My journey with Bayse Market began four months before I started working with them and way back when they were still known as Gowagr. The month was October of 2025, and being a part four student of Computer Science at OAU, I knew I was mandated to go on an internship the following year. Time was running out; I had to figure out where I wanted to be and how to get there.
I wanted to be somewhere I could improve my hard skills in frontend development as well as my soft skills in corporate interactions. At the same time, I wanted a reputable name on my CV to improve my job prospects after graduation. I created a shortlist of companies that fit into that category and quickly sent out emails. But with Bayse Markets, I took it a step further — I began tagging the company and its founders on X (formerly Twitter) to request an internship position.
I had a couple of reasons for doing this. Firstly, I was captivated by what they were doing. They were bringing prediction markets to Nigeria, stepping in where Africa had been once again excluded. They had vision and insane prospects. I thought (and still think) that was very cool and wanted to be a part of it. Secondly, I theorized that I would gain more experience with a company still building than one with fully established corporate structures and products. For example, I noticed at the time that they didn’t have a web app yet, and customers relied mainly on their mobile app. I knew that working with them would give me the opportunity to be a part of building software as needed by the company. Thirdly, the needs I noticed aligned with my skills as a frontend developer. Making interfaces accessible and reliable for users was my passion, and I believed I would be able to make the best use of my skills as well as learn from more experienced developers at the company.
At the time, Bayse did not have an internship program — I knew that, everyone knew that — and even if they did, they were clearly the kind of company not just anyone could get into. One of my classmates, when he heard of my plan to continue tagging the company and its founders on X, wondered why I was shooting for a company out of my league rather than figuring out more accessible options. The only logic behind my reasoning was that I wanted to intern at Bayse. That was simply it.
I approached my application as if I were seducing a woman. I joined conversations on the timeline about Bayse, sent emails, and even wrote a poem. Hashcode replied once saying he’d alert me if opportunities came up, and the company’s X account engaged me with playful replies and banter. Things finally became more serious when, on the 28th of January, the company replied to an email I’d sent two weeks before. The reply was short and straight to the point; I was immediately asked to select a convenient time for a meeting. I was both happy and anxious. I’d finally gotten the opportunity I wanted, but until the interview was complete, I couldn’t be sure of anything. I didn’t know what to expect, but I kept my fingers crossed.
I spent the night before the interview preparing: going back to the basics, re-familiarizing myself with past projects, and trying to cover possible questions. I remember the interview taking place on a Thursday at 2 pm, with the CTO of Bayse, Hashcode. It went smoothly, like a conversation. He asked me various questions and listened patiently as I answered, stripping away my anxiety. I felt at ease speaking with him — and two months into my internship, I still do. The following week after that was spent finalizing the details of my internship, and I officially became an intern at Bayse Markets.
I’d begun chasing after an internship with Bayse five months before it was officially approved to start at school. This meant I started working during the examination period. The company was aware that I was writing exams and I was given proper accommodations, like days off. However, it still turned out to be one of the most stressful periods of my life. Stress from examinations builds as the days stretch. The overnights, consistent studying, and worry about the exam schedule piled up, and managing that alongside work wasn’t a walk in the park. Regardless, I’m grateful for the experience and the confidence in my ability that it created.
Just like the moments before the interview, I wasn’t completely sure what working at Bayse would be like. I knew I would be working with brilliant developers on a brilliant product, and I knew the company was interested in my progress (as evidenced by the extensive Google forms I had to fill before getting to work). I was mostly excited about it, and I must confess my eagerness has created moments where I’ve been asked to not go overboard when given tasks. There have also been moments where my need for improvement has been evident. They’ve been met with firmness from superiors and also the understanding that mistakes are human. I greatly appreciate that.
I also appreciate that after my first month in the company, I was trusted with my first independent task: implementing a new blog design. I enjoyed creating a blog that is easier to navigate and more inviting than the previous. It gives our content writers a better platform to display their articles, while also creating interest in consumers to explore those articles.
Besides that, I’ve mostly worked on products that employees interact with. Frontend development isn’t restricted to customer experience. There are people behind the scenes managing markets, resolving conflicts, and supporting users. And the more efficient their experience, the more reliable the customer’s experience. The more “interesting” aspect of my internship has been learning corporate speak, which just seems to me like using convoluted language to deliver simple points. Alas, the game already has rules, and I’m not unwilling to play.
Bayse Markets is doing for Nigeria’s prediction market what fintech did for cross-border earners. While a lot of Nigerians are already involved in prediction markets through web3, Bayse Markets enables participation in a way that fits directly into our local context. Contrary to the current popular opinion that reduces them to betting, Bayse Markets creates an avenue for regular people to express opinions (and the average Nigerian has a lot of them) about real-world events in a visible and structured way. In some cases, that visibility can even influence real-world outcomes. That’s why I was so driven to work with them in the first place, and I look forward to the experiences the next months of my internship will bring.