We have promised to share Nigerians’ Startup stories here every Friday, am very glad we were able to get touch with this inspiring young man, who I will say built his company and personal brand from the scratch to a worthy 7 awards to his credit.

Read through to enjoy the story of Ola White Yusuf as a takes us through his journey so far.

I may not have much more to say about my Startup but I bet I would inspire a mind if not two or more by the time you finish reading about it. Please let’s have a ride to the island of my Startup.

It all started in year 2003 when I first wrote my desktop application with the popular programming language Visual Basic 6.0 using MS Access as the Database, then I was a Lecturer/Lab Instructor with Lagos City Computer College, Amuwo Odofin Branch. The application was a Student Registration Platform which I spent 3 weeks to write, after completion, I gave it to the School for FREE and I was well applauded by the then HOD, Mr. Kuye who really inspired me by advising me to think about “Building and Selling Applications”, in 2004, I gave it a try by accepting to develop a Sales Assistant for a Venture at Alaba International, Lagos, A Supermarket Software for a Supermarket at Bode Thomas, Lagos. These earned me some cash which I used to register my 1st Business name, WhitesoftX.

Late 2004, I got a new job as Info. Tech. Manager of HURILAWS (The Human Rights Law Service, Lagos – Nigeria – www.hurilaws.org); a public policy think-tank and pressure group working in partnership with multi-sector development and change actors to promote accountable and transparent governance in Nigeria. After a while, I met Tim Akinbo of Timba Object who registered my 1st website for me www.whitesoftx.com and with my little knowledge in Web Development, I used MS Frontpage to develop my website by myself, it was my greatest precious property then, I would visit the website 101 times daily by myself wile I kept telling people to visit and see what I can offer, all I put there was services that I can render which are Desktop Application and Website Development. In 2006, Just to be like other web geeks, I created my 1st blog (I stop maintaining since late 2006) http://whitesoftx.blogspot.com/ based on Information Technology & Human Rights! With the little knowledge I had in Human Rights.

WhitesoftX services continued until 2007 and by then, I’ve developed over 15 websites (some of which do not exist anymore) and JUST 5 Desktop Application, over time I realized that I need to focus on Internet Service Providing with Web Applications and Website Development ONLY, no more Desktop Apps. So I went ahead to start a new Startup which I called Naija Gurus www.naijagurus.com to get more online presence. I was joined by a friend and partner; Abiodun Alli (in late 2007). So we deliberated over and over on how best we wanted Naija Gurus to be and straight ahead, we agreed to make it Info Tech and Entertainment (you can find more on www.naijagurus.com) Naija Gurus earns me better connection, great recognition and prestige with Seven 7 different awards till date within both industry (Information Technology and Entertainment).

As the President and CEO of Naija Gurus, I was privileged to meet the Dons’ of both industries ranging from Tajudeen Adepetu, a bonafide entertainment icon, Prof Obot of NCF Nigeria, Mr Olisa Agbakoba, Abiodun Durosimi Etti, Dr Sam Amedu, If you allow me to continue listing, I bet I would have like two pages of name list, I’ve learn so many thing from them and some of them I still keep contact with.

Presently, Naija Gurus still rule with www.naijagurus.com www.nextminutehost.com www.obviationofcancer.com hands on www.naijagraduateplatform.com and www.naijasuperfans.com and we have developed over 30 functioning websites and application till date.

My latest startups which is coming up soon is a Localized Job Platform and a diversified Blog (of course I have decided not to blog on IT like my fellow IT Gurus) which is called Understanding and Surviving Dream Slayers, Dream Slayers here are revered to as Killer Diseases around the world, both startups would be on before August ending.

Okay, I would also like to mention that I have written 3 books on IT which my favorite is called “Internet is Life; the rest is just the details” and I have also wrote TWO standard Movie Scripts; DREAM SAYER is a “Dream slew and its re-birth” – a true life story about a Nigerian teenager, whose his mother die of cancer – and finally transformed his late mother’s cherished desire into reality and the second one called NOW CLOUD, NOW SUNSHINE – A story about Maternal Mortality based on life stories of “The Lucky, The Unlucky and the Unluckily Lucky” Mothers and what they encountered and main focus on Maternal death happens women while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.

In the future, I plan to venture more in entertainment industry and the target is having a TV station.

If you really want to know, its is very possible to succeed in this country as a startup but get ready to work and walk because tech has a great future in not just Nigeria but the whole world. Never think of getting any financial help from anyone because if you do, your startup will end up being a dot gone instead of having a dot come online presence. I faced a lot of problems all along and even facing some right now but will never back-up, I shall always follow my golden quote (from late Idahosa) “If and when you aspire to acquire what you desire, never you retire but you re-fire”, always remember; No event, No story so you have to work hard and get ready, surely your chance will come.

That’s all I can share for now and thank you for taking time to read.
You may like to know more about my ongoing project, please visit www.naijagurus.com

As far as I’m concern, I’m still on the street hustling and so help us God.

I still remain a Geek

Ola White

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