Ibrahim Idowu on The MVP Show

Ibrahim Idowu on The MVP Show

Ibrahim Idowu
Microsoft Business Applications MVP

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://podcast.nz365guy.com/444

  • Ibrahim discusses his journey into the IT field, his passion for the Power platform, and how he balances work with his love of football and gaming.  
  • We explore how Ibrahim’s interest in repairing computers led him to study engineering and how his first job out of school introduced him to SharePoint and Microsoft technology, and how he found his niche in the Power Platform. 
  • In this episode, we learned about how Power Platform is revolutionizing the way businesses operate in Nigeria.  
  • Ibrahim talks about his experience founding the Nigerian Power Apps User Group in 2019, how the group has grown, how it's helped people embrace the Power platform, and why community is so important to him. 
  • The Power Apps community in Nigeria is actively promoting this technology, and we are seeing its impact across various industries. 
  • The Power Apps community in Nigeria is a growing network of developers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who are passionate about empowering their businesses with technology. 
  • The future of Power Platform in Nigeria and an excellent opportunity for developers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to learn about this technology and take advantage of its benefits. 
  • Ibrahim discussed the exciting potential for AI integration within Power Platforms, including how it can streamline business processes and improve decision-making capabilities. 
  • Ibrahim also discusses how his interest in AI was sparked during his work in SharePoint and how he sees AI shaping the future of IT. 
  • Learn about the latest AI tools and techniques being used to create smarter and more efficient Power Platforms, and how businesses can benefit from their integration. 
  • Ibrahim discusses the latest developments in AI-assisted workflows and how they can help businesses stay ahead of the curve. 
  • Ibrahim discusses the potential benefits of democratizing AI, including increased productivity and innovation, and how Power Platforms can make this vision a reality. 

 OTHER RESOURCES:
Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP 
90-Day Mentoring Challenge - https://ako.nz365guy.com/ 

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Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Transcript

[mark_smith]: Today's guest is from Nigeria. He works at Russell Smith as a power platform consultant. He was a first awarded his MVP in twenty twenty-two. He's a founding member and thought leader of the Nigerian Power Apse user group which started in twenty nineteen. In his spare time, he likes to watch football, reading and he's into gaming. You can find links to his bio and social media, et cetera in the show notes for this episode, welcome to the show Ibrahim.

[ibrahim_idowu]: Thank you very much, Mark. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.

[mark_smith]: So in twenty nineteen, you started the the Engerian Power Aps user group. How's that been going for you?

[ibrahim_idowu]: 

Excellent, I mean, is in fantastic. I mean, we've been able to obscure over one thousand people to it and non active profession, and I mean to today, even today was able to pick a formal city. I mean a city and I know way back, I mean, she's also trying to embrace the part plans form, so it shows the level of a thousion of the par plans form. I mean, people Keep telling me daily they want to lend these, you know, and it's been fantastic, Most sincere. I mean, we started twenty nineteen when the the adoption was still very low, as far as the ears concerned, and the since then, between then and now it's been a major. I mean, there's been a major shift from what people used to know, So now the adoption of local local has been excellent especially labors precisely,And I'll help me.

[mark_smith]: Wow, so tell me a bit about Lagos. Tell me a bit about what you do for food, family and fun when you're not doing the I. T side of things,

[ibrahim_idowu]: Well, I'm actually, it is me you know, lost most times. I'm always on my computer, I mean, but if I'm not doing that, somebody who was voluntary, also a foundation where I have changed to also grow in terms of career and in terms of vocal adoption of team you know, attend to interact with some distance price a lot. and I see where there paying point is and try to assist Aside. I also, I also watched with both Cesifanehas is not new right now but you know I'm a elsifund. That's pretty much what I do. I also catch up with my friends on social media.

[mark_smith]: Nice, nice. So how did you get into it? What was your journey to it? And how old were you when you started

[ibrahim_idowu]: Yeah, I mean, pretty much where, but to entertain when I was trying to get my men as colilatrms and complete engineering part to my started to my getting into school. I leant out to repair the complete what I was doing. Started on four, You know, I could compete. I could do graphic, old use microsofwat, like I mean, so getting into school was was was sweet for me, because I mean, while on compos, I could, I could take very fast repair my composer. one day, an issue, so osinpiety was was similar for me. I mean, when I was in formed was supposed to take my mintenship and that was where I started. I worked in the company where the bit were immedually doing microsoph technology share point most precisely, and that was where I actually started my share pointin, Jon. the fantastic company was, I was on in Some project you know, and that led me to you know, having much interesting to doing share point microsoph technology. Yes, one thing I also did was when I was in my three or lever, I leant out to write p. P program language So he also helped me what I was looking for. My first job after school, You know, I mean, pretty much interesting just for me.

