MAKING NIGERIA PROUD ABROAD:
Nigeria’s Best Brains in Information Technology Reigns as Millionaires, Livewire in Facebook HQ AMERICA
…Why Mark Zuckerberg Hires Nigerian Computer Gurus, Pays them Huge Salaries
*Facebook’s owner Gives Nigerian employees Free-hand to Think Outside-the-Box
*Research Scientists earn $172,705 per Year, Network Engineer collects $160,172 Annually,
Engineering Manager paid $380,861 per Year, Zuckerberg now worth over $200billion
*REVEALED: Inspiring Reports of their journey from Microsoft, JP Morgan, Google, Paypal, IBM, Telecoms to Facebook
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/CALIFORNIA/INVESTIGATIONS
FACEBOOK Inc, an American for-profit corporation, online social media and social media networking service based in Menlo Park, California, United States is unarguably the highest, famous social media platform paying most generous salaries to its employees, just to encourage their hardwork and put smile on their faces. A recent survey showed that natives of Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, working in various sectors of this noble firm have become the pillar and cornerstone of Facebook smooth operation, expansion and outstanding success across the world: From United States to Europe, Middle-East to Africa, China to United Kingdom.
These 18 Nigerians, are best brains in Information Technology occupying various sensitive positions from Risk Management, Software Developing, Software Engineering, Payment, Customer Care, Advertising, Technology Processing, Legal, and many other sectors are fondly held in highest esteem by Mark Zuckerberg, the multi-billionaire owner of Facebook.
In this report below, we bring you investigative reports of these 18 Nigerian Information Technology (IT) professionals’ rise-to-fame, journey-to-stardom news stories, so that the truth can be further said that Facebook is an equal-employer company that does not discriminate anyone in its employ as a result of race, color, accent, background, nationality, disability or ethnicity. Are you gifted in IT, then be inspired to follow your aspiration by reading this inspiring news story, which took us over 90 days to painstakingly put together.
Certainly, Zuckerberg is beginning to take Nigeria seriously. But that didn’t happen suddenly, as you will soon discover an increasing number of Nigerians on his salary payroll. Latest investigation confirmed that Research Scientists earn $172,705 per Year, Network Engineer collects $160,172 Annually while Engineering Manager paid $380,861.
Nigerians success enviable heights in Facebook below:
Since a Nigerian software engineer Chukwuemeka Afigbo joined Facebook from Google, where he served until 2015 before being replaced by Aniedi Udi-Obong, he had acquires a lot of IT knowledge in Zuckerberg’s firm and had to move on into higher entrepreneurial sectors of same company by way of promotion.
Afigbo currently manages Strategic Product Partnerships for Facebook in Sub-Saharan Africa and has been instrumental in Mark Zuckerberg’s Nigeria tour.
Ime Archibong is the Director, Strategic Partnerships at Facebook, where he leads a team working to connect Facebook’s products and strategies with various business partners. Archibong and his team have worked on everything related to Facebook including the Messenger application. Prior to joining Facebook, Archibong was an Advanced Technology Business Development Professional at IBM. Archibong has also been instrumental in Zuckerberg’s visit to Nigeria.
Ebele Okobi has headed Public Policy for Facebook in Africa for the past two years. She was the former Global Head & Senior Legal Director, Human Rights for Yahoo! Okobi played a key role in Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Nigeria.
Nmachi Jidenma manages Payments and Commerce Partnerships for Facebook Global, right from the heart of San Francisco Bay Area. Certainly, with previous experiences working at PayPal, Google and JP Morgan, she also happens to be the founder of CPAfrica.
Laurence Aderemi built Moni, a person-to-person money transfer app, which won the 2013 edition of Start with e-novation. Apparently, his competence got the attention of Zuckerberg, who hired him to head Payments and Commerce Partnerships for Facebook Global.
Morin Oluwole is multilingual raised in Nigeria but lived in three different continents. She fluently speak five languages. This is probably why she sealed a role as the Chief of Staff, VP Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook. Oluwole has since taken up a new position as the Luxury Vertical Lead for Facebook/Instagram.
