"We create initiatives that help people, economies, and organisations re-invent today by solving the problem of tomorrow"- Leke Jaiyeoba, Co-Founder, ARC Digital

The young IT consultant, leads IVYARC- the Academy arm of ARC, an initiative which aims at solving the global tech skill shortage by preparing young people for future opportunities in the digital workspace.

Q: Can we meet you

A: I am Leke Jaiyeoba, Co-Founder of ARC Digital- a software development firm and the program manager of IVYARC, which is the Academy arm of ARC Digital founded with the primary aim of disseminating tech skills, driving digital empowerment & transformation of the African workforce.

At ARC, our focus is TRANSFORMATION. We create initiatives that would help people, economies, and organizations re-invent today by solving the problem of tomorrow. We use our vast knowledge of people, tools, and technology to build capabilities that would better shape the future and help our clients win.

Q: What problems does ARC Digital solve in the ICT industry in Nigeria?

A: ARC Digital helps people and organizations in Nigeria succeed by creating bespoke practical solutions to problems.

Due to an ageing population both in Europe & America, the world is facing a potential shortage of digitally skilled people required to support the 5th industrial revolution i.e. the digital revolution. IVYARC is an initiative aimed at transforming the African ICT landscape by preparing young people with the ICT skills needed to take advantage of upcoming opportunities in the digital space including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data (BD), the Internet of Things (IoT), digital platforms, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D printing.

Q: You made mention of training of people on ICT, who are your target audience for this training?

A: Our target audience are youthful and innovative minded people across Africa, who are passionate about making Africa a better place, and are keen on learning skills that will boost their self-development and work towards achieving a better standard of living for themselves and their family. They must be self-driven, have a desire to improve self and strong passion for technology.

Q: Do you just leave your trainees to find their feet in the ICT sector after graduation or how do you ensure that they put all the knowledge they have acquired into practice after their training program at IVYARC?

A: We have formulated a unique recipe that guarantees that all our graduates:

Are amongst the best in the market
Develop a sky-rocketed level of confidence that will make them successful both on interviews and at the workplace.

"We create initiatives that help people, economies, and organisations re-invent today by solving the problem of tomorrow"- Leke Jaiyeoba, Co-Founder, ARC Digital Pulse Nigeria

Our training process simulates the workplace, you will experience the same technologies, tools, and processes as you would at google, amazon, Microsoft, or any of the other top tech companies. We have intentionally gone into this level of detail to ensure our processes are robust and this ensures our people are beaming with skills and confidence that helps them stand apart from the rest within the marketplace.

We have regular industry sessions where experts are invited to talk with our people about the hottest opportunities and headhunt suitable profiles for their projects.

We provide coaching and preparatory work clinics and match candidates with roles on the projects/clients we collaborate with. We also provide mock sessions that help candidates go to interviews more prepared and win.

Q: What will be your assessment of the ICT sector in Nigeria?

A: Quite Dynamic I would say because Nigeria has one of the fastest growing Tech sectors in the world, and this is evident by the number of global CEOs that have tapped into our market for some talent or knowledge. We are growing quite fast within the global village hence more people are now taking advantage of global opportunities from the comfort of their homes, A lot more growth is still expected with 5G, the opportunities will be limitless as we embrace future technologies such as cloud, blockchain, AI and more.

Q: It is often said that no sector has changed as much as technology, how do you think this can help bring positive turnaround to many sectors in Nigeria?

A: Many Nigerian sectors can leverage on the advancing technologies to improve their business, in terms of operations, finance and of course hiring. Whether the improvement is driven by the need to cut cost or gain efficiency, there is increasing expertise available to enable businesses and entrepreneurs drive home grown initiatives. With a wide selection of free tools & platforms entry barriers have been eradicated.

Q: It is believed that there are certain challenges in transforming Africa’s digital workforce, what are some of these challenges and how is IVYARC proffering solutions to them?

A: The biggest impediment faced by Africa’s digital workforce is access to technology, some areas have still not attained stable 3G/4G access while the rest of the world is transitioning to 5G. What this means is Africans continues to lag in terms of skills and capabilities because the technologies have not fully evolved as they should to support their learning and onboarding as a global workforce. A significant part of our SELP program focuses on teaching people the attitudes and mindset required to transition into the global digital space e.g., agility, continuous improvement, trust, communication and even a calculated level of risk taking. We are actively working with government and other organizations to create and promote ecosystems that help ‘digital-ists’ thrive using such mediums as online events, meetups, hubs etc.

Q: How will you compare ICT industry in Nigeria before the COVID pandemic era and post- COVID?

A: The pandemic has to an extent given us a glimpse of the possibilities of the future. People and businesses were unhindered by the inability to meetup physically. We are now truly becoming a ‘global village’, large events are being conducted via digital platforms, organizations are finding new ways to get closer to customers without being physically present. However, trust and security remain an issue, we will need some patience as stronger solutions are implemented that offer rest-assured peace of mind security for our customers without exposing them to risk.

Q: As the year is gradually coming to an end, are there programs or events that your organization is planning on ICT related trainings?

A: From December 2021, we will be onboarding the 2nd cohort to our Software Engineering Training program (SELP). This is a remotely delivered program that takes trainees through an immersive curriculum in 12 weeks and helps them transition very quickly from trainees to engineering leaders.

Q: What is your advice for young Nigerians on many opportunities inherent in ICT sector?

A: Limitless is an understatement; the opportunities are unbelievably limitless. I say this now as new millionaires are birthed daily. Some kid somewhere in the world is making millions selling 3D Art online (NFT). People just need to give themselves a little leg up, seek out a mentor, find a training program, spend some time learning and researching and you will see truly for yourself how the internet is fast becoming the theatre of dreams. On a final note, you can’t win if you don’t try right? In the same vein, there is no better time to try than right now!

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