"Microware Solutions Began Out of Necessity, Not Aspiration": First 1000 Days at Microware Solutions

Microware Solutions: From Humble Beginnings to $5 Million Business

In the heart of Nigeria, a remarkable success story unfolds. Michael Ekeagbara, a man who started his career repairing computers in Kaduna, now leads Microware Solutions Limited, a thriving business with ambitious growth plans.

Ekeagbara's journey began in 2008 when he rebranded his company as Microware Solutions. Despite a six-year period of little success, he persevered, trying various business ventures to stay afloat. His determination paid off when he secured a major project with Huawei, one of the first local partners for their base station rollout in Nigeria.

Prior to this, Ekeagbara had faced discrimination in Nigeria's job market due to his HND in Computer Science. However, he turned this challenge into an opportunity by using the software he had written as a bargaining chip to secure a job at Magic Software in Victoria Island. At Magic Software, he built finance and payroll systems for oil companies and banks.

In 2017, Microware Solutions made history by landing two SAP projects, becoming the first in Nigeria to deploy SAP Business ByDesign. This achievement earned them the title of Best Partner in West Africa. By 2020, Microware Solutions was a Gold Partner and certified for SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA (S/4HANA).

Ekeagbara's leadership was tested when he temporarily hired a trusted colleague with significant industry experience to act as Microware's GM for the Huawei project. Despite a crisis in Kaduna in February 2000, where he lost everything including his office and home, Ekeagbara's resilience shone through. His story is a testament to the potential for success, no matter where one starts from.

Today, Microware is a $5 million business with aspirations to become a $10 million business in two years, a $100 million business in five, and a unicorn in ten years. They handle projects across Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Manchester, UK without any loans or foreign investment.

Ekeagbara's success story is not without its twists and turns. Oracle made Microware Solutions a partner through Oracle West Africa, but the partnership was not as productive as expected. However, Ekeagbara quickly prepared essential Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) documentation and protocols to meet standard requirements for Huawei's visit, impressing them enough to secure sites for their projects, despite his initial rejection.

Ekeagbara started Microware as a pure technical guy with no sales or marketing skills, which delayed growth. He emphasizes the importance of investing in sales and marketing for growth. In fact, he wrote a software for an NNPC subsidiary, which was adopted across all subsidiaries, demonstrating his technical prowess.

Despite the challenges, Ekeagbara's story is a beacon of hope, showing that with determination, resilience, and a knack for innovation, one can sit at tables with banks, oil companies, and multinationals.

"Microware Solutions Began Out of Necessity, Not Aspiration": First 1000 Days at Microware Solutions