TOP 5 CHALLENGES FACED BY BEGINNER DEVELOPERS IN NIGERIA & HOW TO TACKLE THEM

I was privileged to attend the #DevCTrainingWithAndela job fair in Lagos last year. I remember the guy sent by Facebook ask us to mention some of the challenges we face as developers.

Below I'll discussed 5 of the most mentioned challenges and our campaign suggestion for the way forward.

UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
In Nigeria, people view developers the way they view pregnant women. Most of the time when a woman is said to be pregnant, people will start counting days for her. After few months they'll start looking at her belly and expecting it to protrude. After nine months they'll be expecting delivery. Imagine a woman who is said to be pregnant but 3, 6, 9 months later nothing happened.

This scenario illustrate what many beginner developers are facing in Nigeria which explains why they hardly get support. Many people have this misconception that once you start spending a lot of hours on a laptop, you are into 'Yahoo' scam. So, they'll start counting days for you expecting to see you buy a car, house and use expensive gadgets in a short while. But you and I know that as a beginner developer, you can't afford those luxuries. So, when people see there is no improvement in your finances, they become disappointed and frustrated with you.

It's time we address this unrealistic expectations from family, friends and 'money-wishers'.

LACK OF POWER
Power problem is peculiar to all developers in this part of the world. Many a times you have to be calculative and do your work when there is light or at night. If your family is not supportive, that will be a big challenge. The best way to overcome this is to let your family know that you won't be much available for house chores when there is light. Alternatively, using a neighbor's place when there is light can be of help.

EXPENSIVE DATA COST
Enough data access is very important for beginner developers. You'll need to download a lot of resources, watch videos, read lessons and tutorials online, install softwares and so on. The best way to address this is to get help from family, friends and well-wishers unless you have enough savings.

POOR INTERNET NETWORK
In most part of Nigeria, poor internet network is common place. As developers you often find yourself downloading/installing large size softwares and video packages. There are usually three ways to overcome this namely:
i. downloading at night
ii. using alternative network if available
iii. going to an area where network is strong and doing all your download at a go.

You may also combine two of the options above . I once go to lodge in an hotel to spend a night to be able to install all the softwares I needed to work and downloaded lesson videos.

LACK OF FAMILY SUPPORT
Lack of support from family and friends is closely related to unrealistic expectations. As I mentioned earlier, once you start spending a lot of hours on system, your family members will develop this misconception that you are into 'Yahoo' scam - in most cases. There are two polar reactions you can expect and neither is good for a beginner developer.

Some family care about their reputation, so they will do everything possible to frustrate you from pursuing a career in tech. Then there is the other family who don't care as far as there is quick return. This set of family and friends will start counting days for you. The sooner you hit it, the better. If after a while the cash is not forthcoming, they'll become frustrated with you. And of course because they believe you are into 'Yahoo' scam they'll not support you in any way.

The best way to overcome this is to get your family and friends involved from the beginning. Explain to them the sacrifices you need to make and the support you expect from them. Share your goals and where you'll like to be in specific number of months or years. Believe me, if you don't do this, what will take you six months will take you two years. The funny part is that this same family members and friends will not wait a second to knock on your door to seek for help when you make it to the top. So, while not give them the privilege to contribute to your getting to the top.

WAY TO GO
We've thought much about this challenges and finaly came up with a campaign idea on the way forward at Webclick Academy.

In the coming days, we'll be launching the #1Family1Coder campaign to help create awareness to families to give beginner developers a breathing space, provide needed support and create the atmosphere for success.

In addition to the above, this campaign is design to help raise one professional programmer in participating families and at the same time promote family small businesses using the internet-of-things.

❓If you'll like to learn more on how this campaign work and how to use it to kickstart your career, comment MORE INFO below.

✍️ You may also mention other challenges you are facing that I failed to mention and how you are coping?

� If you spot yourself in the audience, give me a thumb up for a well taken photograph.

You forgot to mention lack of funds to buy common laptop. Imagine I have to use my cousin's laptop.

SegFault:
You forgot to mention lack of funds to buy common laptop. Imagine I have to use my cousin's laptop.

you're on point. It's one of the challenges we are drumming support for in the campaign.

You can also join the Webclick Academy support group to download the campaign proposal at https:///webclickacademy/

SegFault:
You forgot to mention lack of funds to buy common laptop. Imagine I have to use my cousin's laptop.

This is the fundamental of all the problems others are just English.

Karleb:


This is the fundamental of all the problems others are just English.

LOL actually even if you have a laptop, you'll still face those challenges. If you don't have a laptop, I don't think the person is ready in the first place to learn coding.

Karleb:


This is the fundamental of all the problems others are just English.

I swear man.

jetroolowole:
LOL actually even if you have a laptop, you'll still face those challenges. If you don't have a laptop, I don't think the person is ready in the first place to learn coding.

