By Chinenye Anuforo
A software developer, Mr. Skalid Ugo Obi, has unveiled an app known as “Cydene Express’’, to help Nigerians make efficient use of household utilities.
The app launch today in Lagos would be used to access electricity, cooking gas, diesel, call credit and other related bills and users of the app would exploit the utilities from the comfort of their homes.
Obi, 30, is the founder and CEO of Cydene Energy Services Ltd.
The tech entrepreneur, who spoke in an interview with journalists on Monday, explained that Cydene Express would be useful in helping households and offices to pay for and track use of utilities.
Obi, who studied Software Engineering at the University of Utah in the United States (US), said he developed the App following an industry experience he gained while working as an intern in Exxon Mobil and at the Strategy Department in Techno Oil Ltd., Lagos.
“The experience helped me immensely in understanding the Nigerian business environment and how to provide engineering solutions to some teething problems.
“At Techno Oil, I handled dealer’s agreements from station management to product allocations. I quickly realized that the process of product supply is structured in all parts of the supply chain, except to the very end user”, he stated.
Obi noted that the challenge for consumers was their inability to know when and how they would track their daily needs and services as and when needed.
“I decided that if I could automate the process of purchasing and distributing energy products on a retail level, then I would have solved a huge part of the problem faced by consumers.
“I just need to distribute efficiently; maintain low margins and focus on turnover,’’ he said, stating that this was what led him to develop the App.
According to him, industry experience has also played a big role in his floating and nurturing a data science company, called Cydene Data Solutions.