David Ntekim-Rex

David

Ntekim Rex

Art is that place where you can be anything, to express yourself, to be whoever you want, to describe what words cannot describe" - David Ntekim-Rex

IBM - Master The
Mainframe Competition

David was the co-regional (MEA) winner of the Annual IBM Master the Mainframe Competition, organized by AngelHack and IBM Z Academic Initiative in 2017. His passion for an easier and better society enabled by technology made him excel through the three tough stages of the competition.

His intelligence, the intricacy of this idea, and creativity, coupled with his passion to help people have an easier life won him the competition

He beat 17,000 others from around the world, including finalists from Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Nepal, and the United States to emerge as the co-regional winner. After winning the competition while working in IBM, he organized a free master class for 10 applicants of the 2018 competition

to ensure they were equipped with the required knowledge to participate, most of those he mentored got to the final stage of the Annual Master Mainframe Competition.

MTN - Science & Tech
Scholarship

David was a recipient of several notable scholarships and awards including the MTN Foundation Science and Technology Scholarship, Google Africa Challenge Scholarship, and Bertelsmann Data Science Challenge Scholarship.

He emerged as the overall winner of the Microsoft Office Specialist National Championship in 2014.

David is also an advocate of active participation, he was always involved in and volunteered for social engagement programs. He was in his element whenever he was singing, dancing, or acting. He believed in helping others, and always strived to give his time and energy in sharing his knowledge.

He was a member of ENACTUS, a global non-profit and community of students, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives. He volunteered in 2017, for the Ekami Africa Feed the Kids initiative, a social outreach program to provide food and clothing to children living in Monkey Village slum in Lagos, Nigeria.

ECX Unilag

The Engineering Career Expo (ECX) is a program organized in the University of Lagos to build interactions between Students and Industry based Personnel.

The program aims to equip students with the required technical and soft skills to secure relevant opportunities in the job market.

As the Graphics Lead, David led and managed a team, responsible for all visual content to establish the ECX brand and secure partnerships in the industry. He also participated in the 30 Days of Code Challenge for UI/UX design, where he honed his skills, mentored and tutored others.

David Ntekim Rex

1998 - 2021

David fondly known as Rex, or Davente was born on July 28, 1998, to the Ntekim-Rex family, hailing from Akwa-Ibom state, Nigeria. He was the second of three boys. From a young age, David had always been extremely talented, determined, and focused. He discovered his passion for art, growing up surrounded by numerous family artwork and decided to teach himself to draw and paint. He was encouraged by his mother, Dr. Yewande Ntekim-Rex, to cultivate an interest in public speaking through involvement in local and national debate programs.

In his teenage years, he acquired an interest in science and technology and went on to study systems engineering at the prestigious University of Lagos. He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in a research field focused on hardware design and programming. He has worked on a variety of initiatives that seek to enhance the quality of life and have a positive social impact.

As an art connoisseur, he decided to merge his passion for technology to develop a career as a UI/UX designer. He was often sought after by clients to create innovative software products as a result of his great skill and expertise. He continued to develop his artistic abilities and established himself as a self-taught pencil portrait artist.

Tributes

Post Tribute

I wish I did more to spend more time with you. Every time I close my eyes, I see us in a field and you pointing at the stars telling me to look up if I ever did miss you. You're a gem, you are a star I look forward to seeing every nightfall. Every moment I spent with you taught me new things. I cherish those moments. I'm so happy that every little time we spent together, you were happy and I made you smile. That is going to stay with me forever. I'd never forget you, David. Rest in peace.”

Mayowa Adebolu

(Chairman ECX, 2018/2019 session)