When Olamide Makinde announced her graduation from the University of Lagos as a Systems Engineer, it was more than a personal milestone, it was the culmination of seven years of disciplined growth across classrooms, boardrooms, and global tech spaces.
“In what has been an incredible journey of 5 years turned 7 as a student and a professional,” she wrote, recounting a path defined by clarity, resilience, and uncommon range.
Alongside her 4.24/5.0 CGPA achievement, Makinde balanced full-time operations and project management work, international data science exposure, technical writing for global software companies, and leadership roles in one of Africa’s most influential women-in-tech communities.
Her story, validated by mentors such as Engr. Jane Egerton-idehen, Engr. Olukorede Kesha, Engr. Bisola Badejo, and peers alike, now stands as a powerful case study of what intentionality, systems thinking, and service can produce in Nigeria’s evolving tech ecosystem.
Who Is Olamide Makinde? A Systems Engineer Built by Intention
Olamide Makinde is a newly graduated Systems Engineer from the University of Lagos whose professional identity is anchored in building “excellent, scalable, and safe systems that significantly improve how people learn, work, and live.”
That philosophy, articulated in her LinkedIn profile, is not aspirational fluff; it is the connective tissue across her work in data science, AI, operations, project management, and technical documentation.
Her academic journey, extended by strikes and structural disruptions common to Nigerian public universities, did not dilute her focus. Instead, it sharpened it.
As her mentor, Engr. Jane Egerton-Idehen, recalls, Makinde’s clarity was evident from the start.
“She told me early on, ‘I want to graduate with a First Class.’ No noise. No excuses. Just intention.”
Though, she ended up with a strong 2:1, yet her intention from the start would later define how Makinde approached every role, quietly, consistently, and with systems-level precision.
Balancing the Lecture Hall and the Boardroom
While studying Systems Engineering, Makinde worked full-time for three years as an Operations and Project Manager at a software consulting and development staffing firm in Nigeria, an experience that placed her at the intersection of technology delivery, people management, and process optimization.
This was not a side hustle; it was a demanding professional role that required maturity well beyond her years.
Her capacity for trust and responsibility became even more evident during her three-year stint as Executive Assistant to Engr. Jane Egerton-Idehen, first during her tenure as Head of Sales for Middle East and Africa at Meta, and later at Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd., (NIGCOMSAT).
According to Egerton-Idehen, Makinde’s reliability was absolute, “She never missed a single daily check-in, morning or night. Every article, every post, every thought I shared publicly passed through her sharp editorial eye.”
That consistency, maintained across time zones and continents, reveals a professional culture rooted in accountability and excellence, qualities that are often talked about, but rarely sustained at that level.
From Lagos to the UK: Global Exposure and Technical Depth
Makinde’s profile is further strengthened by international and cross-disciplinary exposure. She completed an 11-week Data Science internship with British Petroleum (BP) in the United Kingdom, adding global industry context to her academic foundation.
Egerton-Idehen describes watching her “stretch herself further,” particularly as she took on the UK internship while managing existing responsibilities.
Beyond data science, Makinde has built a strong reputation as a technical writer and editor, collaborating part-time with developer-focused organizations such as Strapi, Medusa, Zenrows, and Turing across web scraping, software, and AI.
This blend of engineering literacy and technical communication is rare, and increasingly valuable, in a world where complex systems must be explained, audited, and scaled responsibly.
Leadership, Service, and Building Women-Centered Tech Communities
This Unilag graduate’s journey is not defined solely by paid roles or credentials. Her volunteer leadership with She Code Africa reflects a deep commitment to community building and inclusive growth.
She served as UNILAG Chapter Campus Lead, an editor with the core team, and later led the implementation of the FedEx-sponsored pilot edition of the Academy program.
Olamide also headed the summit programs team for three editions of the She Code Africa Annual Summit.
Within her department at UNILAG, she led the Academic, Research, and Industry team, further evidence of her ability to organize people, ideas, and outcomes.
These roles collectively underscore a personal interest in mentorship, education, and creating pathways for others, particularly women, to thrive in technology.
“Rare at Her Stage”: What Professionals Say About Her Work Culture
The response to Makinde’s graduation has been emphatic and wide-ranging, cutting across data, security, sales, product, administration, and strategy.
Engr. Jane Egerton-Idehen’s endorsement is particularly striking, “I have rarely seen a more excellent project coordinator and administrator at her stage.”
She adds a broader message drawn from Makinde’s example, “Age is not a barrier. Background is not a limitation. Geography is not an excuse.”
Other professionals echo this sentiment. Digital marketing manager Collins Okere praised her “excellence in academics and a great work ethic,” while growth strategist Joke Akintara described the recognition as “a stellar commendation.”
Jedidah Joel-Timta, a Virtual Admin and Executive Supervisor, went further, noting, “It’s such a beautiful privilege to know Olamide Makinde. Can testify to that.”
Collectively, these voices frame Makinde not as a solitary achiever, but as a professional shaped by, and contributing to, a culture of mentorship, trust, and high standards.
A Systems Thinker Open to What’s Next
Now open to opportunities in Data Science, AI Safety and Evaluation, Operations, and Project Management, Makinde continues to invest in courses and fellowships that support both career and personal development.
She remains grounded in gratitude, openly acknowledging mentors such as Engr. Olukorede Kesha, Engr. Jane Egerton-Idehen, and Engr. Bisola Badejo, while affirming that “in God… all my skills, talents, and brilliance find expression.”
In an ecosystem often captivated by noise and speed, Olamide Makinde’s story stands out for a different reason, it is a study in quiet intention, disciplined execution, and systems-level impact.
As Nigeria and Africa search for technologists who can build responsibly at scale, her journey offers not just inspiration, but a blueprint.
Talking Points
Olamide Makinde’s story stands out not simply because of the breadth of roles she held while studying Systems Engineering at the University of Lagos, but because it exposes a deeper truth about sustainable excellence in tech, clarity of intent, disciplined systems, and mentorship often matter more than speed or spectacle.
Her ability to combine full-time professional work, international exposure with British Petroleum, technical writing for global software companies, and rigorous academic performance challenges the persistent narrative that Nigerian students must choose between school and serious career growth.
More importantly, the consistency highlighted by her mentor-mother, daily check-ins across continents, editorial responsibility for high-stakes public communication, and trusted operational leadership, speaks a professional culture rooted in reliability rather than hype.
In African ecosystem increasingly obsessed with rapid visibility, Makinde’s journey is a reminder that long-term impact in technology is built quietly, through structure, accountability, and the courage to stretch beyond comfort while remaining anchored to purpose.
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