Leonard Ekenekiso
@leonardekenekiso
PHP backend developer building scalable, secure fintech transaction platforms.
NigeriaWhat I'm looking for
I’m a PHP Backend Developer with 7+ years of experience architecting and scaling server-side applications in fintech, lending, and payments. I focus on high-volume transaction platforms, RESTful API design, and database optimization to deliver reliability at production scale.
As a Software Engineering Team Lead at Boctrust Microfinance Bank, I designed fault-tolerant microservices-based backend services and led integrations with BankOne core banking APIs and NIBSS Direct Debit to automate loan repayment workflows. I’ve scaled systems to support ₦200M+ monthly transaction volume, improved observability with structured logging and alerting, and reduced downtime while maintaining 99.9% uptime for core services.
I also bring strong cloud and DevOps execution, managing AWS infrastructure (EC2, RDS, S3), implementing CI/CD with GitHub Actions, and using Kubernetes deployment strategies. From microservices migrations to payments integrations like Stripe Connect, I aim to build maintainable systems that are secure, debuggable, and built for continuous delivery.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Software Engineering Team Lead
Boctrust Microfinance Bank
Apr 2024 - Present (2 years 3 months)
Designed and maintained fault-tolerant microservices-based backend services with RESTful APIs, scalability, security, and CI/CD practices. Led integrations with BankOne core banking APIs and NIBSS Direct Debit, implemented observability, and improved reliability and uptime for core financial services.
PHP / Laravel Backend Developer
Pensuh Innovation
Oct 2018 - Dec 2024 (6 years 2 months)
Engineered and maintained backend services for a multi-tenant school operations platform using PHP and Laravel, optimizing MySQL schemas for enrollment, attendance, and tuition payment workflows. Integrated online payments and cloud-backed storage, and implemented PCI-DSS compliance controls for secure and highly available fee collection.
Backend Developer
Scnip Technology
Jul 2023 - Apr 2024 (9 months)
Built backend services using Java and Spring Boot for e-learning, payments, subscriptions, and user management. Integrated Stripe Connect payment infrastructure with retry logic and improved performance through profiling and SQL optimization while expanding automated test coverage for stability.
Software Engineering Team Lead
Harde Business School
Jan 2023 - Mar 2024 (1 year 2 months)
Led project migration from a monolithic backend to modular backend services using Spring Boot and REST APIs to improve scalability and maintainability. Improved performance and data integrity using SQL optimization, Redis-based caching, and added unit/integration tests and standardized deployment workflows.
Full Stack Developer
Harde Business School
Jul 2022 - Jan 2023 (6 months)
Built and extended backend services for authentication, reporting, staff portals, and internal dashboards. Added unit and integration tests and automated releases using GitHub Actions and AWS CodeDeploy to reduce regressions and stabilize updates.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Rivers State University of Science and Technology
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech), Electrical / Electronic Engineering
Completed a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Electrical/Electronic Engineering at Rivers State University of Science and Technology in 2019.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
NigeriaAuthorized to work in
Website
ugbanawaji.comJob categories
Skills
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