What Lagos Taught Me About Building Resilient Tech in the Cloud
Introduction Before I started working with cloud platforms or enterprise infrastructure, I was on the ground in Lagos, installing LED screens in public buses. Those early days taught me a lot — not just about technology, but about how to build systems that hold up in real-world conditions. Today, even as I manage cloud infrastructure in the UK, I still lean on lessons I learned navigating challenges back home. Here’s how working in Lagos shaped the way I think about tech resilience, user experience, and scalability. 1. Build for Failure, Not Perfection In Nigeria, especially in tech fieldwork, things go wrong. Power cuts, rough roads, network blackouts — it’s all part of the job. When we deployed transparent LED displays in Lagos buses, we had to plan for these issues without letting the systems go down. That experience shaped how I approach cloud design today. Whether I’m working in AWS or Azure, I always assume something will break — and I build systems that can recover quickly. 2. Watch How People Actually Use Tech A lot of my early work was very hands-on. Installing screens in buses taught me that users often behave in ways you don’t expect. The way people look at screens, the questions they ask, the things they try — it all gives you insight you can’t get from a manual. In enterprise IT, I take the same approach. I listen to users, watch how tools are used in the real world, and adjust based on what actually helps them, not just what’s technically correct. 3. Share What You Learn At one point, I realized I was solving the same problems over and over — and so were others on my team. That’s when I got serious about documentation. Now, whether I’m writing guides for Microsoft 365 rollouts or logging lessons from a migration project, I always try to document clearly and share it. It saves time, helps teammates, and improves the way we work as a team. Tools I Rely On Infrastructure & Cloud: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Docker, AnsibleSupport & Ops: Jira, Nagios, Microsoft Teams, RDPHardware: Cisco routers, Dell servers, signage systemsRemote Tools: AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Zoom Final Thoughts Lagos gave me something I carry into every project: a grounded, real-world mindset. It taught me how to build things that survive rough conditions — and how to support people who rely on those systems every day. Now that I work in the UK tech space, those lessons haven’t changed. Whether it’s buses or servers, infrastructure is still about making things work where they matter most.
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