Baruwa Olalekan is probably the synonym you are looking for to properly describe the passionate, pragmatic pursuit of a single-minded vision. So we’ll just use his name since that may be too long to type every time.

We had a long chat with him few days ago at the Serve office in Lagos where, for almost a year now, he’s been part of a team that uses technological solutions to help organisations improve upon efficiency, speed up processes, and ultimately achieve their missions. Before then, he’d spent a year as part of the team at Yookos.com. We’d read about the work he’d done a few years ago for MyCash and we wanted to speak with him about his new project Fanssify, but it became imperative once we started chatting to ask about mobile applications and their development first.

Let’s just say TECHnically not only learnt about, Fanssify, a new social medium strictly designed to maximise the potentials that being a football fan offers, but we also got a much better understanding of the technology that powers almost every aspect of our lives right now.

Enjoy!

TECHnically: Hello Mr Baruwa, can you tell us a little about your background as a Nigerian techie?

Olalekan: I got actively interested in programming and software development after secondary school when I enrolled at a Computer training school (those were very popular at the time). I learnt how to work with Java, CA, C++, Q basis, Pascal and got a diploma afterwards. Because I was very interested in programming, I continued learning on my own and when I got into Covenant University, I chose to study Computer Science. I got a Bachelor of Science from there and then went on do an MSc program at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where I studied Software Engineering.

However, I had started a software development company with a friend, Bankole Oluwole, after University called Electronic Phase Information system. This was July, 2009. We developed software solutions for people including bulk SMS platform based on Java where we sold recharge cards for bulk SMS, we built websites and some other custom software. And that’s where I picked up my special interest in mobile applications.

TECHnically: What would you say the progression of mobile applications has been like since 2009?

Olalekan: It has been great so far. A lot of the advancement is because we can barely do without these applications. Also, becauseof the better access to the internet and the very flexible internet accessibility options that now exist. As at 2009, people still had to call for configuration settings to use the internet on their phones and so most applications were just better as web-based applications that did not require so much work to use. Now, the nature of a smartphone is such that it has to work with the internet and there are many options for that. Also, people depend a lot on their mobile applications for daily activities – be it the inbuilt ones or third party apps.

TECHnically: So what’s the difference between a web based application and a mobile application?

Olalekan: A mobile application is essentially a web application except that it has been coded in such a way that it can be accessed and used in a manner that is compliant with the operating system of a phone. Without them, we’d have to load all the applications we need through our browsers. And even on our computers to get the best experience.

TECHnically: What are the considerations you make before deciding what app to build?

Olalekan: This always depends on the reason for building an application. Sometimes, it is because there is an idea that I have conceived that needs to be made into an app and at other times it is because someone needs a process automated. In the second case case, I’ll have tp understand the process that needs automation first and then, work with the person to ensure that a simple enough process is developed into an application that permanently solves the problem. You also have to consider what device the application will run on.

TECHnically: What is the estimated cost of building mobile applications?

Olalekan: I’d say it’s mostly free. The real cost being the technological know-how required to write the codes needed for the application to function. On the basic level, however, you’ll probably incur some cost in getting the software needed to write your codes as well as internet costs. Otherwise, developing the application is free up until it needs to be placed in any one of the mobile stores. For ioS applications, a developer will need to renew his/her access fee to the Apple store yearly while the Google play store requires only a one-time registration fee to be able to load applications on it.

TECHnically: What’s the typical rate an app developer will charge in Nigeria?

Olalekan: We do not yet have a standardised system. As such, for now, people come up with prices based on the number of hours they put into developing the app or just based on intuition.

TECHnically: Can you walk us through the process of actually setting up an application?

Olalekan: Okay. so once you have written the codes, you’ll need to host the application online so that people can access it. The application needs to be hosted by a server that is publicly accessible. To do that, you need a server that is publicly accessible. Many companies offer the hosting services based on different plans – cloud hosting, virtual server hosting et cetera. You also get a domain name from them (that is the xxxx.com or .org or .co). The domain name is what makes it easy for people to remember how to find any application (or anything on the internet). At this point, you have a working web application. A mobile application will often communicate with a web server over the internet. What a mobile application is usually just a compact version of the web application or server that it fetches from. Where a mobile application works offline on its own, it means that it has been coded completely to function on its own in which case the developer simply writes the necessary codes needed for it to function and then send it of to the necessary mobile market for download or installed directly on a device.

TECHnically: What are the differences that exist in the development of applications for the various platforms that exist?

Olalekan: So we have the Windows platform, the ioS, the Java (for old Nokia), the Blackberry platform. A developer will need to write codes that will work properly based on each one of these if he wants the application to run on them all or for only the one he needs the application to work with. There is also the X concept which is simply a web application made based on httml but packaged as a mobile application to run on all devices the same way. The Instagram, WhatsApp are all designed traditionally such that you get a different experience depending on which devices you use it on. Popular hybrid applications include Netflix and Evernote which work the same way regardless of the device.

TECHnically: So how do people make money off their applications especially when they are free to download?

Olalekan: Most people who give out their application for free downloads often earn money by sharing adverts on the application.

TECHnically: So we have heard that there are some apps that are essentially malware that can deliver viruses to phones or even remotely collect personal data and info of the users. Can you talk us through this and how app users can protect themselves?

Olalekan: That’s true. As I explained, many applications are connected remotely to a web based server which allows them to function once remotely triggered by the launching of the app. Another thing is that an application requires some details on your phone to function. For example, your Google maps requires you location to properly function, some other applications cannot be laucncjhed without e-mail ligin details. Others just require a name. Some of these details are sometimes needed only when the application is launched so then it remotely reads the details once it has the permission to do so. The problem is that a lot of people do not read the terms that they apply at the point of download. These terms more often than not state everything that an application will use on the phone so people need to pay more attention to that.

Also, now mobile marketplaces have developed to such an extent that they require the application to ask for permission everytime the application requires some personal information of trigger the sending of an information.

TECHnically: Thank you very much Olalekan.