Who Is Behind This Blog?
Hey! My name is Oladepo Babatunde. I run this place.
I’m a Computer Science graduate based in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. I also write content for a living: research papers, academic work, web content and technical documentation. On top of that, I build websites and write code, so I handle the technical side of this blog myself, from the theme to page speed to SEO.
9jaBoizGist is a project I care about personally. It started because of a problem I kept running into, and it exists today because that problem has not gone away.
How This Started
I launched 9jaBoizGist in 2016. I was fed up with searching Google for simple Nigerian telecom answers and landing on articles with wrong or expired USSD codes, often copied from another blog that had the same mistake. You dial the code, nothing happens, and twenty minutes later you are still looking.
The idea was simple: a blog where the steps are clear, the information is checked, and articles get updated when things change.
For a while it went well. Then life got busy, I stopped publishing, and eventually the domain expired. Years of work disappeared. That hurt, mostly because readers had written to say the guides helped them. I kept seeing the same questions everywhere, from people on Twitter asking for network codes to family members asking me how to use their banking apps, and the need for clear Nigerian tech guides never went away.
So I bought the domain back and started again with a fresh WordPress install and a clean slate, rather than republishing old guides. This time the focus is tighter.
What You Will Find Here
If you live in Nigeria and want practical answers about data, power and technology, this blog is for you. The main topics are:
Nigeria internet and data. MTN, Airtel and Glo data plans and codes, airtime and data borrowing, Spectranet, and Starlink in Nigeria: pricing, activation, rain performance and how it compares with fibre.
Solar and power. Inverter and solar setups for Nigerian flats, battery care, portable power stations and what things cost in naira.
Tech and gadgets. Laptops, phones, power banks and other buying guides written around Nigerian prices, customs costs and the dollar rate.
AI tools. Honest guides to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and newer tools: what the free plans really include, how to pay for them from Nigeria, and how to use them on slow internet.
Everyday phone and computer fixes. Step-by-step help for common problems like storage, Bluetooth, spam calls and settings that confuse people.
Why the Name “Gist”?
It is not a gossip blog. In everyday English, “the gist” means the core information, the main thing you need to know. You come with a question, you get the gist, you solve your problem and move on. No long introduction before the answer.
How I Work
I say how a guide was put together. Some guides come from things I tested myself. Others are based on research and official sources. Where it matters, I say which is which, so you know how much weight to give it.
I keep content current. Prices, codes and plans change often. I review guides and fix them when something changes, and I rely on readers to tell me when I have missed something.
I write for people first. I understand SEO, but I would rather explain something the way I would to a friend sitting next to me: step one, step two, done.
I do not copy. I do not copy other blogs or spin their articles.
It is free to read. There is no paywall and no membership. The site is supported by advertising, and any sponsored or affiliate content is labelled.
Outside the Blog
I work as a freelance content writer, specialising in research and academic writing, and I design and build websites as a programmer. I believe that if you know how to do something and other people are struggling with it, you should teach them. That is the whole reason this blog exists.
Get in Touch
If a code or price has changed, or you want a topic covered, please tell me. You can email contact@9jaboizgist.com.ng or use the Contact page.
Thank you for being here.
Oladepo Babatunde
Founder, 9jaBoizGist