Borderless 2.0: A Personal Account of Writing a Live Event Article

Crypto events are exciting affairs. They bring together people from all over the world who are passionate about blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. But for me, the most exciting thing about crypto events is the people. It’s a chance to meet other crypto enthusiasts, learn from experts, and network with potential partners.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a crypto event in my city (Borderless 2.0). It was a medium-sized event, but it was packed with energy. There were people of all ages and backgrounds, from seasoned investors to complete newcomers. One of the most memorable things about the event was the sense of community. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and there was a real sense of excitement in the air. It was clear that everyone was there because they believed in the potential of cryptocurrencies to change the world.

I arrived at Aztech Arcum at 7:27 AM for the crypto event, but it wasn’t scheduled to start until 9:00 AM. The workers were still cleaning up from the previous event, which had lasted until the early hours of the morning. I saw SOLL, the head of volunteers, rallying his team to work alongside the Aztech workers. I also saw some of my friends from the crypto community, including KarlaGod, Primidac, Anabelle, and Chioma.

The event was supposed to start at 9 AM, but it was clear that it wasn’t going to start on time. That’s not unusual for events like this. They rarely start when they say they will.

Two hours later, the event still hadn’t started. I was surprised, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. I should have known better. People were still trooping in, though. The hall was about a quarter full. I’d estimate that there were around 200 people there. That’s not the number we were hoping for. Our target was 2,000 people. But it’s still early, so maybe the hall will fill up later. I hope so.

I’m excited to be here at the event, even though it’s not starting on time. I’m looking forward to learning more about the latest trends in the crypto industry and networking with other attendees. I’m also excited to see my friends and catch up with them.

I’ll keep you updated on how the event goes. Stay tuned!

I was standing in the corner of the room, feeling a bit shy and out of place. I wasn’t sure if anyone would recognize me, but I was hoping to meet some new people and learn more about the crypto industry. Suddenly, a lady walked up to me and smiled. “I know you!” she said. “You’re the one who writes those amazing research pieces on crypto. I love your work!” I was flattered, but also a bit surprised. I’m not sure how she recognized me, but I was happy that she liked my work. Over the next hour, several other people came up to me and introduced themselves. They were all crypto enthusiasts, and they were all excited to meet me. I was overwhelmed by their kindness and support. I even had a few people ask me to take pictures with them. I felt like a mini-celebrity!

Of course, I couldn’t forget that I was there to volunteer. I had to help set up the room and get everything ready for the event. But I managed to talk to my friends and meet new people while I worked.

Panels/Talks

The event finally started at 11:30 AM. The hosts were Helen Azubike, famously known as Crypto Doyen, and Deborah Michael Hogan, known as Debbie. KarlaGod came on stage and gave opening remarks. She then invited her pastor and mentor, Dr. Boma Tolofari, to give the opening prayer.

The first speaker was Ebube Anyawu, a front-end developer. She talked about her tech journey, transitioning from a normie life to a tech one. Although she studied biology in school, she writes code today. She said she always saw herself coding since she was a kid. During the Q&A session, someone asked her why she went on to study biology despite knowing what she wanted to do since she was young. She gave the regular answer “While you might have your plans, your parents have theirs for you.” I don’t blame her; we’ve all been in her shoes at one time or another.

Overall, she did well, especially considering that she’s a shy person. I know her personally, so I can attest to that.

After Ebube Anyawu’s talk, Tina Truth and Gift Dennis performed a spoken word piece about crypto and borderless. This is a relatively unexplored area of crypto, and I was excited to see them tackle it. Although I couldn’t pay much attention to their performance, I know it made sense because I trusted them as artists. I’ve seen them perform before and they’re always amazing. I heard the word “crypto” more than 10 times, but I didn’t mind because it’s a crypto event, after all

Next up was a panel session on tech journeys featuring Primidac (CTO at Borderless), Jesserc (blockchain developer), Great Adams, and Glory Praise (both full-stack developers). Primidac started the panel by sharing his story of how he started coding with a Nokia Ash 201. I was shocked! I can’t even write code on a normal computer, let alone a feature phone. He also mentioned that he had a mentor in Mexico who he would text late at night for help.

Jesserc didn’t have a mentor, but he still managed to learn to code on his own. He said he was doing hocus pocus, but it worked! Great Adams has always had a system at home, so he didn’t have to go through the same stress as Primidac who had to borrow laptops to code. I was talking to one of my bosses during the panel, so I missed what Glory said. But I know that she’s a full-stack developer like Praise.