Lauryn Ogbechie leads a Strategic Partnership team within Facebook’s Global Platform Partnerships organisation in Menlo Park, CA. In this role she partners with mobile developers to help them build, grow and monetise their apps through the integration of Facebook platform products. Prior to Facebook, Ogbechie worked as a digital organiser for President Obama’s re-election campaign.
Francis Ebong joined Facebook in November 2015 where he has since acted in the capacity of Director, Online Operations. Francis is a graduate of The George Washington University.
Teniola Adedipe served in two capacities within Konga (Nigerian eCommerce giant), in the space of 14 months. She started out as the Head, Merchandise Planning in January 2014, she then went on to become Associate Director, Retail Operations. Adedipe is now the Program Manager, Deal Desk & Global Agency at Facebook, New York City area.
Monica Ugwi, still relatively new in Facebook Inc works with the Product Operations division of of the company. Prior to that, she was an Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company and an Analyst at Goldman Sachs. A graduate of Computer Science, Ugwi also holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Ibrahim Sekoni is Facebook’s Product Specialist at San Francisco Bay Area. His previous experience no doubt played a huge role in blending him into Facebook. Prior to joining Facebook, he was the Mobile Product Manager at optionXpress where he managed the top-rated mobile trading App across multiple Mobile platforms. He also worked as a Business Analyst at Phoenix bits LTD overseeing various operations. He joined Facebook in April 2015.
Olaoluwa Okelola is one of the few Nigerian-born software engineers at Facebook positively impacting globally as a Software Engineer. After he completed his secondary education at the International School Ibadan, Okelola proceeded to Avi-Cenna International School and Howard University, Washington DC, to complete his secondary and university education respectively. He then joined Microsoft as Explorer Intern in January 2005 and left in August the same year for Google where he worked as an Engineering intern from May 2006 until August 2006. Okelola joined Facebook in 2007 and has been there ever since.
Barbara Mbanefo is another Nigerian-born software Engineer at Facebook, where she develops iOS applications that help businesses connect with their customers. Mbanefo completed her primary and secondary education in Nigeria before proceeding to France to obtain her Masters degree in Software Engineering. She speaks French fluently. Prior to joining Facebook in May 2016, Mbanefo worked as a Software Engineer and a Mobile App User Experience Designer in France, Canada and Hollywood, California.
Kunbi Adeyemo has served in two capacities at Facebook. Between 2013 and 2014, she was on the Facebook North America Small and Medium Business Team as a Customer Insights Analyst.
In December 2014, Adeyemo moved up to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she has since served as Facebook’s Diversity Programs Manager – Women in Computer Science.
Isaac Nwokocha is another talented Nigerian. After obtaining a First Class degree in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2010, Nwokocha tried his hands out on entrepreneurship; he co-founded two startups, including real-time road traffic web, Traffik Dey application. Probably deciding he had had enough of entrepreneurship, Nwokocha proceeded to Stanford for a Master’s Degree in Management Science and Engineering. No sooner had he completed his Masters Degree than he secured a role as a Product Data Integrity, Community Operations/Project Manager at Facebook.
Michael Awotedu, armed with an MBA in Finance (summa cum laude) from the University of Tampa John H. Sykes College of Business, Awotedu works in Risk Program Management at Facebook where he helps to facilitate strategy, and execution for Risk Management on products like FB games, Oculus VR and Ads. Prior to Facebook, Awotedu oversaw Risk Management for Walmart’s $30 billion check cashing portfolio. Earlier attended Federal Government College, Odogbolu.
Jane Okpala, a highly focused Nigerian, with almost 10 years of strategic, analytical, negotiating, presentation, and management expertise, is the Product Specialist (Social Good and Goodwill), Community Operations, at Facebook. A polyglot in her own right for conversing and writing fluently in least four different languages. Okpala worked previously as an Associate at McKinsey & Company where she served mainly technology and financial institution clients on a wide variety of analytical and strategic engagements.
Dayo Olopade started her career as a journalist in Washington, covering the 2008 campaign and the Obama era for publications including The Atlantic, The Guardian and The Washington Post.
Nowadays, Olopade applies her wealth of journalistic experience on the Facebook Media Partnerships Team, where she helps publishers take advantage of Facebook, from a business and product perspective. She maintains a painstakingly detailed personal website.
