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11 African IT Geniuses You Should Know About

11 African IT Geniuses You Should Know About

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Most people associate the term IT with the person who helps when their computer is acting up. These IT geniuses from Africa use their information technology skills to solve social and community problems that change people’s lives, both on micro and macro levels. Here are 1 African IT geniuses you should know about.

webintravel.com
webintravel.com

Farida Bedwei

When Farida Bedwei was a 1-year-old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that destroys one’s ability to control body and muscle movement. Bedwei didn’t let her physical immobility affect her mental mobility. Today she is the CEO of Logiciel, a company that offers cloud-based services to microfinance institutions in Ghana like mobile banking. Her company also helps customers take out small loans via a simple SMS code that can be brought to a bank and exchanged for currency.

Wikimedia.org
Wikimedia.org

Ory Okolloh

Kenyan social activity Okolloh combined her passion for justice and her IT knowledge to create Ushahidi, a crowd-sourcing tool that lets individuals report information about violent crimes. Ushahidi harnesses the power of SMS, email and even social media platforms to gather eyewitness testimonies and other first-hand knowledge. Today Okolloh is policy manger for Google in Africa.

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Erik Hersman

Erik Hersman is the co-founder of Ushahidi, along with Ory Okolloh. Hersman, who has roots in both Sudan and Kenya, has his own claim to fame though with AfriGadget, a website that allows Africans to share stories, videos and photos of African ingenuity.

Flickr.com
Flickr.com

Kwabena Boahen

Ghanaian bioengineer Kwabena Boahen could literally be called a “brainiac” since his current research aims to reveal the inner workings of the human cortex. Boahen is the Principal Investigator at the Brains in Silicon Lab at Stanford University and is using “integrated circuits to emulate the way neurons compute” according to the lab’s web page.

Ndubuisi_Ekekwe

Ndubuisi Ekekwe

Nigerian innovator Ekekwe is working to spread new technologies to businesses throughout Africa with his nonprofit African Institution of Technology. He got his start, however, with his telephony and IT firm, Utlinet Systems. In 2010, he became a TED fellow.

Thinkstock
Thinkstock

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is a Nigerian entrepreneur who co-founded Andela, a startup that connects tech talent in Africa with top employers and develops computer science education programs.

Chike Maduegbuna Photo: HowWeMadeItInAfrica
Chike Maduegbuna
Photo: HowWeMadeItInAfrica

Chike Maduegbuna

Nigerian tech genius Maduegbuna won a $25,000 prize at a Google-funded contest for his entertainment app, Afrinolly. The app allows Africans to watch all things African entertainment from movie trailers to music videos. Maduegbuna’s more recent venture, Fansconnectonline.com, allows football enthusiasts to play sports-related games and win prizes like phones and TVs.

Wikimedia.org
Wikimedia.org

Herman Chinery-Hesse

Ghanaian native Herman Chinery-Hesse is the founder of SOFTtribe, one of the largest software companies in West Africa. The company boasts clients like the Ford Foundation and Unilever, as well as a powerhouse staff of other tech innovators. Chinery-Hesse is a TED fellow and has spoken on several national media outlets.

Wikimedia.org
Wikimedia.org

Bright B. Simons

Ghana-based social activist and tech guru Bright B. Simons is a very busy man. Simons is an executive at IMANI, a think tank that harnesses the power of “public-spirited media and civil society” to get citizens more involved in governance. He is also president of mPedigree Network, which allows users to confirm instantly via SMS whether or not a medicine is safe.

Photo: www.muylinux.com
Photo: www.muylinux.com

Mark Shuttleworth

South African entrepreneur Shuttleworth is best known for his computer operating system, Ubuntu, available for laptops and desktop computers. He got his start, however, creating an Internet security firm called VeriSign when he was just 22. With the $5 million-plus Shuttleworth made by selling that firm, he started another firm that provides services and training to tech startup companies. He isn’t just a tech genius but a tech industry investor.

Mo Ibrahim, 2011. Photo: Ben Stanstall/AFP/Getty
Mo Ibrahim, 2011. Photo: Ben Stanstall/AFP/Getty

Mo Ibrahim

Mo Ibrahim is a Sudanese-British communications mogul who sold his telecommunications company, Celtel, for over $3.4 billion. He has since founded the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, an organization that hosts annual discussions between African leaders about critical issues facing the nation, awards fellowships and training to future leaders and much more.