When you talk to Onone Ega, it becomes clear why she thrives in tech. Every day is fast, challenging, and different, and that is exactly how she likes it. From coding as a computer science student to leading engineering teams at Interswitch, Onone has followed a path defined by curiosity, strategy, and a talent for turning ideas into solutions.
Along the way, she has navigated the unique challenges of African tech, learned to work with innovators under steep regulations, and carved out a space for herself in Web3.
In this interview, she shares how she built a career in tech without losing sight of her curiosity, how she approaches complex problems, and what it takes to thrive in the African tech industry.
If your career journey were a movie, what would the title be and why?
Fast and furious, because no two days are the same. Tech moves quickly, the technology keeps evolving, and the problems just keep getting more dynamic and exciting.
Tell us about your journey into the tech industry. What initially sparked your interest?
My journey into tech isn’t like most people’s nowadays, who are transitioning or chasing better pay. I studied Computer Science for my first degree, and I am currently completing my Master’s in Computer Science at the University of East London, UK.
From my NYSC days, I was intentional about where I wanted to serve. I served in Abuja, and if you know Abuja, you’ll find that most people there are involved in government contracts, dealing with a lot of paperwork and profiles. I knew that wasn’t for me. Even though I worked in a tech company that handled some government projects, I knew I had to move to an organisation that leveraged technology to solve real tech problems.
That awareness led me to Decagon in Lagos. Decagon was one of the prominent edtech startups at the time, training software engineers and connecting them to hiring partners. I joined as a Programme Associate and also mentored people on Agile leadership. Coding wasn’t necessarily an option for me to pursue because my soft skills and leadership side stood out early.
I eventually moved to banking, and I’ve also worked with Fintechs and startups in payments and retail tech. Now I work at Interswitch, which is basically big tech, by African standards at least. I manage engineering teams and ensure our IT solutions are built to meet product requirements and solve business/customer problems.
I work closely with business and product, take feedback from users and integrators in the market, and then iterate on that feedback to improve and optimise our products.
My work involves managing developers and engineering teams to solve real technology problems.
How did you become a program manager, and how can people break into the space?
I began my career as a project manager working on non-technical projects, but my role has evolved as I moved into more technical teams. The truth is that there is no single roadmap. Some people start as interns, others switch from entirely different industries.
Project management has become popular, but technical project managers are still in short supply. Managing projects in product-led or tech organisations calls for a certain level of technical understanding. You can work as a project manager in marketing, construction, or advertising. The core frameworks remain the same, but the tools and day-to-day realities differ. Take Agile as an example. It was created by software engineers to solve software development problems, yet its focus on continuous improvement and flexibility has made it useful across many other fields.
If you are just starting in project management, begin with the fundamentals. Learn what project management involves, the knowledge areas, the processes, and the frameworks. Understand methodologies like Agile and Waterfall. A course can help, whether free or paid, because many resources now break down the basics. Practise as well. Hands-on experience is the quickest way to understand how these concepts work in real situations. When I was new, I took beginner-friendly courses like Google’s Project Management course on Coursera and Scrum Fundamentals by Scrum Study.
Volunteering or taking internships is also important. After my NYSC, I was retained by the tech company where I served in Abuja. They focused heavily on government projects, but I wanted something more hands-on. I volunteered with a small team building tech solutions for three to six months. That period helped me understand the technical aspects of project management and prepared me for my next role. From there, I kept moving forward.
Many teams now need people who can manage projects, so there are real opportunities to start small and grow. The roadmap will look different for each person. My background in computer science made it easier for me to transition into technical project management, but others take very different paths.
One other thing that often confuses people is the difference between a project manager and a programme manager. The distinction is scope. A project manager usually handles one project at a time. A programme manager oversees a group of related projects that feed into a larger organisational goal or strategic outcome.
As a Program Manager, you’re often in the middle, between executives, engineers, and customers. How do you navigate that tension?
If you work in tech, you know you’re doing hard things. We do hard things every day, and after a while, they start to feel lighter. You learn how to navigate them.
We deal with customer complaints, tight deadlines, and expectations from senior management. Stakeholder management is everything. The way you communicate updates or feedback to stakeholders really matters. For example, senior management often has fixed timelines in mind, but it’s my job to manage those expectations realistically. I know my team’s capacity better than anyone else, so even under pressure, I remind myself that rushing to deliver work only leads to poor results. The primary goal is to deliver high-quality software or a functional solution.
Regardless of the pressure, the results should speak for themselves. When people see the quality of what you’ve built, it cancels out any earlier tension. We also receive real-time customer feedback. Sometimes we have to jump on calls to troubleshoot issues immediately. If they’re struggling to onboard or facing challenges, we have systems in place that collect and track their feedback until the issue is resolved.
Because of the organisation’s structure, there’s often a buffer between us and the customers, but when needed, we handle it directly. Over time, you become more adept at managing the tension that comes with expectations from executives or clients. You learn that it’s okay to ask for more time if it means delivering something solid.
What has contributed the most to improvement in remuneration in your career?
Money responds to value. It’s a reward for the problems you solve and the knowledge you bring to the table. The more valuable you are, the more you can command financially. As I’ve grown in my career, moving from one role or organisation to another, the pay has always reflected that growth. Sometimes it’s four or even five times higher than the last.
Some people enter the tech industry chasing quick money, and yes, the salaries can be attractive. But if you don’t evolve, learn the tools of the trade, and keep up with how fast technology moves, you’ll get stuck. This space is competitive. Sometimes, the people who stand out are those with crazy ideas and the skills to execute them.
