By Micheal Oloyede
The ATC Africa Campus Lead of the Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter organised a virtual career development event titled “Beyond the Code – Exploring Careers Across Tech” to help university students better understand opportunities within the technology ecosystem.
The event, held on March 13 and 14, 2026, ran for 120 minutes each day and targeted university students, campus tech communities, and early-career builders across Africa.
Members of the ATC Africa Campus LASU team who organised the event include Mr Micheal Oloyede, Campus Lead; Ms Abibi Daniella, Deputy Campus Lead; Ms Kelani Fridaos, Project Manager; Mr Whenu Senapon, Programme Manager; Ms Oyathelemhi Stephanie, Campus Designer; and Ms Omilabu Wuraola, Community Manager.
Oloyede said the timing of the event was deliberately chosen to avoid a clash with the LASU examination period. According to him, the programme was designed to help young people in tech move beyond simply learning programming languages to developing the mindset, strategy, and collaborative skills required to succeed in the industry.
“While technical skills are important, succeeding in tech requires clarity, direction, and the right mindset,” Oloyede said. “Beyond the Code is designed to help students understand the different fields within technology, the skills each role requires, and how to intentionally grow from a learner into a valuable contributor in the tech ecosystem.”
The event featured notable speakers within the tech ecosystem, including Ms. Lydia Solomon, a senior product manager, 11-time hackathon winner and co-founder; Mr. Alameen Olajide, a senior software engineer, 2026 Cavista Hackathon winner and founder of UseWhisper; Mr. Seyi Ogundipe, a senior product designer, 10-time hackathon winner and founder; Ms. Oyebo Hasbiyallah, a senior software engineer, 10-time hackathon winner, co-founder and Vice President of NACOS LASU; Mr. Segun Ojo, a senior frontend engineer at Famous Holdings, 8-time hackathon winner, co-founder and innovator; and Ms. Miriam Odeyiany, a data analyst and machine learning engineer, hackathon winner and former intern at KPMG Nigeria.
“Tech success is a mix of mindset, community, and strategy,” Oloyede noted, adding that the programme went “beyond syntax to teach product thinking, personal branding, and collaboration.”
The first virtual session, held on March 13, began with a 10-minute welcome address by Ms Kelani Fridaos, who highlighted the mission and vision of ATC Africa.
The keynote session, titled “More Than Code,” featured all the speakers and explored a variety of technology career paths, including web development, mobile development, product design, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Participants also took part in two panel discussions where experienced technology professionals shared insights from their career journeys. The first panel focused on product management and software engineering in the AI era, while the second session covered product design, frontend engineering, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
According to Oloyede, the discussions were designed to provide students with practical insights into the realities of working in the tech industry.
“Tech is bigger than code. Discover the paths, skills, and mindset needed to build a sustainable career,” he said, describing the theme of the event.
The programme concluded with a call to action, encouraging participants to join the ATC Africa LASU Chapter and become active members of the campus tech community.
Oloyede explained that the speakers were selected because of their experience in navigating technology careers, building communities, and mentoring young professionals.
To promote the event, ATC Africa implemented a multi-stage outreach campaign, including campus awareness activities, social media engagement using the hashtag #BeyondTheCode, and speaker spotlight sessions aimed at building anticipation among students.
Registration for the event was centralised through Google Forms, while email updates provided participants with practical insights often not taught in traditional classrooms. During the programme, participants were also able to engage in live question-and-answer sessions with the speakers.
Following the event, the organisers plan to highlight speakers in publications and conduct follow-up engagements with participants through campus leads and core team members to encourage continued collaboration within local tech communities. #Securitynewsalert.com
