Abdulhaqq Sule

In the early days of my career, I thought my job was to write the most elegant code possible. I would spend hours perfecting a function or refactoring a component. But as I started thinking beyond code at Haqqman, I realized that elegant code is useless if it’s solving the wrong problem.

Today, when I lead my engineering teams in Abuja, I don't just look for "coders." I look for thinkers. Because in our context, a developer who only follows a GitHub issue is a liability.

The "Feature Factory" Trap

Many tech teams in our region fall into the trap of becoming "feature factories." Management asks for a button; the team builds a button. Management asks for a new page; the team builds a new page.

The problem with this approach is that it treats software engineering as a manufacturing process rather than a creative problem-solving discipline. When I see a team shipping features that nobody uses, I don't see productivity — I see wasted human potential.

Shifting from Tasks to Impact

How do I shape a team to think beyond the code? It starts with changing the "Why."

1. Context is King

I make it a point to involve my engineers in the "Why." Before a single line of code is written, I want my team to understand the business objective. Who are we helping? Is it a small business owner in Wuse Market trying to manage her books? Or a fintech startup in Lagos trying to reduce fraud? When a developer understands the human at the end of the screen, the code they write changes.

2. Encouraging Product Mindset

Knowledge is power. I encourage my engineers to have an opinion on the product. "I know this was requested, but I think this other approach might serve the user better" is the most valuable sentence an engineer can say to me. I don't want "yes-men"; I want partners in innovation.

3. The "Does it Solve it?" Test

At Haqqman, I constantly ask: "Does this actually solve the problem, or did we just complete the task?" A completed task is a checkbox; a solved problem is an impact. I would rather my team take three days to find a way not to write code if it solves the problem more efficiently.

The Abuja Advantage

There is a unique resilience in the tech talent I see here in Abuja and Lagos. We operate in an environment where we have to be resourceful. I believe this resourcefulness should be our biggest competitive advantage. We shouldn't just be "copy-pasting" Western engineering cultures; we should be building a culture of radical problem-solving that reflects our own challenges.

Building a team is like writing a complex system. It requires intentionality, regular debugging, and a clear vision of the end goal. And the end goal for us is never just "shipped code" — it's a transformed business and a better life for the people we build for.

Abdulhaqq Sule is the CTO at Haqqman. He is passionate about nurturing the next generation of African tech leaders who solve real-world problems through intentional engineering.