There’s nowhere to hide. Your output speaks for you. Organisations track what you contribute, sometimes down to the revenue you help generate. So if you want to thrive in the industry, you have to understand your craft and bring value, because that’s what determines how much anyone is willing to invest in you.
From your perspective, what makes African tech projects unique compared to global ones?
The African tech space is unique. If you’ve built in Nigeria or anywhere on the continent, you know that compliance is a big deal. You can’t just be reactive; you have to think ahead. When we’re ideating around a product, we ask, ‘If the regulators were to review this product, what would they see?’ You anticipate edge cases and align your product to those expectations.
After working in Nigeria long enough, you begin to understand how bodies like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) think. Their intentions are good; they want to curb fraud, protect data, and maintain order. But the impact on innovators can be tough. Nigeria, in particular, is a low-trust environment. If you’re building a fintech product, transparency is key. People want their money to reflect instantly. That’s one reason Opay has grown so fast: transactions happen in seconds, and people trust that reliability.
Building here requires understanding how Nigerians think and what they value. It’s even more complex in blockchain, where adoption is still growing. We saw the CBN’s attempt with the eNaira fail largely because users didn’t trust it, yet those same users trade freely with other stablecoins like USDT and USDC. Now, stablecoins are a major topic, even among regulators who are exploring how to utilise them to strengthen the economy.
So, if you’re building in African tech, especially in Nigeria, you need to understand compliance, user trust, and how regulation shapes innovation. Those factors define how successful your product will be.
You’re also active in the Web3 space. What drew you into exploring the space beyond your day-to-day in program management?
My interest in Web3 stemmed from curiosity. I’ve always been drawn to complex technologies, so when I began learning about blockchain and decentralisation, I wanted to understand how it worked. For me, Web3 felt like the next step after Web2—more advanced, more open. I started reading about DeFi, blockchain, and decentralised systems, and before I knew it, I was actively contributing to projects in the space.
What fascinated me most was the idea of ownership and transparency. On-chain, users can truly own and verify their data, unlike traditional Web2 platforms, where privacy is uncertain. When you think about how the internet evolved, from Web1, which was read-only, to Web2, which let people read and write, and now to Web3, which enables decentralised ownership and control through blockchain technology
Beyond the technology itself, I’ve become passionate about how blockchain can empower women. The gender gap in tech is still wide, and more women need to see that they belong here.
Tech isn’t as intimidating as it seems, and blockchain offers a new way for women to build, lead, and participate in shaping the future.
What are some misconceptions about the Web3 space you would like to correct?
One big misconception about Web3 is that it’s all about crypto, and that crypto itself is a scam. That’s not true. There are bad actors everywhere, both in Web2 and Web3, but the technology itself isn’t bad. The issue is that the PR around crypto hasn’t been great, so people focus more on the fraud stories than on the innovation.
The truth is, crypto and Web3 are far more extensive than trading. There are entire businesses and organisations built on the blockchain. The problem is that many people jump in because they see others making money and think it’ll happen overnight. But Web3 isn’t a get-rich-quick space. It takes research, patience, and a willingness to learn.
If you’re a builder, a marketer, or even a designer, you can find your place in Web3. You just need to understand the technology and how it applies to your work. It’s complex at first, but once you put in the effort, it starts to make sense. So yes, there are scams, but crypto itself isn’t one. Many people are using digital assets to save, build, and solve real-world problems.
What helped you to gain a good grasp of the Web3 space?
Web3 is very community-driven. To navigate it effectively, you need to be part of a community. That’s where you learn how things are done, understand what people are building, and connect with others who share your interests.
For me, joining the Women in DeFi community made a big difference. I already had some background knowledge and relevant skills from Web2, so it was easy to find my place. I joined the Web3 space not for trading or speculations, but for professional growth and leadership opportunities. That’s why I naturally connect with the builders and innovators in the ecosystem.
There are many paths you can take in Web3, but the key is to find a community that helps you grow. You can try to figure things out on your own, but it’s much easier and faster when you’re learning with others.
Many African teams face unstable infrastructure or policy shifts. How do you plan around uncertainty?
When you’re building or innovating within the African tech ecosystem, the first thing to understand is that regulators aren’t out to frustrate you. It took me some time to realise that. They just want to be able to trace issues when things go wrong. As a builder, it’s essential to have legal and compliance experts on your team. They help you navigate tax, KYC/KYB, and data privacy requirements, which are often updated through CBN, SEC memos, and other regulatory releases.
Over time, you also learn to think ahead of the regulators. For instance, when the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) mandated all POS operators in Nigeria to register their businesses, with an initial deadline of July 7, 2024, instead of waiting for the fallout, we partnered with CAC and other providers to help agents register on our platform both through outreach sessions and by integrating CAC registration directly into our product.
That kind of thinking has helped us stay compliant while keeping users engaged. In August 2025, when the CBN introduced a geolocation/geo-tagging rule that restricts POS terminals to a 10-meter radius of their registered business location, we immediately integrated the geolocation tracking into our app. It wasn’t simple, but it helped us to stay compliant as terminals operating outside their registered location would be flagged, and non-compliant devices would be deactivated.
Regulations can feel overwhelming at first, but if you approach them strategically, they can strengthen your platform. That’s why I recommend that builders always have advisors who understand the country’s policy and compliance requirements where they’re operating. The rules will keep changing; today it’s about tax, tomorrow it’ll be something else, but that’s part of what makes building in Africa unique. If you can thrive here, you can thrive anywhere.
If you had unlimited resources to build a tech project, what would it be?
As a complementary or legacy project, maybe something around decentralised science. I’m equally drawn to the idea of finding cures for terminal illnesses. The reason I want it to be decentralised is so that the knowledge becomes available and accessible to hospitals and everyone working to improve healthcare.
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