[mark_smith]: So how did your focus then move into things like the Power platform or Dynamic Six five

[ibrahim_idowu]: Oh great, so I mean, if you are a share point person, one of the things that you might likely is also to beat to Bude processes using in for Pat forms, I mean, back in the day you know we're building processes, especially forms on work flows, using for parts and share point designer. there would be local nocoches that were available, then, I mean that as a good odes of those two technologies, I mean the moment Microsope announced, Um, the deputation of those two platforms, and where a man here was a need for us to embrace a name technology that my Crusoe was coming up with. I mean, we started with the paper form in Trans Nineteen, which, when we formed our community was started by a friend. A college for Ology, She just back on to beckon of meal for us to, I mean, states Commun community, even though we were already Using it, too, not as much as we're using it, but already started using it to, And she felt we needed to come over the community. We needed to start our own stuff. You know, we needed to also look for Sting. The globe par platform came which, and I was always strtedwead, people joining from different areas within Legal. Before we say Jack, I mean, we started and since started walking out in terms of gaining Tr On from the global ward to see what ideas are doing with the Poplantsform. I mean, so far has been an exciting journey to quite a number of processes. leveralinses plants form, you know, and the car from has also evolved from twenty nine. There's been a major shift in terms of you know of grading the platform Quite interesting.

[mark_smith]: That's so good. That's so good. that's so good to hear your journey and and how you got together and form that community, which is obviously, and you know, I've heard a lot about it and the impact that it's having in Nigeria. Tell me about what you, what your day job looks like. What do you do for a job? Are you using? You know, the power platform is part of your daily job as well.

[ibrahim_idowu]: Yeah, so yes, I do. I do that, an bitin processes and one, the things that I also do now is also to bring off up coming. Want a guide in this joining of the part, Plants from adoption, Also do training from time to time, you know. Yes, I mean this level. I'm manegeria. you know, So the skill is also to ensure that I have people. I can say yes. I've been able to Just train these people and they can. They can also be good solutions that fit for business for horses, and so also ensure that whenever they have hallen, they can always come to me to. I mean to address recit together and address those issues together. I mean so Yes, while I'm answering Yes, I also guide to ensure that yes, my sobody needs to to shown out solutions. The vigil pass form. What you know.

[mark_smith]: Excellent, What you know since coming in MVP. How has that impacted your career? Do you think it's had a little impact or a lot of impact? what's like for you?

[ibrahim_idowu]: I mean,it been definitely it as so. What is one of the advantage of that that gives you more disability than you have people trying to look up to you, have people trying to, I mean, talk to you about the issues they have around their solutions. You ave. I mean one of those. I'm sure I'm on this show because I'm also on envy. I mean you won't have invited me if I'm not right. That's one of the things that evything gives you, you know, and I've also been able to interact with People. Also have I want kid. As far as the plant of N, you know, we have. We have the form where we also get to interrupt. If you have issues, you know, pretty much like I said is giving quite a lot of touch on the visibility. And yeah, I want to. I want to continue to be one. I want to assist those who are willing to also land. You know, I mean, and once they learn, I know it keeps me. Joy makes them give, And the opportunity to game to get employment. I mean, gainful employment, and allows them to solve their solutions.You know, no matter how smites Good.

[mark_smith]: It's good as as we move into twenty twenty three. Kind of what? What's the new stuff you're learning at the moment? What's your focus area? What's what are you excited about?

[ibrahim_idowu]: Yeah, and so I mean trying to in three were trying to look around to fully live part plants form a Buda. For instance, it's quite interesting for trying to build some solutions levelly in the A V. You know, you know one of the power of that of that feature of the parplasomis, allows you to prove data from Da from mages, and you know so many use cases that you can actually use to you know to trick, I, not viewin solutions that you know around that that that that space, an one other thing. That also for cousin is part pages. You know, sometimes I go try website Levin that add issues, but I mean what's leaning of was lenicall for me, and right now I just want to continue to viewed on that to see what what can be achiviedin. The part Pagioslyone of the beauty of it is, that is more by responsive, but like defaults, which I really like and you can even bring close together from different sources and still be able to, you know to to integrated into building part page. So yeah, it is pretty much interesting. The plat platform is evolving. Every day You have to be of the. You have to keep leading to. You don't get lost because when you get it tomorrow we sing something.

