Folajomi, Odutola shine at HUI FutureFlip2025 event

Last Saturday, in the vibrant halls of the Al-Hikmah University Auditorium, Adeta came alive with a gathering of some of the brightest minds in technology and innovation. The conference opened under the guidance of Khadijah Adisa, the GDGOC lead, whose opening remarks set the tone for a day of collaboration and forward-thinking. Khadijah reminded attendees that “the collaborative effort each of us put in today will define the level of digital innovations in the future,” calling upon every participant to play an active role in shaping tomorrow’s digital landscape.

The first highlight of the day was the keynote address delivered by Folajomi Adegbulugbe, titled “The Future Needs You.” With palpable enthusiasm, Folajomi urged the audience to embrace their unique talents and contributions, emphasizing that technology’s most meaningful breakthroughs arise from individuals daring to think differently. Drawing on real-world examples of grassroots innovators transforming their communities, he challenged attendees to view obstacles not as barriers but as catalysts for creative problem-solving.

Akinyemi Odutola followed with a deeply insightful session on “Championing a Secure Digital Foundation for an Innovative Future.” Akinyemi painted a vivid picture of the evolving threat landscape, underscoring how every new product or platform must be built on the bedrock of robust cybersecurity principles. He illustrated his talk with case studies demonstrating how early integration of secure architectures protects end users and fosters greater trust, paving the way for accelerated innovation.

The morning’s keynote and plenary sessions were succeeded by a dynamic lineup of guest speakers who each brought their own expertise to bear. Idris Bankole took the stage to explore “Supercharging with AI to Build Smarter Web Apps,” articulating clear strategies for embedding machine learning models into everyday web experiences. His demonstration of real-time personalization algorithms sparked a lively exchange of ideas among developers eager to harness AI’s potential.

Bukunmi Folorunso then captivated the audience with “How to Think Like a Product Manager: Using Psychology to Build What People Need.” Drawing from her extensive background in consumer behaviour, she revealed how subtle shifts in language, design, and user flow can dramatically elevate product adoption. Attendees left her talk with practical frameworks for conducting rapid user-psychology experiments and translating insights into product roadmaps.

The afternoon kicked off with Babatunde Esanju’s presentation “Crafting a Developer Tool That Stands the Test of Time.” With a mix of technical rigour and user-experience nuance, Babatunde walked participants through the lifecycle of developer-focused products, highlighting the critical importance of extensibility, modular architecture, and community feedback loops in sustaining long-term relevance. Abdulkabir Musa delivered a thought-provoking session entitled “Teaching the Future with the AI We Build Today.” He painted a compelling vision of intelligent tutoring systems that adapt to each learner’s pace and style, sharing pilot programs where early adopters saw measurable gains in retention and comprehension. Abdulkabir’s passion for educational equity resonated strongly with educators and technologists alike.

Lani Sodunke rounded out the speaking roster with “Product-Led Marketing: Turning Your Ideas into a Scalable Product,” offering a masterclass on how product features themselves can become the most potent marketing assets. By spotlighting examples of viral onboarding loops and in-app referral incentives, Lani demonstrated that when product value is intrinsic and self-evident, marketing costs plummet and organic growth soars.

Midway through the program, attendees were treated to a panel discussion tagged “Finding Your Path in Building Technology Solutions,” hosted by Lawal Abdulmalik featuring an engaging interview with distinguished professional, Qazeem Oladejo. Lawal guided Qazeem through questions about mapping one’s career trajectory, balancing technical skill acquisition with creative vision, and cultivating resilience in the face of failure. The session’s candid anecdotes and actionable advice resonated deeply with the crowd of aspiring developers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

In her closing remarks, Khadijah Adisa expressed heartfelt gratitude to all participants, shining a special spotlight on the Kwara State University students who had journeyed to Ilorin to witness the event firsthand. She thanked the university’s leadership under Vice Chancellor Prof. Noah Yusuf for their support and lauded the volunteers and core team members whose tireless efforts made FutureFlip2025 a true celebration of community and collaboration.

As the afternoon sun dipped below in Ilorin, the over 800 attendees departed invigorated by new connections, fresh ideas, and a renewed commitment to co-creating the digital future. With Folajomi’s rallying cry echoing in their minds and Odutola’s security imperatives guiding their designs, the HUI FutureFlip2025 Event succeeded in underscoring that innovation thrives through a shared vision and that together, we hold the keys to tomorrow’s breakthroughs.