Facebook iD8 Nairobi summit brought together over 400 developers, startups and businesses from across Sub-Saharan Africa in a first of its kind conference to create a space for developers and startups to showcase and celebrate talent from across the continent while sharing their developer journey. Developers build and create software and applications. They also debug and execute the source code of a software application.
The online social media and networking service gathered the developers in Kenya, as part of its effort to create opportunities for innovation, community building and education throughout the continent. The conference kick-started with a keynote speech from Emeka Afigbo, Facebook’s Global Head of Developer Programmes. He highlighted Facebook’s plan in partnership with Andela to train and equip thousands of developers from its Developer Circles across 10 countries in Africa with technical and non-technical skills in 2020.
According to Afigbo “We look forward to reconnecting with the ecosystem to share the latest technology, product and program updates. Facebook iD8 is a two-way dialogue where we also have a chance to hear from our developer and startup community’ about their experiences and roadblocks as well as provide an opportunity for members of our community to connect with others who share their challenges and aspirations.” Sewagodimo Matlapeng a Developer Lead for a Facebook Developer Circle in Cape Town said, “My experience leading a Developer Circle in Cape town has enabled me to advocate for the inclusion of women in the developer community in Cape town with my circle having the highest female members in Africa. Through Facebook iD8, I gained insights on how we as developers, male and female can seize opportunities and curb challenges in the developer community.”
Highlights from the conference also and included a career fair, aimed at connecting this year’s top developers from Facebook’s and Andela’s three-month training programme in Nigeria and Kenya with employment opportunities through networking with potential employers. Moreover, Facebook iD8 Nairobi also highlighted the latest insights from Facebook, with new technologies and products for attendees to build and experiment with, and programmes to help them at any stage of their journey. The developers were hands-on when it boiled down to demonstrations and discussions with Facebook product experts who provided guidance and helped them to unlock challenges developers face in their development process. The conference also provided an opportunity for developers and startups to learn how technology such as AR/VR, Messaging and Open Source can offer tangible solutions for businesses in Africa.
