
He emphasised that emerging engineers need to learn not only how to implement a feature but also why a particular approach is suitable and what trade-offs it may introduce.
Why Mentorship Matters in Developing Engineering Talent
Igbigbi believes that practical mentorship can help young developers prepare for the expectations of professional engineering teams.
He explained that effective mentorship should go beyond demonstrating how to implement a feature. It should help developers understand system design, assess alternative solutions and recognise the advantages and limitations of different technical approaches.
According to Igbigbi, emerging engineers should be encouraged to develop curiosity and independent problem-solving skills. He noted that understanding when to use a tool, recognising its limitations and knowing how it fits into a larger system are just as important as learning how to use it.
He said the ultimate goal should be to help young developers become professionals who can take responsibility for the systems they build.
Connecting Mentorship to Career Opportunities
Practical mentorship can help developers understand workplace expectations and prepare for more demanding technical responsibilities.
Igbigbi explained that experience in problem-solving, collaboration, code quality and scalable application development can help young engineers demonstrate their capabilities to prospective employers.
His talent-development experience has included guiding younger developers, some of whom have reportedly progressed to opportunities within technology and enterprise environments associated with organisations such as AB InBev and Netchex.
These experiences, he noted, highlight the value of connecting technical learning with practical workplace expectations.
However, Igbigbi also stressed that mentorship alone does not guarantee career success. Developers must remain committed to continuous learning, build projects that demonstrate their skills, seek constructive feedback and develop the discipline to solve problems independently.
Strengthening Africa’s Engineering Capacity
Igbigbi believes that strengthening Africa’s engineering talent pipeline requires collaboration among educational institutions, technology companies, experienced professionals and initiatives that provide practical learning opportunities.
He noted that developers must move beyond building applications solely for demonstrations and learn to account for reliability, security, scalability and the operational realities of serving real
users.
Developing these capabilities, he argued, can help technology businesses strengthen their products, improve their operations and compete in more demanding markets. Read Economics
Looking ahead, Igbigbi believes that successful African engineers will need to combine technical depth with sound judgment, adaptability, communication and an understanding of business
needs.
He added that familiarity with a particular programming language or framework would not be enough in an industry where technologies change rapidly. Engineers must continue learning, evaluate unfamiliar problems and make responsible technical decisions.
For African developers, he said, there is an opportunity to build technology that addresses local needs while meeting international standards.
Building Technology That Solves Real Problems
Igbigbi’s advice to young developers is to measure progress by more than coding speed or the number of technologies they know.
He encouraged emerging engineers to focus on understanding problems deeply, building solutions carefully and learning how systems behave in real-world environments.
He also emphasised the importance of taking feedback seriously, learning from mistakes and working collaboratively with other engineers.
According to him, software engineering is ultimately about creating solutions that people can depend on. Developing reliable, maintainable and useful software requires continuous learning and a sustained commitment to engineering quality.
As Africa’s digital economy evolves, Igbigbi’s perspective highlights the importance of investing not only in technology infrastructure but also in the people responsible for building and maintaining it.Read Economics