By Moses Amama
Over 600 developers, designers, and tech enthusiasts gathered in Nigeria’s capital for DevFest Abuja 2019. It was the largest Google Developer Group (GDG) gathering in the North Central region this year, and an experience I’ll always remember.
What made this event truly special was the unity behind it. GDG chapters from across the region, Makurdi, Minna, Lafia, Keffi, Illorin came together to plan and execute a shared vision.
My Role Managing the Cloud and Design Tracks
As one of the co-organizers, my responsibility was to manage one of the key halls. I hosted the Cloud and Design tracks, where we explored everything from serverless technology to design thinking. The hall was packed for most of the day, and the energy from both the speakers and attendees made all the months of planning worth it.
From inviting speakers to managing the session schedule and ensuring transitions between talks were smooth, I had to be both facilitator and problem solver. It was a hands-on role that gave me a front-row seat to how much our ecosystem is growing in appetite for deep, impactful conversations around tech and design.
The Journey There
I traveled with a few selected members of the GDG Makurdi team. Our journey started as early as 4:00 am on the day of the event. With excitement in the air and last-minute logistics to finalize, we hit the road determined to make it in time. Tired but focused, we arrived in Abuja and stepped right into event mode.
What It Took to Pull This Off
Organizing an event of this scale took weeks of planning, virtual coordination, and problem-solving. We dealt with everything from speaker schedules and venue arrangements to registration flows, lunch plans, and attendee experience.
But the collaboration across GDG chapters made all the difference. Everyone brought something to the table, logistics, volunteers, partnerships, or just the belief that this event needed to happen.
What I Learned
- Collaboration across cities works when everyone leads with purpose
- There’s growing demand for meaningful tech and design content
- When you focus on people, the tech takes care of itself
Looking Ahead
As I write this, I’m already looking forward to DevFest Makurdi coming up this weekend. Inspired by the success of Abuja, we’re bringing that same energy home. It’ll be smaller in scale but just as intentional. It is another opportunity to create space for learning, connection, and growth in our local community.