There’s a quiet kind of resilience that shows up in companies born in difficult times, the sort that chooses mentorship over shortcuts, case studies over hype, and staff pipelines over flashy hiring sprees. Nugi Technologies is one of those companies.
In a candid conversation with Technext, Ajoke Akinlabi, now Acting CEO of Nugi Technologies, walks through bruising early days, the product decisions that changed how governments pay, and a people-first leadership style that refuses to be just a PR line.
“The workforce reduction happened in the very early days of Nugi Tech many years ago. During that period, the business was steered through the challenges by Ugi Augustine Ugi, now President of Nugi Group, who was then CEO. His leadership ensured the company stayed afloat and built the foundation we’re standing on today.”
That sentence, short, factual, and without flourish, is the hinge of Nugi’s story. From 23 to 5 people, the company could easily have been another casualty. Instead, that contraction became the foundation for something methodical including rebuilding through partnerships, demonstrable wins, and a steady focus on talent.
“When I joined Nugi Technologies eight years ago, much of my focus was on relationship management – strengthening the partnerships I met on the ground while also building new ones. Stepping into the CEO role gave me greater leverage to deepen those existing business relationships, open new doors, and position the company more visibly in the market,” Ajoke says.
Ajoke doesn’t do CEO-speak. Her answers read like a playbook built on local work. So, show a result, keep working with the client, and use that achievement to tell a bigger story. The jewel in that proof-driven approach is a Cross River State deployment that kept turning heads.
She says that, “One of our biggest advantages has been the solution we deployed in Cross River State. It’s a solution that isn’t only useful in that area but is also relevant to other states across the country.
“Whenever we attend conferences or government engagements and share what we achieved in Cross River, it attracts a lot of attention. We’ve been able to use that as a case study to position Nugi as a tech company that partners with the government to solve real problems.”
Numbers do the heavy lifting. Ajoke explains what happened next without fanfare. The systems they introduced produced measurable revenue improvements.
“In Cross River State, for example, the impact has seen internally generated revenue grow by over 140%, a result directly linked to the digital systems we introduced. Our approach is not just about deploying software — we stay actively involved in operations, providing continuous monitoring, support, and training to ensure long-term sustainability.”
If that 140% sounds headline-friendly, it’s worth noting how Nugi technologies got there: product engineering tied to operations, and long-term buy-in from clients. That mindset also shaped how a product like OneMoni evolved.
Ajoke explains that, “OneMoni was initially developed to plug revenue collection leakages, and it effectively achieved that goal. However, as we scaled, we realised that the challenges went far deeper and demanded a more holistic, end-to-end solution.
“Around that time, one of our partners expressed interest in acquiring OneMoni, and we decided to sell it. This gave us the opportunity to focus our energy on building 360Gov — a more robust revenue management and e-governance platform designed to address challenges across all sectors.”
Notice two threads running through Ajoke’s responses: pragmatism and people. She speaks about product pivots with the calm of someone who measures impact, then returns to the human systems that sustain the work.
“For me, it’s been about building relationships, showcasing our achievements, and sustaining a culture of mentorship and training to strengthen the team for growth.”
That culture is institutionalised through Nugi’s Innovation Academy, a talent pipeline that doubles as a training ground and, crucially, as a values filter.
Ajoke describes it as a paid academy that sometimes becomes a welfare instrument when promising candidates cannot afford fees. When hiring time comes, the academy is where they look first.
“Nugi runs an Innovation Academy, which serves as both a training ground and a talent pipeline. It’s a paid academy, but sometimes when we identify talented people who can’t afford the fees, we still bring them in and train them.
“Whenever we need to hire, the academy is our first choice. This has helped us maintain a strong culture because the people we bring on board already understand how our systems work and are aligned with the company’s vision.”
Leadership is never abstract when salaries, work hours, and benefits come into play. Ajoke is refreshingly blunt about the trade-offs and the fixes.
“There have definitely been times when Nugi Technologies, like many growing tech companies, faced financial pressures. But even during those periods, our approach has been to lead with transparency and communication.
“At the same time, we’ve put structures in place to make sure staff feel supported. Salaries are reviewed and increased periodically, and recently, we’ve added benefits such as health insurance (HMOs), a stronger bonus system, and measures to balance workload. When there are times that require extra effort, we acknowledge that and reward the team accordingly.”
Visibility is the next mountain for a company that has historically let results speak. Ajoke’s answer here is strategic. So, keep proving, then scale the spotlight.
“Our priority at Nugi Technologies has always been to build first and prove ourselves with real results.
“Since we launched, we’ve concentrated on building strong solutions and delivering consistently for our clients, and that credibility is what keeps them coming back to us.
“That said, visibility is important, and we are taking steps to strengthen it. We’re currently pursuing strategic partnerships that will provide us with a larger platform, and we are also preparing to roll out products that we believe will have a significant impact not only in Nigeria but also across Africa and beyond.”
Finally, the gender and inclusion question (where leadership can too often read like a checkbox) is answered with the concrete gestures Ajoke has made personally.
“I’m very passionate about getting more young women into tech. At Nugi, our Innovation Academy plays a significant role in this, as it’s where most of our future staff members come from.
“Whenever I meet young women who show interest, I take a personal interest in them. I talk to them, try to understand what they want to do, and then connect them to mentors within the company, often our Chief Technology Officer. I follow up to ensure they’re actually receiving the support they need.”
She follows up that commitment with a push for community – women-in-tech groups, speaking opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship.
“I encourage my female staff to join women-in-tech groups and communities where they can grow and gain exposure. I also take speaking opportunities when I can, because I know sometimes young women just need to hear that they can do more, that they’re not confined by stereotypes about what women can or cannot do.
“I’ve personally mentored young women who joined Nugi Technologies through connections or internships, and after some honest conversations and guidance, I’ve seen them grow significantly.”
This is a story of rebuilding a company that shrank to five people and used mentorship, government case studies, product evolution, and steady operations to grow again.
Ajoke’s answers are short on rhetoric and long on practice, and perhaps that’s the point. In markets where real results matter more than press releases, the climb from five to a sustainable team starts with doing the tough, unglamorous work well.
“If you build first and prove yourself with real results,” Ajoke’s story seems to say, “the visibility will follow.”
Nugi Technologies develops customised enterprise software, websites, and digital solutions to enhance business processes and drive digital transformation for various sectors, including transportation, finance, and education.
The company specialises in areas like custom software development, ERP and CRM systems, web and mobile application development, integration services, and UI/UX design.
Nugi Technologies also provides industry-specific solutions such as university management systems, agricultural software, and logistics management tools.