You know those motivational quotes about starting from the bottom? Well, mine didn’t even start from the bottom it started from underground.
Hi, I’m Obidiegwu Onyedikachi Henry Leonard but you can call me Kachi. I’m a Nigerian cybersecurity professional and cloud security engineer, with a dream louder than my village’s morning rooster.
But this isn’t a tech blog post. This is my story of how a boy from modest beginnings found his path to the cloud… the hard way.
Growing Up: The Hustle Before the Tech
Let me paint you a picture.
I grew up where NEPA (a.k.a. "light") had commitment issues, where the internet was a luxury and not a utility, and where your hustle had to be louder than your excuses. Money was tight. Opportunities were tighter. But somehow, my dreams were the loudest thing in the room.
I wasn’t born coding. I wasn’t that kid building apps at 12. I was dodging boredom in biochemistry class, wondering if I was supposed to be something more.
Biochemistry to Cybersecurity: The Plot Twist No One Saw Coming
I studied Biochemistry at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. Why? Because that’s what was available, and I figured, “Why not?” But the truth?
Deep down, I wanted more than pipettes and chemical equations I wanted impact, innovation, and infrastructure. (And maybe, just maybe… money. Let’s be honest.)
In my spare time, I discovered tech. I started Googling things like "how to hack ethically" (don’t judge me), and boom I fell in love with cybersecurity.
I didn’t even know where to start. No laptop. Just my phone. No Wi-Fi just midnight data bundles and vibes.
Breaking In: From ‘Who Is This Guy?’ to ‘We Need This Guy’
My first real break came when I landed a cybersecurity internship at Neo Cloud Technologies. I had zero experience, but I had hunger. I soaked up everything like garri in cold water.
I started learning cloud security (AWS, Azure), built with Terraform, automated security with Ansible and Python, and even led threat detection projects with SIEM tools. I wasn’t just learning I was transforming.
Today, I’m a Cloud Security Engineer at Neo Cloud and the CISO of Drauig, a startup building some of the wildest, most exciting AI security systems in Nigeria.
At Drauig, We Dream Bigger Than Our Budget
Drauig gave me a platform not just to build, but to lead.
We’re building systems like:
- Smart Patrol AI – for national surveillance and officer tracking
- Drauig BMS – to protect borders and monitor trade
- QEPS – Quantum Error Prevention System (yep, we think in sci-fi now)
Sometimes we build with hope and Hotspot data but we’re building regardless. Nigeria taught us how to hustle. Tech taught us how to scale.
The Dream Is Bigger Than Me
Here’s what I want:
- To become a Cloud Security Architect at a global level wherever the mission is serious.
- To lead innovations in Zero Trust security, AI-powered defense, and cloud automation.
- To help others like me those without rich uncles or insider connections find their place in tech.
Because if one village boy from Nigeria can do this with a phone, a dream, and pure stubbornness… what’s stopping the next 10?
Funny, But True Lessons from My Journey
- NEPA trains you for disaster recovery planning. If you can survive Nigerian electricity, you can survive anything.
- Google is your best friend unless you’re broke. Then YouTube + night data + offline PDFs = MVP.
- Impostor syndrome is real, but I ignore it like bad network "E go clear."
- Tech is not a magic solution, but it’s a path. One that pays off if you show up consistently.
To Anyone Reading This...
You don’t need to come from wealth, speak perfect English, or have a fancy MacBook to enter tech. You just need:
- A reason
- Wi-Fi (or data, we move)
- And a ridiculous amount of faith
The cloud is big enough for all of us.
This Is Just The Beginning
If you’re a recruiter, investor, mentor, or just someone looking for authentic, hungry talent I’m here.
And if you’re someone just starting out: Don’t wait for perfect. Start with what you have, and the rest will come.
You can follow my projects, certifications, and madness on my portfolio or check out my GitHub.
Let’s build the future. Together.
— Kachi Leonard
Built from dust. Dreaming in the cloud.
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