The Person Behind the Tests
I'm Muhammed Ibrahim, but you might know me as Ovansa.
For over 7 years, I've been on a mission to transform how teams approach software testing. I believe quality isn't just about catching bugs; it's about building processes that prevent them from happening in the first place.
"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort."
— John Ruskin
My Testing Philosophy
After years of watching teams struggle with testing bottlenecks and quality issues, I've developed a philosophy that turns traditional QA on its head:
Test Early, Test Often
Quality doesn't begin when development ends. The best teams integrate testing from day one, catching issues before they become embedded in the codebase.
Automation Is An Investment
Well-designed test automation isn't just about saving time today; it's about creating capacity for innovation tomorrow.
Balance is Everything
Not everything needs 100% test coverage. I believe in applying the right testing strategy for each component based on risk, complexity, and user impact.
Why I Do What I Do
I still remember the moment that defined my career: watching users struggle with a banking app my team had built, not because of missing features, but because of reliability issues we could have caught.
That day, I realized quality isn't just a technical concern; it's about people's trust in the technology they depend on.
Today, whether I'm automating payment API tests at Interswitch or mentoring junior QAs, my mission remains the same: to build software that works reliably when it matters most.
My Career Journey
QA Engineer at Interswitch
Sep 2024 – Present
Leading API testing automation initiatives for Africa's largest payment infrastructure company. Here, my work directly impacts millions of daily financial transactions across the continent.
Key Achievement:
Reduced regression testing time by 200% while increasing test coverage through Postman automation in Bitbucket pipelines.
Senior SDET at Red Acre Ltd.
Jan 2023 – May 2024
Developed and executed detailed test plans for both new features and bug fixes, ensuring thorough validation and reliability of the software.
Key Achievement:
Established and defined standards for end-to-end tests for services in the NestJS project, specifically for the affiliates feature.
Software Test Engineer at Accelerator App
Apr 2021 – Jan 2023
Upon joining the team, increased integration test coverage (API tests) by over 100% using Jest on Node.js, GraphQL, and MongoDB projects, showcasing a proactive approach to enhancing product stability.
Key Achievement:
Built end-to-end Cypress tests that became critical quality gates in the CI/CD pipeline.
Led the implementation of a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) permission system on the backend, delivering a client-centric solution that empowered users to create custom roles with tailored permissions on the app
Software Test Analyst at Softcom Ltd.
Mar 2018 – Apr 2021
My foundation in testing began here, working on the Eyowo payment app and UseForms data collection platform used by major organizations across Nigeria.
Key Achievement:
Received Software Tester of the Year and CEO's Outstanding Performance Award in 2019.
Technical Expertise
API Testing Excellence
My primary specialty and passion. I transform manual API testing into automated, repeatable processes across multiple API types.
End-to-End Testing
Using automation frameworks to validate complete user journeys and verify business flows function correctly.
Performance & Security
Implementing targeted tests that uncover business-critical performance and security risks that impact user experience and data protection.
Education & Professional Development
Formal Education
BSc Computer Science
University of Ilorin
Nov 2010 – Jul 2014
My computer science foundation gave me the theoretical understanding that has proven invaluable throughout my career in software testing and quality assurance.
Certifications & Continuous Learning
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services
Black Box Software Testing (Bug Advocacy)
Association for Software Testing
Rapid Software Testing Applied
Satisfice Inc.
Beyond Testing
When I'm not finding bugs or working on test-related tasks, you might find me:
Continuous Learner
Always exploring new testing tools and methodologies to stay ahead of industry trends
Tech Community Contributor
Sharing testing insights through articles and community discussions
Mentor
Helping the next generation of testers develop their skills and careers
Let's Talk Quality
Whether you need help with your testing strategy, automation framework, or just want to chat about quality assurance best practices, I'm here to help.