In the second part of this interview, Ahmad Adeniyi Sharafudeen talks about past projects he is proud of and his growth in the professional world.
Read on to discover Ahmad’s vision for the future of computer science and how he sees his role within it.
In the coding industry, is there a coder that you look up to?
From the people I know, Mr. Yusuf Oguntola, who is the CTO at AFEX, is very proficient in coding, and he is also a mentor to me. Also, some of the engineers on Google, I follow them on LinkedIn, and a number of others.
Were you ever a recipient of any scholarship or academic award during your time at Bayero University?
Yes, I was a recipient of the Bayero University scholarship throughout my studies there. I also received the Dean’s Award for excellence in the 200-level and 300-level.
What has your experience been so far working with Mabilla Group Limited?
My experience has been nice, particularly due to the culture of the organization, where there’s mutual respect and teamwork.
And also the Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Sherif Adigun, he has always been supportive, and I can also call him a mentor.
I also appreciate him because he trusted me one time when he went on leave to oversee the projects he was in charge of.
Being a first-class student, does it really impact job opportunities, as people believe it does?
Well, I will say that it depends. I think a first-class grade alone will not really earn you a job in coding, your hard skills are an advantage. A first-class grade might land someone a job, but your skills will make it possible for you to maintain the job.
I was lucky because, after school, I immediately got two offers at the same time. Most people will rely only on their grades, which is not so good. Grades without skills are not enough. I thank God for making me realize that early.
Employers want resourceful people, people who will add value to them, not people who will just come and brag about their grades in school. I will advise students to take their skills seriously.
What are your long-term career goals in the field of computer science?
I intend to continue learning and growing. I also want to become a Chief Technology Officer and manage a team of developers.
At a point, I realized I have a passion for transferring knowledge and being a mentor to others, and I believe being a CTO will afford me the ability to make good use of my passion. I want to become a manager, working on cool projects that will make the world a better place.
Are you considering furthering your education beyond your graduate degree, and in what area?
Yes, I’m going to. I have a passion for software engineering, AI, machine learning, and robotics as well. If I am going to pursue postgraduate studies, it will be in robotics and AI.
Speaking of AI, do you think a time will come when AI will replace humans in the tech industry?
I think yes, to some extent. At the rate AI is going, it will take away jobs, but it will also create new ones.
Particularly in the field of coding, AI cannot replace programmers, especially skilled programmers, for example, the ones who created the AI in the first place.
So, one can leverage AI to make one more productive, but it cannot do the actual thinking for you. Most times, we see programmers use AI like Chat GPT to write codes that they have thought about. They have thought about the problems and the solutions, and they will ask AI to write the codes for them.
We professionals in software engineering should aim to be better and be good enough, so we will be indispensable anywhere we find ourselves.
Do you keep up with the latest trends and advancements in computer science? If you do, how do you do that?
Yes, I do that. I have been taking a number of courses, even after school. I’m always learning.
This is how I do it: I have a mentor, and we both plan what I want to learn each quarter. This person is also my accountability partner. So, each quarter, I am meant to finish a number of courses. I believe life-long learning is actually required for progress in a career.
If one ceases to learn because what he has learnt is enough, the person will remain the way they are, and when you remain the way you are, you tend to depreciate.
Going by that principle, I’m always learning. I’m currently doing courses on Udemy and other learning platforms.
Can you tell us of a project or research work you are proud of and why?
Thank you for that question. The first was the project I did in my final year in school. It was a project the faculty of computing had always wanted to develop, but there was no one to help them with it. I and a colleague who is a front-end developer did the project.
The name of the project is Paperless Faculty Management System. The project was intended to solve the problem of paper-based management systems in the faculty.
Being a faculty of computing, they wanted to be a role model for other faculties. You know that in schools, after registering online, you will have to submit a printed version to the faculty. So, it becomes a problem when they start looking for those papers out of a stack of papers.
So, they wanted a website where students would be able to upload all of these documents, and the level advisers would be able to manage these documents. It was an impactful project.
I also single-handedly developed a project recently, a Learning and Development Planner. This project is massive, it’s for human resource officers in companies. HR officers can use it to manage the learning needs of their employees. I automated the entire process. It is a project I am also proud of.
Would you say Bayero University helped prepare you for the professional world, and how do you envision the future of computer science and your role in it?
Yes, Bayero University shaped me to become who I am today. The syllabus there is very updated to a large extent, unlike some other schools. Modern programming languages are incorporated into their syllables, and it was helpful.
For your second question, no matter how I rise in my career as a software developer, I will still continue to write code. I envision myself writing codes that will help people. Even if I do not earn much from it, I will be glad that I was able to help people. This is one of the long-term goals I have in this career: to work on projects that will be rewarding.
For your final question, what advice will you give our readers and audience, especially people who want to study computer science at the university?
I will say they should be prepared. Be ready to pay the price, because if you aim to achieve success, you should be ready to pay the price. The price is perseverance and hard work.
Also, know there will be hiccups and challenges, so be ready for them. And by God’s grace, you will achieve your goals.
Another thing I will add is that you should be focused. Focus is a trait that most successful people have. Maintain your focus until the end.
