"When I was in university I did not have this opportunity…I want to make sure other students do."

B.A. Computer Science

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, 1999

Areas of interest outside work

Going places, meeting people...swimming, programming, asking questions, playing football (ocassionally)

Taking IT Personally

Charles Igweze knows what it’s like to be left behind, which is why he's making sure others aren't.

After graduating in 1999 from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State in Nigeria with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Charles entered the National Youth Service program. He soon noticed students from other universities in the program had skills he lacked.

“When I compared myself to the other students I saw myself far behind them,” says Charles, who like most Nigerians had never used the Internet, even at university.

“Some universities in Nigeria don’t have Internet access,” Charles explains. “I hadn’t even used e-mail when I was in University.”

Ibenacho Ifeoma F.I. (right), Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma SEED lab manager, and Charles Igweze assist student in the SEED lab.

Nevertheless, Charles caught up quickly and after finishing the program he was hired by Schlumberger in 2000. Today he is our 2Net (IT) Service Delivery Manager in Nigeria.

Because so many high schools and universities lack Internet access in Nigeria, Charles is determined to spread the technology as wide as possible. To do so, he became a SEED volunteer two years ago.

“The SEED project is a wonderful initiative especially in this part of the world," says Charles, whose role with SEED includes helping select schools for the program and supervising the IT installation.

In fact, Charles is so convinced of the benefits of connecting underpriviledged students that he plans to work on his own initiative later on to help Nigerian high schools and universities get Internet access and to provide technical training to instructors.

"When I was in university I did not have this opportunity," he says. "I want to make sure other students do."