How Michael Uanikehi is helping young Africans discover their purpose through tech

By Tosin Clegg

Amid the widening gap between potential and opportunity in Africa’s tech landscape, UK-based Nigerian DevOps expert Michael Uanikehi is quietly changing the narrative—one young mind at a time.

Leveraging his vast experience in cloud infrastructure and automation, Uanikehi informed of how he’s playing pivotal role as part of the prestigious AWS Community Builders Program, a global initiative designed to equip tech talents with access to resources, mentorship, and the AWS ecosystem.

The program, known for spotlighting top-tier cloud professionals from around the world, welcomed Uanikehi into its elite circle where he’s he’s using the opportunity to pour back into communities—especially young Africans who see technology not just as a skill, but as a lifeline.

“When I got the email, I knew instantly this wasn’t just about me,” Uanikehi told our correspondent. “It was about being able to reach more young people—to let them see what’s possible when you understand cloud, DevOps, and the future of infrastructure.”

Through one-on-one mentoring sessions, virtual workshops, and curated resource-sharing, Uanikehi is using the AWS Community Builders platform as a springboard for community empowerment.

His sessions often focus on cloud computing fundamentals, DevOps best practices, and how to break into global tech roles from anywhere—whether Lagos, Accra, or Nairobi.

“There are so many young people out there who don’t know where to start,” he said. “They just need someone to show them the roadmap, and that’s what I’m committed to doing.”

Findings showed that several of the youths he mentors have gone on to secure internships, pass their first AWS certifications, and even launch freelance DevOps consulting services.

What began as casual guidance has grown into a grassroots movement—young people discovering purpose, structure, and belief in themselves through lines of code and infrastructure blueprints.

Recently, Uanikehi expanded his reach even further by serving as a judge and panelist at the EuphratesTech Hackathon, a high-intensity event where developers were challenged to turn big ideas into working prototypes in less than 48 hours.

“Seeing that level of energy and raw creativity under pressure was genuinely inspiring,” he said.

Speaking further on the hackathon, he observed that creativity thrives most when under tight deadlines, as participants pushed their limits to deliver viable solutions in record time.

He also pointed out that secure-by-design thinking is increasingly becoming the most important differentiator in today’s digital world, noting that the teams who integrated security from the outset were those whose solutions stood out most.

Perhaps most striking, however, was the collaborative spirit that permeated the event.

Despite the competitive nature of a hackathon, participants consistently supported one another; sharing knowledge, tools, and encouragement.

“It was refreshing to see that collaboration still beats competition,” he noted. “Every team helped lift the other, and that’s the kind of culture we need more of.”

Back in Manchester, where he leads DevOps operations at Techchak, Uanikehi continues to design secure, scalable cloud solutions for enterprise clients. But it’s his commitment to those often left behind in the global tech conversation that defines his legacy.

“You don’t have to know everything,” he concluded. “You just have to be willing to learn. The rest will come.”