I coded on my phone for nine months so what are you saying.

SegFault:

I coded on my phone for nine months so what are you saying.

yeah one can do a bit of coding with phone but for a beginner developer I am referring to people who have laptop as a basic tool.

It's like a farmer who goes to the farm with a knife, yes he'll do some farming but can't compare with a farmer who goes with a cutlass

For me and I know other can relate I think the most common issue I am facing is my laptop battery....

SegFault:

I coded on my phone for nine months so what are you saying.

You can code on phone quite alright.

But you can't compare coding on phone to a laptop. The difference is just too wide man.

The major challenge beginners face is access to a good laptop followed by access to good internet either through a phone or modem.

I don finally get laptop...but no money to buy modem or data

Una wan help me or not

Power and terrible network connection.... biggest of the problems.

SpambotLeaveMeNa:
I don finally get laptop...but no money to buy modem or data

Una wan help me or not

Do night plan.

Karleb:


Do night plan.

Don't u know that a good sleep helps the brain

How u come want make I dey understand when I nor dey sleep

chingle5:
For me and I know other can relate I think the most common issue I am facing is my laptop battery....

I can relate with you. I was frustrated with the battery issue during the lockdown and went to get one at N5000 in Ikeja. Believe me it didn't last two weeks. I have since been gathering money to buy a new laptop.

SpambotLeaveMeNa:


Don't u know that a good sleep helps the brain

How u come want make I dey understand when I nor dey sleep

sure but that's a sacrifice you have to make. Ask any billionaire today they'll tell you they've been there. Being a developer without doing a night is like passing through higher institution in Nigeria without staying awake any night

elantraceey:
Power and terrible network connection.... biggest of the problems.

sure it can be frustrating. I only overcome it using some of the suggestion I shared

jetroolowole:
sure but that's a sacrifice you have to make. Ask any billionaire today they'll tell you they've been there. Being a developer without doing a night is like passing through higher institution in Nigeria without staying awake any night

You will never lack!

Karleb:


You will never lack!

same with you too

jetroolowole:
I can relate with you. I was frustrated with the battery issue during the lockdown and went to get one at N5000 in Ikeja. Believe me it didn't last two weeks. I have since been gathering money to buy a new laptop.

Most of the batteries I bought at Ikeja is rubbish , I don't think there is any strong laptop battery there like the follow come batteries in new system coz most of them are China brand which is fake , it will last for maybe 3 months max ..... I think the American market is the best for original battery like amazon and eBay bt the dollar currency is a big factor wish 1 dollar = 1 naira

OK, everything you said is true to some extent. I'm not disputing any bit of it but here is something I think y'all hear.

I'm a self taught developer. True life story

I always wanted to code, so badly more than anything in the world but I was already doing graphic designs and had woes with the person who was teaching me graphics. So I decided to learn Web design on my own. I decided I was going to do it no matter what.

I decided to go for night class for the next 90days so I always have light. Also, Airtel night plan was #25 for 500MB and you could do it as many times as possible.

To cut the long story short I was like the best designer at my school after 90days. I now write React.js (that was acquired much later). There were nights with no light in school, also nights when Airtel network jonzed, but I never stopped.


In short just put your mind to it and be ready for anything and trust me even when you learn web development finish, get another skill as back up because this is Nigeria and we developers don't really get appreciated here!

In order news here is something I did in boredom MEMORY GAME

Cc: Chingel5, Karleb, SpambotLeaveMeNa, SegFault, ElanTraceey and finally BOSS Jetroolowole.

To program and became better u must night shit steady

Karleb:


You can code on phone quite alright.

But you can't compare coding on phone to a laptop. The difference is just too wide man.

The major challenge beginners face is access to a good laptop followed by access to good internet either through a phone or modem.

Yeah coding on phone is frustrating, but coding on an Android phone beats a windows laptop. As a lover of low level programming, lord, windows is the most terrible operating system on earth.

jetroolowole:
sure but that's a sacrifice you have to make. Ask any billionaire today they'll tell you they've been there. Being a developer without doing a night is like passing through higher institution in Nigeria without staying awake any night

Some billionaires haven't been there man.

And I forgot to mention one thing, if you want to become a programmer you have to be pessimistic (theres no such thing as realism suck it up bro), if you are learning to make money, I pity you the most. Think of it as a hobby lest it will end in tears, some sort of industrial revolution is happening in Nigeria and jobs like Programming, graphics design, photography are becoming more competitive because more and more people are going into these fields and it's about to become a tough battle, if you are entering into the field newly, just expect nothing, because you will be disappointed not to mention the prospects of something stupid like a spoilt laptop, bankruptcy in the family and other disasters that could occur that will pull you down to the ground and yes, I just remembered Africans especially Nigerians find it hard to get clients, unfortunately westerners appreciate tech more than we Africans face facts and with the recent rise in fraudulent crimes from this part of the country and thanks to the media, an average foreigner looks down on us as fraudsters, PayPal has closed its docks to us (you can only send but not receive cash) and PayPal is a platform for payment used by many freelance websites, I heard there's a way through but do that research yourself, fact is that unfortunately hostility towards Nigerians has grown and that will affect we programmers terribly.

