Equilibra Civic Engagement Platform

Overview

A civic engagement platform democratizing access to political discourse in Nigeria. Equilibra enables anyone with a mobile phone and internet connection to participate in community politics and contribute to discussions on systemic issues, powered by GraphQL technology for efficient data management across web and mobile platforms.

Key Features

  • Democratic Voice Platform: Enable citizens to participate in community and political discussions
  • GraphQL Architecture: Modern API design for efficient data fetching across platforms
  • Cross-Platform Access: Unified backend serving web, mobile, and future clients
  • Real-time Engagement: Interactive platform for community issue discussions
  • Scalable Infrastructure: Digital Ocean deployment with automated CI/CD

My Role & Responsibilities

  • Advocated for and led GraphQL adoption over traditional REST API architecture
  • Collaborated with cross-functional team (2 backend developers, 2 frontend developers, 1 mobile developer, 2 project managers)
  • Co-designed and modeled database schema with development team
  • Set up backend project architecture using Node.js, GraphQL, and express-graphql
  • Implemented test suite using ESM modules for modern JavaScript features
  • Managed DevOps tasks including Digital Ocean deployment and Linux server configuration
  • Configured GitLab Runner for continuous integration and deployment

Technical Highlights

Successfully championed GraphQL adoption in a production environment, demonstrating its advantages for civic engagement use cases. The architecture leveraged express-graphql for flexible API design, allowing clients to request exactly the data they needed. Pioneered the use of ESM modules in Node.js for the project, providing better code organization and modern JavaScript features. Collaborated extensively on system architecture and design decisions, contributing to technical discussions that shaped the platform’s foundation.

Impact & Results

  • Technical Innovation: Successfully deployed GraphQL in production environment
  • Team Collaboration: Effective cross-functional teamwork across 7-person team
  • Architecture Design: Participated in comprehensive system architecture discussions
  • Learning Experience: Valuable lessons in scope management and client communication
  • Platform: Not currently deployed
  • Technology: GraphQL, Node.js, MongoDB