SkillUp50 kickoffs latest cohort with impact training and mentorship for 50 designers and developers

SkillUp50 has officially kicked off its tech career boot camp in Lagos, giving 50+ designers and developers access to hands-on training and mentorship.

The SkillUp50 Bootcamp successfully began its latest cohort in Lagos, Nigeria. Organised by deestincts, a creative and digital agency, SkillUp50 is an initiative programme dedicated to equipping young professionals and entrepreneurs with in-demand digital and business skills.

Starting on Monday, December 1, 2025, the bootcamp gathered a select cohort of 50 participants for hands-on training, expert mentorship, and strategic networking designed to propel their careers and ventures in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy.

The first day of the SkillUp50 Bootcamp lived up to its promise of delivering transformative ways to scale in tech, offering participants a full day of immersive learning split into two parallel tracks: design and development. 

The design track

SkillUp50 Bootcamp

In the design track, the lead tutor, Ayomide Bello, delivered a session on what it truly means to position as a design professional. He emphasised that beyond raw talent, successful designers stand out by building a clear identity and strategic presence. Core ingredients, according to Bello, include finding your niche, developing a signature style, cultivating a strong online presence, maintaining a polished portfolio, and above all, demonstrating effective communication.

He framed this using the 4 P’s principle: Person, Purpose, Place, and People, guiding designers to think deeply about who they are, what they stand for, where they want to be, and who they want to serve (or collaborate with).

“If you’re not clear on what you want to be known for, you’ll confuse your audience. And if you don’t know how to clarify yourself, you can’t speak the language your audience will understand,” Bello stated during the design track.

Another major topic during the first session was monetisation as a designer. A major take was that monetisation comes from a blend of skill mastery, smart positioning, well-structured systems (workflows, client outreach, project delivery), consistency in output and visibility, and confident pri...