I love hearing grass-to-grace stories. It’s inspiring to hear how people have overcome challenges to achieve their goals. The audience was also very engaged in the panel, and I could tell that they were enjoying the stories. The panel was a bit short, lasting less than 15 minutes. But I think that was because the event was already running late.

I thought the panel session was great. It was informative and inspiring, and it was a good way to learn more about the tech journeys of four successful individuals. What was constant across boards was curiosity and persistence, they were all hungry to learn, and they persevered in the face of challenges. When someone asks you about joining tech, ask them how curious they are and how persistent they can be.

Next up was Sandra Okorie, a data scientist. She carried a system on stage with her, which I found strange. I mean, why not just use a phone? It would have been so much easier.

Sandra’s talk was about the willingness to learn. She called it a “real calm talk session,” but I couldn’t disagree more. It was a hair below boring that I almost fell asleep. It was like a lecture from my parents about why I needed to be serious with my life and learn something new. It kinda worked because I can see her giving extra lectures backstage. I also walked up to her telling her I wanted to venture into data analysis.

After Sandra’s talk, it was time for the panel on “Building with AI”. I was excited about this panel because I’m interested in AI and I wanted to learn more about it from the experts. I was also a bit nervous, because I’m supposed to be on a panel later today, and I didn’t want to mess up.

The panel started by discussing whether AI is faster or smarter than humans. Primidac said that AI is faster, but not smarter. I tend to disagree with him, but I didn’t want to get into an argument. I was there to learn, not to debate. Daniel, the founder of Daniels AI, said that you need to know math to go into AI. He was also clear that there is no AI without code. This is something that I already knew, but it was good to hear it reinforced by an expert. In the closing remarks, Sir Donald Ene advised us to localize AI. He meant that we should train AI with our local data so that it can be used for more specific things. I thought this was a great point, and it’s something that I’m going to keep in mind when I’m working on my own AI projects (vision 2070).

It’s time for a break session, and Mo Jezzy is going to perform. I’m excited to see him, but I’m also a little disappointed. The energy in the hall is low, and I don’t know why. I was expecting something more, I guess. Maybe I just had my hopes up too high. People are even starting to leave, even though the event isn’t over yet. It looks like most of the talks have been cancelled. The program seems to be flopping, but I hope things can turn around after the break.

Mo Jezzy is performing his song “Love in the Metaverse,” which he released as an NFT on Near Protocol. I’m not surprised that you haven’t heard of Near Protocol. It’s one of the purported “Ethereum killers” that failed to survive, let alone kill Ethereum, lol. I haven’t heard much about it in a while. I’m a bit surprised that Mo Jezzy chose to release his song on Near Protocol instead of Ethereum. Ethereum is the most popular blockchain for NFTs, so it would have made more sense to release the song there. Maybe it’s just my Ethereum maxi self-speaking, but I was hoping that Mo Jezzy would release his song on Ethereum. After all, that’s where NFTs live.

There was a panel session on the importance of tech hubs in Rivers State by Annabel Allison (B<>rder/ess hub) Biggie Dip (Web3 Hub), Mr Macaulay (Opolo Innovation Hub), Olusegun Ekundayo (Renaissance Labs), Richard (Technoville Innovation Nigeria). I was on a break at the time, so I didn’t pay that much attention. I couldn’t tell when the break ended, or maybe it was never actually held because the event continued.

I had taken a break to eat the food that my sister brought for me on her way to the event. I had invited her, but she couldn’t stay long. Don’t exactly know if everyone on that panel showed up, but I was sure I saw Annabel, Biggie Dip, and Richard. It was a break session guys.

Glory Praise came on stage again (this time I paid attention to her), and gave a talk on what Web3 is. I’m not sure if that was the official title of her talk, but it’s what I got out of it. Glory’s talk was a reminder that the term Web3 is not yet well-defined, especially compared to crypto. She explained that Web3 is an upgrade to Web2, and she gave a good overview of what Web1 and Web2 are. But when it came to Web3, she didn’t explain it in much detail.

I don’t blame her, because I’m still not sure what Web3 is myself. It’s a complex topic, and there’s no one agreed-upon definition. But I’m glad that Glory gave a talk on Web3, even if she didn’t explain it perfectly. It’s important to start having conversations about Web3 so that we can start to develop a better understanding of what it is and what it means for the future of the internet. Just checked the OOE, and her talk was titled “Demystifying Web3”.

