Dekanorbs: 36 Rockets Launched and Beyond!! 🚀
“Curiosity is the engine of achievement.” — Ken Robinson
Ken Robinson’s statement on curiosity best explains the Semicolon story for many people who enroll in the one-year Software Engineering program. In most cases, the quest to find themselves or transform their current state — career-wise — is evident when they walk through the Village doors at Sabo-Yaba, Lagos. It’s the same for the recent graduates from the 10th Cohort (Dekanorbs) of the Semicolon one-year techpreneurship program. Semicolon Africa said, “Come as you are, and embark on your digital transformation journey.”
The Dekanorbs, from diverse backgrounds and unique life experiences, came together to learn and grow into a cohort of skilled software engineers. For Funmi, who’s now a Backend Engineer, the program was a chance for a fresh start as a Microbiologist who was frustrated with job hunting after moving back to Lagos as a young mum. For Cassandra, missing her university admission due to an illness seemed like the end of her dreams. However, the one-year software program at Semicolon was their opportunity to open a new chapter and start their career in tech.
While curiosity served as the initial drive for their recent achievement, we can attest to the Dekanorbs’ grit and desire for growth. They stuck together regardless of individual learning pace — upholding the ubuntu spirit of Semicolon’s culture. One of the cohort’s many traits, as highlighted by Tobi, was their willingness and determination to ensure every class member gets better. Now a Backend Engineer, Tobi shared how his class members provided support by explaining complex software engineering topics after class hours. Bassey, a trained lawyer before joining Semicolon, confirmed the common saying at the Village that “Semicolon is a gym and not a spar.” Equally, he is assured that the family-like bond shared amidst the Dekanorbs will last forever — beyond Semicolon.
Watch the Cohort 10 Graduation Story
Beyond the core software engineering skills, we are proud of the Dekanorbs and excited to watch them utilize all they learned from other aspects of the curriculum, such as problem-solving skills and business management education from Henley Business School. As a testament to their hard work, 67 percent already work with hiring destinations such as Interswitch, FCMB, Learnspace, Crown Interactive, etc.
A special shoutout to Ismail Halima Yemisi, Woman-in-Tech award winner, and Jonathan Martins, the first-ever recipient of the Mike Bateman Award. The Mike Bateman Award is a tribute to the life and legacy of the late board member of Semicolon, who dedicated his time and resources to the work we do at Semicolon Africa. The award is given to individuals who have demonstrated excellence, discipline, and service to others and who share Mike’s vision of using technology to drive positive change.
For many, the curtain is closed on the Dekanorbs graduation; however, it validates the impact-focus work we do at Semicolon Africa. It is another cohort closer to our mission to enable Africa’s digital transformation by building tech-focused talent and businesses.
With over 30,000 applications since inception, we have onboarded close to 600 Natives. Over 300 graduates, 92% of whom are employed in top organizations, contributing more than N1.5B to the economy, and 5% further their education. We are on course to increase this impact with Enum, a human capacity platform for training, upskilling, hiring, and managing talent and organizations.
Looking to break into tech? Join our 18th cohort to become a skilled software engineer. Are you a business building digital solutions? Send an email to talent@semicolon.africa.
