Living with sickle cell, Ugi Augustine Ugi had to deal with many challenges, especially since he chose a career in technology. From a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” win that kick-started his tech career to founding Nugi Technologies, Ugi has built a legacy that has stood for a decade in the Nigerian tech market.
In this edition of After Hours, we follow Ugi’s journey and how he leverages technology in managing his business, leisure, and health.
Early interactions with technology
I didn’t grow up dreaming of a career in technology. Like many Nigerian parents would have wanted, the plan was medicine. But that changed in SS2, when I was made the laboratory prefect in my school.
That role came with access to the computer lab MTN had set up at the time, and it was the first time I had ever walked into a room filled with desktop computers connected by an intranet. I found myself spending far more time there than in the biology, chemistry, or physics labs.
Something about that space hooked me. I was reading about everything, researching topics far beyond my school curriculum. I remember interacting with an MTN staff member who was fixing some of the systems one day. He briefly showed me how to make a computer out of carton. It wasn’t a detailed lesson, but it was enough to spark something. From then on, I started taking computer classes during my personal study time in the lab.
The first tech device I ever owned was a Nokia 3310 in 2007. It felt like a major achievement. None of my friends had phones or even phone numbers at the time. Buying that phone and the SIM card required discipline and savings.
I didn’t own a laptop for a long time. When I finally did, it was stolen in school in 2008. Most of my work was done on school computers or at cybercafés. I paid people to help me host websites. My most valuable possession back then wasn’t a phone; it was my flash drive.
I carried it everywhere. I hung it like jewellery, and it stored my websites, eBooks, and source files. Before that, I relied on multiple 500MB disks, carefully managing space. If you saw me around a desktop, it was probably because I was trying to squeeze in work wherever I could.
Starting a tech career
I officially left secondary school in 2004. I had written JAMB and was preparing to get into medical school when my entire centre’s results were withheld, so I had to pause. I tried the IJMB route at a College of Education in Cross River State, but after just a few weeks, I fell seriously ill and had to return home.
In 2006, during that waiting period, I encountered a computer training programme organised by SoftNet Calabar. It was an e-commerce and web development course, and although it was expensive, there was a scholarship option. I wrote the exam, passed, and got a partial scholarship, but I still needed about ₦150,000.
My parents didn’t have all the money. So I took a chance. I sent a single SMS using my dad’s phone to the MTN “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” game show. That text cost ₦100 at the time. The following week, his number appeared on the screen as one of the winners. When the ₦20,000 prize came in, it felt unreal. In my household, you only saw sums like that at month-end salaries or through cooperative savings.
₦15,000 from that win became the foundation of my tech journey. I paid for the course and started learning.
Soon after, I built my first website for a Non-governmental Organisation called Alterna Foundation. They paid me ₦45,000 at the time. Later, I had other gigs for a church, then a school, and before I knew it, I was earning consistently from tech.
By 2008, I was working in a cybercafé, reading relentlessly, building websites, installing software, and earning money most people my age had never seen. One job could pay ₦40,000 or ₦50,000, more than my parents’ combined monthly salaries at the time.
Eventually, I gained admission into NIIT, but by then, I was already earning well from tech.
Living with Sickle Cell, powered by technology
Today, my entire life is wired around technology, and nowhere is that more evident than in how I manage my health.
I live with sickle cell, so health isn’t optional for me; it’s survival. I wear a device on my wrist that monitors my heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and sleep. These metrics are critical. If my blood oxygen drops to 93 or 94, that’s a red flag. I immediately know I need air, rest, or a change in environment.
In the past, especially while living in Nigeria, I didn’t track my health as closely as I should have. Power outages, pollution, and stress made things worse. In Lekki, I often ran generators just to ensure proper airflow because the air quality was terrible.
Now, technology fills that gap. My wearable tells me when to sleep, how stressed my body is, and how well I’ve recovered. It doesn’t lie. If it says I need to be in bed by 9:05 p.m., I listen.
These tools have helped me avoid frequent crises and live more intentionally. My oxygen levels have recently been stable, rarely dropping below 96. That matters.
Technology hasn’t cured me, but it has kept me alive.
Everyday life with tech
From the moment I wake up at 6:05 a.m., my day is structured by technology. I oversee multiple teams, monitor workflows, read emails, jump on calls, and move around using apps like Uber. I don’t own a car in London, so I rely entirely on public transport and digital tools.
Outside work, technology still plays a role. Streaming platforms, football apps, and media help me unwind. I wouldn’t miss a football weekend for anything.
At the same time, I’m very intentional about disconnecting. Some weekends, I completely blank out. No calls. No messages. No notifications. I read, watch films, go to bed early, and feel human again. After more than a decade of working late nights, protecting my health now means knowing when to shut everything down.
One of my biggest frustrations with technology today is complexity.
If a platform is difficult to onboard, I leave. Immediately. I believe technology should be simple, with no unnecessary forms, no endless documentation before you even see the product. Attention spans are shrinking. Show people value quickly or lose them.
I once bought a health tracking ring that was overly complicated. I returned it. This philosophy shapes how we build at Nugi Technologies, the company I run. Simplicity isn’t a feature; it’s a responsibility.
I stay updated with technology through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and industry newsletters like TechPoint Digest. I follow people building the future, especially in AI and health tech.
Lately, my focus has shifted heavily toward health technology. Nigeria alone has between four and six million people living with sickle cell. That number isn’t shrinking. Wearables, health automation, and data-driven monitoring are areas I want to build solutions for, specifically in Africa.
Building a data centre for Africa’s future
I’ve always believed that the future of technology is Africa.
We’re currently working on a Tier IV data centre project in Calabar, Cross River State, as part of a larger smart city development. Environmental impact assessments are ongoing, and we’re in discussions with multiple investors. The Cross River State Government is involved, though the project remains primarily private-sector driven.
This data centre isn’t just for Nigeria. It’s about keeping African-built solutions hosted locally, advancing AI, automation, and global digital infrastructure from within the continent.
Africa has the population, the energy, the sunlight, and the talent. Over the next five to ten years, investment, innovation, and attention will shift here. We’re positioning ourselves for that future.