Onyeka Ekwemezor’s talk was one of the ones I was most looking forward to, and she didn’t disappoint! As usual, she gave a great talk on “Marketing your start-up and building communities”. Her key takeaway was to keep putting yourself out there, and that’s what I intend to do after the event.

I could tell that Onyeka didn’t have a script planned, or at least she didn’t stick to it. She spoke effortlessly and made perfect sense. You could tell that she’s passionate about what she does.

Hacktosin gave a talk on cybersecurity in Web3. He used a lot of memes in his presentation, which was funny and engaging. I was particularly interested in what he had to say about the risks of phishing attacks and scams in Web3. He gave some great tips on how to protect yourself, such as using strong passwords and multi-signature wallets. I also liked what he had to say about the importance of community in Web3. He said that one of the best ways to stay safe is to be part of a community of other Web3 users who can share information and support each other.

Just checked the OOE, this talk was supposed to be a panel session with Sir Donald Ene and Primidac. Guess we were running low on time, which is why HackTosin gave it as a talk rather than a panel.

Joy Egbuchiem (YFOP) gave a talk on “how to secure your health while you secure the bag”.

She started by asking some fundamental questions: what is health? Who is healthy? These questions made me realize how little I know about health, and how important it is to take care of myself.

Joy also talked about the common meme of “health before wealth.” She asked the audience if it was possible to be wealthy and not healthy. While there are certainly many wealthy people who are also healthy, I think it’s important to remember that wealth doesn’t guarantee health. Joy’s talk was the most engaging talk of the event. She kept asking us questions and making us laugh. She’s not only smart and knowledgeable, but she’s also funny and relatable.

Cancelled Panels/Talks

I’m a bit bummed because the panel on “Tech in Web3” that I was supposed to speak on at the event got cancelled. I was looking forward to sharing my insights with the audience, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I’m confident that I’ll get another chance to speak at an event soon, but it’s still a bit disappointing. I put a lot of work into my presentation, and I was excited to share it with the world.

But enough about me! I also want to talk about the panel on “Volunteering and its benefits” that got cancelled. I was looking forward to this one too because three of my friends were supposed to be on it: Iberedem Udo (SOLL), Gabriel Saggio, and Favour Ekeleme, starring alongside Anita Ikpeama, and Ruth David. They’re all amazing people with a lot of experience in volunteering, and I was excited to hear them talk about it.

I think the panel was cancelled because of time constraints, but it’s still a bummer. Volunteering is such an important part of our society, and I think it’s important to talk about its benefits more often. Even though I didn’t get to speak at the event, I still had a great time. I met a lot of interesting people and learned a lot. I’m already looking forward to the next event!

I’m also a bit bummed about the panel on “Tech and Money” that got cancelled. I was looking forward to hearing from the panelists, KarlaGod, Israel Clement, Mo’Jeezy, Charles Freeborn, and Daniel Etukudo, and I think it would have been a really interesting and thought-provoking discussion. I can imagine that KarlaGod would have pitched her tent in the “in for the Tech” camp, while Mo’Jeezy would have been “in for the money”. Israel Clement is a bit of a wild card, but I’m guessing he would have been somewhere in the middle.

This panel would have been a great opportunity to hear different perspectives on why people get into tech. Some people are passionate about the technology itself, while others are more interested in the financial rewards that tech can offer. There is no right or wrong answer, but it’s an interesting question to think about. I’m in for the money. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m good at what I do, and I deserve to be compensated fairly. However, I’m also passionate about the tech industry, and I believe that technology can make a positive impact on the world.

I think it’s important to have a balance between the two. If you’re only in tech for the money, you’re more likely to get burned out. But if you’re only in tech for the tech, you might not be able to make a living.

Getting into Animations with Unreal Engine by Daddy Muphasa is a talk that got cancelled. Probably because he didn’t show up. Even if he did I wouldn’t know, because there’s no way to recognize him, I don’t know him. Sage Tega and Charles Freeborn, whom I was supposed to feature in a panel with, didn’t show up. Honestly, I don’t know them IRL, so there’s no way for me to say with certainty that they didn’t come to the event. Also, the hall was crowded, and I couldn’t possibly know everyone.

