By Isaac Aqua
At 40, Ugi Augustine Ugi (Jnr) stands as a compelling symbol of resilience, vision and purpose driven innovation in Nigeria’s fast evolving technology landscape. His story transcends the familiar narrative of entrepreneurial success. It is a story of endurance, quiet courage and the deliberate choice to transform pain into solutions that now shape governance, business and everyday life, particularly in Cross River.
Born in Obudu, Cross River north, Ugi’s early years were marked by a medical condition many would consider a permanent limitation. Living with sickle cell anaemia meant recurring health crises, frequent hospital admissions and prolonged periods of physical exhaustion. For most children, such experiences might foster bitterness or resignation. For Ugi, they became the crucible that shaped a mindset anchored on empathy, creativity and problem solving.
Family members recall years filled with anxiety and prayer. His mother, Mrs Monica Ugi, has often reflected on the emotional and physical toll of raising a child battling sickle cell disease. She spoke of countless hospital visits, nights spent in pain and moments of fear that tested the family’s strength. Yet through it all, she expressed deep gratitude to God for preservation and grace, describing faith as the anchor that sustained them. She lamented that ignorance remains one of the greatest contributors to the suffering associated with sickle cell disease and urged intending couples to prioritise medical testing and genotype compatibility before marriage, stressing that many painful experiences are preventable with proper knowledge and informed decisions.
His father, Chief Augustine Ugi, also expressed profound gratitude to God for the life and progress of his son. He described Ugi’s journey as evidence that adversity does not define destiny, adding that discipline, faith and perseverance can turn the harshest circumstances into platforms for purpose.
Ironically, Ugi’s health challenges initially pushed him toward a dream of studying medicine. However, a chance encounter with computers during his secondary school years altered his trajectory. Fascinated by how digital systems could be built to solve real world problems, he found in technology a language that resonated deeply with his lived experiences. Technology became more than a career choice. It became a tool for impact.
He went on to study Software Development at the National Institute of Information Technology, graduating with first class honours in 2011. Driven by curiosity and a hunger for excellence, he later earned a first class degree in Information Technology and Business Information Systems from Middlesex University in the United Kingdom. Remarkably, much of his education was funded through entrepreneurial ventures, web development projects and software solutions he built while still learning.
Ugi’s professional journey began quietly. He took on web development jobs, built enterprise software and worked on small scale projects that sharpened his skills and broadened his understanding of real life problems. In 2016, he founded Nugitech, laying the foundation for what would later evolve into the Nugi Group, a multi sector technology ecosystem spanning digital governance, education, infrastructure, logistics, media and agriculture.
Today, as president and group chair of Nugi Group, Ugi is widely recognised for championing practical technology solutions rooted in local realities. Rather than chasing fleeting trends, he focuses on building systems that improve efficiency, transparency and accountability. Under his leadership, Nugitech has emerged as a key driver of digital transformation in Cross River , redefining how government works and how citizens interact with public institutions.
Central to this transformation is the deployment of the 360GOV ecosystem, a comprehensive digital governance framework designed to modernise public administration. The system integrates eight interrelated applications that span executive oversight, finance, taxation, land administration, forestry and citizen services.
One of the most strategic innovations within the ecosystem is the Governor’s App, a dedicated mobile platform that places real time governance data directly in the hands of the governor. Through the app, the governor can monitor revenue inflows by the hour, track the performance of ministries, departments and agencies and access critical operational analytics without waiting for delayed reports. This shift has strengthened executive oversight and enabled faster, data driven decision making.
For citizens, Nugitech introduced the MyCrossRiver App, an e citizen platform that brings government services closer to the people. Through this application, residents can access public services, make payments and interact with government agencies from their mobile devices. This has reduced the burden of physical visits to government offices and significantly improved the ease of doing business in the state.
Revenue generation has also been transformed through Cross River Pay, the state’s central payment portal. By integrating multiple payment gateways into a single digital channel, the platform has reduced cash handling, blocked revenue leakages and improved accountability across ministries and agencies. Supporting this effort is the Tax Management System deployed for the Cross River Internal Revenue Service, which automates tax administration, expands the tax net and improves compliance among individuals and businesses.
In land administration, Nugitech developed a digital system for the Ministry of Lands that automates land registration and internal workflows. This innovation has reduced document forgery, minimised land disputes and accelerated approval processes. It has also boosted investor confidence by ensuring transparency and clarity in land ownership documentation.
Financial governance has equally benefited from the deployment of the Finance, Budget and Due Process system for the Ministry of Finance and its cluster. The platform automates budgeting workflows, expenditure approvals and compliance checks, reducing bureaucratic delays and strengthening fiscal discipline.
One of the most impactful sector specific solutions is Cross River Pay Forestry, a specialised mobile application designed for forestry operations. Used at checkpoints across the state, the app enables real time truck verification, monitoring and revenue collection. By digitising forestry operations, the state has curbed illegal logging, improved oversight and ensured that revenues due to government are properly accounted for. Complementing this is the Cross River Pay Point system, which empowers field agents to collect payments digitally, further reducing leakages and improving efficiency.
The combined impact of these systems is evident in increased internally generated revenue, enhanced transparency, real time governance and improved citizen experience. More importantly, they represent a shift from personality driven administration to system driven governance.
Ugi’s competence has not gone unnoticed by public sector leaders. Professor Anthony Owan Enoh, Secretary to the State Government, recalled first encountering him during his tenure as Vice Chancellor of the then Cross River University of Technology. In a room filled with consultants, it was a young and unassuming Ugi who consistently provided the most informed answers. That encounter led to Ugi securing his first major contract, reinforcing a powerful lesson that knowledge and competence outweigh titles, appearances and certificates.
Those who work closely with him describe a relentless work ethic shaped by adversity. Sunday Okoi, co founder of Nugitech, famously describes Ugi as a warrior who turns hospital beds into idea labs. Even during periods of illness, Okoi notes, Ugi often emerges with ideas inspired by challenges he observed while receiving care. To him, pain is not a setback but raw material for innovation.
Beyond business and governance, Ugi’s impact is deeply human. Through personal initiatives, he supports the education of hundreds of vulnerable children across Cross River , easing financial burdens on families and opening doors to opportunity. He believes technology must uplift people rather than alienate them.
Nugitech’s growing influence is also extending into the creative and cultural space. Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, Sir Gab Onah, recently announced plans to collaborate with Nugitech to deepen digital participation in Carnival Calabar. According to him, from the 2026 edition of the carnival, viewers and spectators will be empowered to vote and contribute thirty percent of the final scores used in determining winners, while adjudicators will retain seventy percent. He described the initiative as a step toward greater transparency, audience engagement and global participation, underscoring the expanding role of technology across sectors in the state.
The celebration of Ugi’s iconic 40 yearsb at the ICC Calabar last weekend was meant to appreciate God for life. It also coincided with significant milestones that mirror his philosophy of rebirth and endurance. A decade of Nugitech, the steady expansion of the Nugi Group ecosystem and the launch of his book, Blood of a Phoenix, all symbolise renewal, resilience and forward motion.
At 40, Ugi Augustine Ugi (Jrn) is more than a technology entrepreneur. He is a testament to the power of purpose driven innovation and living proof that adversity can be converted into advantage. His journey reminds a generation that success is not defined by what life throws at you, but by what you choose to build from it.