[mark_smith]: So true,

[ibrahim_idowu]: I mean recently There were some kind of rearrangement around the around, the usinterphase around the landing pad to if you've been there for months and you just come in shocked to see the the new you are, the new esthetics. I mean to, it's evolving every day and cut to micrsolothat.

[mark_smith]: If you consider the the five core applications that are in Power platforms or power as Power, automate Power, virtual agent, Power Pages and Power B, I, um, what what are you seeing in Nigeria as to be the ones that are most commonly used? You see businesses adopting one key area over others. Are you seeing a wide adoption of the power platform?

[ibrahim_idowu]: I mean, like I said, there's a wild aefrontof plaporfrom right now. I can. an I can. It's my chest to that you know, for I have a team that work with the within our community. Also, you see the adoption going every day from bonds to insurance To tell, As you know, I mean you see people building to even I use international Gas companies, Seethe solutions. that works in what thousands of dollars. Every department, I mean, especially the the powerapps of which allows you to first data to mate. That allows you to do the flood, and allows you to present your data. Analytic mean prevent present analytic. So these three, especially, I mean the adoption, the usage receive, Quite, I must be. I mean the opportunities is growing in green. I mean we're not there yet, but I can see the can see the trajectship. You know that it's it's a. It's a code That s really making a lot of sense. I mean, my next year would have seen something pretty pretty much more exciting than what it is today. Well, like I said, Only one of the challenges that move we, We have our development living. He choice of the country, Act down, I mean, because of one or two things, I mean, but of ties are where we're replacing them as they're living, And that's why I want to include everyone to mean as much as possible and learn and also prepare for opportunities. Because opportunities we always come. So you have to be prepared so that when they come, we're able to jump on them.

[mark_smith]: So so what are your thoughts on A I? Seeing it a lot in the in the media. A lot of people are engaging in it.What are you doing? and what are you thinking about AI?

[ibrahim_idowu]: Okay, so I mean, pretty much to stay is the present, and in the future, I mean, give you a case of a case of the part of the part platform, for instance, you know, say you want to be able to extract details of your invoice for instance Which you receive daily, and poet a number of them to what the doses is. It allows you to train your model such that subsequent in voices that you're plue, able to extract the details of the voices, are you able to store them in a database? What is those is that it allows you to be more productive, right and it also saves quite number of time, Because imagine that you have to manually type out the details of the invoice into a table Before you now start doing your analytic, so I mean you save a lot of time using A to prove the data of the voice to your table, and allows you to do your analytic or whatever insight you want to make out of that data, And also another case of is charge that everyone is talking about. I mean, pretty much allows you, helps you in being your solution. I mean back in the day when you have issues around your application, you have to run to somebody. And if the person is available person assist you, you. You have to Google. I mean, go on line to look for whatever solution. But now chart, need to type Okayimaving, this or so issue. I want to refractor this quote. You know, I want to. I want to extract details from a pea on chat. you know, before you say Jack, I gives you the step by step of what you need to do. so a man, this is this is, this is interesting. This is no ve on. I mean we don't. we can't support. Just adopt this this technology. We also need to learn about it and to use it. so it's pretty much very very key. I mean, the future is looking very bright with artificial intelligence. kind of afford to miss out. It's an area that people should actually look look out for and continue to invest in pretty much microsofald. Also, I mean, It's trying to. It's a great dance with being, I mean, So imagine our our powerful microsope being with me, so I can't wait for that to terms for that.

[mark_smith]: Ibrahim, thank you so much for coming on the show. It's been a pleasure talking to you.

Ibrahim IdowuProfile Photo

Ibrahim Idowu

Ibrahim Idowu is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), Certified Trainer (MCT) and Certified Professional (MCP) in Business Applications with over 10 years of experience implementing and deploying Microsoft solutions.

He is passionate about community engagements hence a thought leader within the Nigerian Power Platform Community and has raised over 500 Power Platform Citizen Developers.

Ibrahim is also the founder of Teens Upskilling Foundation, a NGO responsible for empowering teens who can leverage technology to broaden their perspective in a safe and ethical manner.