Real truth from a fellow programmer, if you love writing fiction, just go and write, there are not much interesting contemporary reads out there so just write good books, writing has its negative sides like finding an editor and a publisher but its gain is sweet man, you can also write articles and all, less brain work for more money, that is so on point. If you can paint or draw just try your luck at it, you might produce a thousand dollar worth painting or even more . If you love business then go at it, because if you think programming must/will (noticed I used must/will, by saying this I am assuming you are one of those foolish optimists that deny life is empty and full of suffering and just by "thinking positively" good things will happen) fetch you with a stable source of living, face reality man. It might not happen (a 70% chance yes).

SegFault:
And I forgot to mention one thing, if you want to become a programmer you have to be pessimistic (theres no such thing as realism suck it up bro), if you are learning to make money, I pity you the most. Think of it as a hobby lest it will end in tears, some sort of industrial revolution is happening in Nigeria and jobs like Programming, graphics design, photography are becoming more competitive because more and more people are going into these fields and it's about to become a tough battle, if you are entering into the field newly, just expect nothing, because you will be disappointed not to mention the prospects of something stupid like a spoilt laptop, bankruptcy in the family and other disasters that could occur that will pull you down to the ground and yes, I just remembered Africans especially Nigerians find it hard to get clients, unfortunately westerners appreciate tech more than we Africans face facts and with the recent rise in fraudulent crimes from this part of the country and thanks to the media, an average foreigner looks down on us as fraudsters, PayPal has closed its docks to us (you can only send but not receive cash) and PayPal is a platform for payment used by many freelance websites, I heard there's a way through but do that research yourself, fact is that unfortunately hostility towards Nigerians has grown and that will affect we programmers terribly.

Real truth from a fellow programmer, if you love writing fiction, just go and write, there are not much interesting contemporary reads out there so just write good books, writing has its negative sides like finding an editor and a publisher but its gain is sweet man, you can also write articles and all, less brain work for more money, that is so on point. If you can paint or draw just try your luck at it, you might produce a thousand dollar worth painting or even more . If you love business then go at it, because if you think programming must/will (noticed I used must/will, by saying this I am assuming you are one of those foolish optimists that deny life is empty and full of suffering and just by "thinking positively" good things will happen) fetch you with a stable source of living, face reality man. It might not happen (a 70% chance yes).

I partially agree with you on the part the activities of fraudster on the reduced opportunities. However, the global tech communities don't work on sentiment but merit. If you are good with what you do, client will seek you not the other way round. Or why do you think Facebook, Google and other tech companies are sponsoring many trainings for Africans.

Besides that, there are so many local problems requiring local solutions you can attempt to create a product for. I get really serious with programming less than a year ago. But my first product is currently being sponsored by UNICEF in one state to be recommend to other states. After that, I have other products I'm working on. It's now I'm thinking of starting my freelance business in my area of expertise.

The opportunity are there but you need to be good at what you do.

SegFault:

Some billionaires haven't been there man.

well you are free to choose your path

somebody should teach PHP naaaaaw �

Jezking:
OK, everything you said is true to some extent. I'm not disputing any bit of it but here is something I think y'all hear.

I'm a self taught developer. True life story

I always wanted to code, so badly more than anything in the world but I was already doing graphic designs and had woes with the person who was teaching me graphics. So I decided to learn Web design on my own. I decided I was going to do it no matter what.

I decided to go for night class for the next 90days so I always have light. Also, Airtel night plan was #25 for 500MB and you could do it as many times as possible.

To cut the long story short I was like the best designer at my school after 90days. I now write React.js (that was acquired much later). There were nights with no light in school, also nights when Airtel network jonzed, but I never stopped.


In short just put your mind to it and be ready for anything and trust me even when you learn web development finish, get another skill as back up because this is Nigeria and we developers don't really get appreciated here!

In order news here is something I did in boredom MEMORY GAME

Cc: Chingel5, Karleb, SpambotLeaveMeNa, SegFault, ElanTraceey and finally BOSS Jetroolowole.

That's the spirit. Most Developers in Nigeria are not innovative that's why opportunities are limited.

silento:
To program and became better u must night shit steady

you can raise the volume

marshalcarter:
somebody should teach PHP naaaaaw �

Do you want to learn it?

jetroolowole:
Do you want to learn it?

yes sir