How This Nigerian Developer Won an International Coding Award

In a field still battling global underrepresentation, Tofunmi Balogun, a 28-year-old software developer from Ibadan, Nigeria, has done what many only dream of winning the prestigious Global Code Hack Award for innovation in Artificial Intelligence.

The competition, held annually in Berlin, attracted over 12,000 submissions from around the world. Tofunmi’s winning entry? A low-data, voice-activated educational app for rural children, built specifically for areas with limited internet and electricity access.

“My mother was a teacher in a remote village,” Tofunmi explained. “I saw firsthand how difficult it was for children to learn without basic resources.”

Her app, Kiki Learn, integrates local languages like Yoruba and Hausa, and can function entirely offline using solar-powered devices. The innovation stood out for its relevance to underprivileged communities and its seamless user interface.

Tofunmi, who studied Computer Science at Obafemi Awolowo University, currently works as a senior developer for a Lagos-based tech company. But her long-term goal is to launch a social-tech incubator for rural developers.

“Winning the award was affirming,” she said. “But the bigger win is when that child in Borno or Bayelsa hears ‘Welcome to class!’ in their own language.”