Born in 1986 in Obudu, Cross River State, Ugi Augustine Ugi’s life was marked by the challenges of being diagnosed with sickle cell disease. Spending a significant portion of his childhood in and out of hospitals, he became acutely aware of the stark contrast between his fragile health and that of his siblings and schoolmates. This disparity was further amplified by the protective nature of his parents, who often limited his playtime with other kids, worrying about his well-being.
Ugi Augustine Ugi
As a child, Ugi loved playing football with his friends, but the physical exertion always triggered a health crisis, and after several football-induced trips to the hospital, he decided to call it quits. A significant event etched in his memory was a leg injury he sustained that refused to heal and kept him out of school for four long months, serving as a constant reminder of his medical condition’s impact.
Ugi’s experiences with sickle cell anaemia and the struggles it entailed left an indelible mark on his young mind, igniting a desire to one day alleviate the suffering he had endured and to help others living with the condition, by pursuing a career as a medical doctor. This aspiration was further nurtured by his parents, who began affectionately calling him ‘doctor’ from an early age.
Despite the challenges posed by his health condition, Ugi revealed himself to be an exceptionally brilliant child, demonstrating an innate aptitude for academics. He consistently excelled in his studies and represented his school in various competitions, winning a considerable number of them along the way. “I wasn’t really interested in going to school at that point, but when I realised that education was like a distraction, it became my strongest point in life, where I dedicated so much time to it and used it as a distraction from the pain,” he recalls.
The Winding Path to Technology
Ugi’s path, however, did not follow the structured course he had envisioned. On an eventful day in secondary school, his teacher showed him the process of building a computer from scratch, logically explaining each step. This discussion ignited in him an immediate love for technology as he envisioned himself literally building computers.
However, separating his newfound feelings for tech from his long-standing ambition of becoming a doctor proved challenging. Ugi still believed he could have pursued a career in the medical field while simultaneously becoming a technology-savvy person. Torn between these two paths, he continued to write the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams to gain admission into the university, determined to explore both avenues.
Despite his outstanding performance in the JAMB exams, he faced a series of setbacks, failing to secure admission to study medicine until his fifth attempt in 2008. However, by this point, Ugi had already begun gaining web development skills and was earning money building websites. This practical experience and financial independence prompted him to forgo his aspirations of becoming a doctor and instead focus on further refining his skills and pursuing a career in technology.
With his sights set on attending tech school to improve his skills, Ugi gained admission to study Software Development at the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) in September 2008. He pursued his studies with dedication, ultimately graduating with first-class honours in 2011.
Upon graduating from NIIT, Ugi was admitted to Middlesex University for a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Business Information Systems. However, he was forced to defer his admission twice due to his inability to afford the tuition fees.
Undeterred by this setback and not one to remain idle, Ugi secured an unpaid internship at a technology company, seizing the opportunity to deepen his understanding of systems and gain invaluable insights into running a technology-based business. Concurrently, he started assisting people in Nigeria with purchasing items from Amazon and facilitating the shipping process from the U.S., providing him with a steady source of income. With this, he was able to make deposit payments towards his tuition fees in bits.
Ugi’s determination and commitment paid off when a client at the company where he interned offered him a partnership. Though this partnership was initially valued at 13 million Naira, Ugi, desperate to secure funds for his tuition at Middlesex University, ended up accepting 5 million Naira after the client gave him an ultimatum to ‘take it or leave it.’ With the money from this deal, Ugi proceeded to the United Kingdom for his studies, graduating in 2013 with first-class honours once again.
In December 2012, as part of the job he took on to fund his studies, Ugi co-founded GTCO Calscan with the client. During his time there, he took on various roles like secretary, head of software engineering, and business development officer, balancing his professional responsibilities with his academic commitments. However, an ideological rift eventually emerged between Ugi and his co-founder regarding the company’s future direction, prompting him to leave the company in December 2015. He continued to consult for them in 2016, totalling a five-year tenure with GTCO Calscan.
This extensive experience allowed him to contribute significantly to the business, driving its successes while learning from failures, and gave him the courage to make the bold decision to embark on his most significant risk yet – entrepreneurship.
Nugi Tech: Empowering Youth & Solving Problems
As someone who had dreams of becoming a doctor to help people, Ugi wanted to make sure his career in technology would affect lives positively as well. Driven by a desire to develop transformative solutions, Ugi founded Nugi Technologies in 2016, a customer-centric ICT solutions provider operating in the B2B and B2G sectors.
“For me, it’s about the legacy I want to leave. I left to build a place nurturing young talent from scratch in technology, so they can impact society with quality solutions addressing critical problems. That’s what I’ve done today,” Ugi says on his motivations for founding Nugi Tech.
Ugi’s goal with this company was not only aimed at providing a comprehensive suite of services focused on digital transformation and technological innovations, but he also wanted to provide the opportunities he lacked to young promising developers, by nurturing their talent into technical proficiency.
“You take young people, you train them, make them good people, and build the culture,” Ugi explains. “That way they grow into our ranks, and then we turn them into people that can create solutions.”
Under Ugi’s leadership, Nugi Tech swiftly established itself as a pioneering force, deploying technological solutions that have become valuable to government and public services. One such solution is the “360 Governance” implemented in Cross River State, which empowered digital payments, increased transparency, and eliminated corrupt middlemen. Its impact was profound, with the state recording an impressive 49% increase in revenue generation by the first quarter of 2024. With this success, the company aims to replicate the transformative results in other states across Nigeria.
Beyond its groundbreaking work in Nigeria, Nugi Tech has expanded its reach internationally, building a solid clientele in the United Kingdom across immigration and medical tourism.
The Path Ahead
Ugi’s journey from a childhood battling sickle cell anaemia to leading a transformative technology company exemplifies courage, persistence and an unwavering belief in his ability to rewrite his narrative.
Having defied the odds repeatedly, he remains driven by a sense of purpose – to empower African youths with skills that can catalyse sustainable progress. This, he plans to achieve with the establishment of a ‘tech city’ in his native Cross River state.
We are creating an all-encompassing hub where aspiring tech professionals can live, learn, work, and develop solutions to real-world challenges,” Ugi remarks, explaining his vision. “We have already acquired 300 hectares of land for this ambitious project, and are conducting topographical surveys to further map out its development.”
For Ugi, the road ahead involves expanding Nugi Tech’s impact, nurturing tech leaders, and developing solutions that meaningfully improve lives and systems. His resilient spirit fuels his tenacity to leave a legacy of hope – that brilliance coupled with determination can overcome any obstacle.
