Nigeria, June 30 -- On Friday, June 27, Julian Duru, a Nigerian software engineer, retired from his role at Moniepoint Inc., bringing to an end a 10-year journey that began when he was barely 20.

Duru's departure was met with respect and emotion from peers and tech colleagues.

"Almost feels like Ezra leaving Paystack back then,"said a customer success manager.

"Leaving is not easy,"Duru admitted."When you've poured your heart into something, it becomes more than just work; it becomes a part of who you are. But growth often means letting go."

Born in Nigeria, Duru studied at the University of Lagos. He began programming at age 15, after a chance encounter with a book on algorithms in the school library.

"I stood in the aisle of UNILAG...