Losing four cows inspired my journey into tech – Abdullahi

Abdullahi Bashir, the CEO of Tatitech, in this interview, speaks on how curiosity influenced his decision to venture into digital technology after losing cows gifted to him by his father.

Kindly briefly introduce yourself…

My name is Abdullahi Bashir; I am a developer, digital marketing expert, cloud consultant, and the founder of one of the fastest-growing IT consulting firms in Nigeria.

I was born in the small village of Mayo Ndaga in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State, from a nomadic Fulani family background. I am the 20th child of my parents and the only one who was able to finish both primary and secondary school. I have a diploma in Sharia and Civil Law from the College of Legal Studies, Yola.

How did you find yourself in the IT space?

My journey to tech was destined, and my parents played a vital role. It began at a very early age because I got my first computer when I was in primary 4, around 2007.

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It is a tradition among the Fulani, especially those in the village, for a father to give a cow to a child at birth as an investment. The expectation is that the cows will multiply before the child grows up. In my case, it didn’t go that way. My father gave me cows more than four times, and they all died under different circumstances.

Growing up, I was a very inquisitive person, questioning almost everything, which often caused issues with the people I interacted with, including my siblings—except for my mum. She always tried to answer me, and for the questions she didn’t know, she would direct me to people who could help. Whenever I asked questions like how people appear on TV or how airplanes fly, I was told that it’s the computer that made it possible. So, I was very curious and wanted to know more about computers.

 Since all the cows given to me died, my father was worried about me. He always complained that everyone had cows except for me. One day, he decided to sell a cow to make another investment for me, which could have been a plot of land. When he informed me about his decision, I requested that he use the money to get me a computer instead, which he did after making some inquiries. That was how my journey into tech began.

When did you start Tatitech, and what was the motivation behind it?

Tatitech was incorporated in 2022. Before then, I was just using computers for fun and general learning. It wasn’t until 2018 that I started focusing and getting serious about a career in tech. I began by freelancing. After two successful years, we decided to expand and incorporate the business.

What are the biggest challenges you faced?

One of the biggest challenges I faced was at the start of my freelancing journey. I had to sit down to get a direction from all the things I knew and pick two or three things I could do well and which people would want. I came up with the idea to identify problems related to those selected areas, convince people that they had these challenges, and then offer them solutions.

Unfortunately, this approach didn’t work. After meeting with a few people, I realized that walking into a shop as a stranger and talking to them about these new concepts was not a good idea as they didn’t give me the time to explain myself.

So, I came up with the idea of writing proposals. I learned how to write proposals and picked some industries, mainly schools and car dealers, and wrote proposals to almost 30 of them, addressing each by their name, the challenges they faced, how I could help them, and submitted them personally, asking them to fix a meeting at their convenience for me to come and explain. Only a few of them responded, but none patronized.

Another challenge was that these people didn’t trust me because I looked young and poor. I came up with another idea, I would go to business centres, introduce myself, tell them what I was doing, and then advertise the services I was rendering. When I got a client, I would handle the job and give them a percentage.

What achievements have you made with your company?

Tatitech is an IT consulting firm dedicated to empowering businesses with innovative solutions for digital transformation. Our expertise spans digital marketing, web development, cloud services, and training.

Since our incorporation, we have achieved remarkable milestones beyond the successful projects we’ve delivered for our clients in Nigeria and beyond. We have formed partnerships with many individuals and organizations.

For instance, we partnered with Zoho, one of the leading SaaS cloud companies. We’ve also collaborated with Women Entrepreneurs of Nigeria, offering community services by training women entrepreneurs in digital skills. We’ve participated in numerous events such as Zoholics 2023, Africa Global Tech, NITDA Stakeholders Conference, and GDSYola.

Additionally, we provide training in digital marketing, web design, and the basics of computing. Recently, we opened a new branch and received an award for our contributions.

What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs from similar backgrounds?

My advice to any aspiring entrepreneur, especially those coming from similar backgrounds, is that they should start where they are with what they have, be intentional, and be open to growth and evolving. They should know that focus and consistency are key.

What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?

Life is full of challenges, and it’s these challenges that make life livable and enjoyable. Things will never be easy; we just have to be tough. We just have to find a way of navigating them the way they are.