Project Presentation

We had project presentations from the likes of

● Everest (Mobility-as-a-service): Mr Israel Clement

● Filecoin Nigeria: Sir ChukwuEmeka Enoch

● iFixit: Samuel Adebayo

● Abamade: Joshua Ikenna

● LISK Ecosystem: Mo’Jeezy

Let’s Build DAO by Great Adams and Gitcoin grants by KarlaGod got cancelled.

On the other hand, while they aren’t project presentations, we saw music performances from Irvin Suave, and Sammy Hart, spoken word on “Maintaining Focus as a Young Person” by Lyrical HI, and comedy by Ambassador Kingsley.

Booths

The hall was divided into two sections (unintentionally): those sitting at the front to listen to the speakers, and those sitting at the back to network, sightsee, and take pictures. I thought it would be a good idea to try writing my article from the back (at the Everest booth), but it was a challenge. I couldn’t hear the speakers or see, and I was getting distracted by all the people around me.

So, I decided to shuttle back and forth between the front and the back, depending on whether or not a speaker was talking. I can’t tell you how many times I had to get up and move, but it was worth it in the end. I was able to write my article, and I also got to network with some interesting people and see some cool things.

The gaming booth at the event was packed with people, even though I couldn’t tell what brand of games they had on offer. I guess people just love to play games, and they were also offering free phone charging, which was a nice bonus.

Another booth that drew a big crowd was the Dantown booth. They had this cool thing where you could step on a platform and it would slowly spin you around while recording a video of you. I did it, but I never got my video, which was disappointing. They also had a background for free photoshoots, and you could enter to win 50,000 naira. It’s no wonder they had such a big crowd! I don’t know if anyone won the money, or if it was just a marketing gimmick, but whatever it was, it worked. I was impressed by how many people were interested in the Dantown booth, even though I had never heard of them before.

When I wasn’t writing this article, I was hanging out with my friends Simon, Sheryl, Chioma, and my sister Pamela at Everest’s booth. To my left was the booth for Your Favorite Online Pharmacist (YFOP), run by Joy Egbuchiem. I was surprised to see drugs on display at a crypto/tech event, but people kept coming over to buy drugs, ask questions, or just chat with Joy. She’s an easy-going person, so it’s no wonder she had such a big crowd.

In front of me was the booth for Favor, a friend of mine who sells glasses and bags. People were buying her stuff, but some were just there to take pictures of her beautiful displays.

I went to the Skillphore booth to talk to Sandra about learning data analysis. I had met her at the first edition of the event, but I wasn’t serious about learning data analysis then, so I never followed up with her. But I’m serious this time around, and I’m excited to start learning this new skill. I also stopped by the LISK booth to say hello to my friend Darion and my boss, Mo’Jeezy. It was great to catch up with them and learn more about what LISK is working on.

While I was walking around, I got dragged into the Helpens booth. They started shilling me with their crypto trading strategy and asking me to invest with them. It felt like a deja vu moment because I’ve been pitched similar strategies before. I listened to their presentation, but I didn’t invest. Their strategy made sense theoretically, but I’m not a trader and I’m not comfortable investing in something that I don’t fully understand.

Other booths at the event were Solana All-Stars, Let’s Build DAO, Filecoin Nigeria, Yellow Card etcetera.

Awards

Nope, it’s not an official crypto/tech event. I’m just making it up as I go.

● Person of the event — KarlaGod

● Best-dressed female — Helen Azubike (Crypto Doyen)

● Best-dressed male — Great Adams

● Most insightful talk — Onyeka Ekwemezor

● Most engaging talk — Joy Egbuchiem (YFOP)

● Most insightful panel — Tech Journeys with KarlaGod, Primidac, Jesserc, Great Adams, and Glory Praise

● The most engaging booth — Dantown

● Most represented booth: Skillphore

● Most represented community: Blockchain Uniport

● Most interesting project presentation: Everest

● Best performance: Lyrical HI

● Volunteer of the day: Iberedem Udo (SOLL)

These were just my observations though, you might read this and not agree with me — it’s fine.

Conclusion

I’m exhausted. I’ve been out of the house since 7 a.m., and it’s now 7 p.m., raining heavily, and my ride hasn’t arrived yet. My head is pounding, and all I want to do is go home and rest. Three other people volunteered to help me with this task, but one didn’t show up, one arrived but didn’t meet me, and the third, an usher, seemed too busy to write. But I did it anyway.

This is the most challenging and daunting task I’ve ever undertaken since I started writing. But I’m proud of myself for seeing it through.

I hope to do this again at another event someday. Until then, gracias.