By Yakosu Umana
Photo Credit: Yakosu Umana
A UPEI student has created an app he believes would serve as a ‘personal assistant’ for Islanders and tourists.
Francis Mbonu launched his app, MyPEI, on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play store, last Tuesday.
The app is meant to serve as a local guide, as it features functions such as getting a taxi, reading news, finding restaurants, local business and more.
“MyPEI is a general utility app. It doesn’t have a major function, it’s just a combination of different things,†Mbonu said.
The second-year computer science major is from Nigeria.
Back home, he went to a software-developing camp during his gap year.
That was when he began, and learnt how to develop software, Mbonu said.
“During the camp, I was getting ideas on what to create, and different projects to work on.â€
He and his twin sister moved to PEI last year.
They both lived in a homestay, where he learned that tourism was important to PEI.
Conversations about PEI tourism gave him ideas on what to develop, he said.
“They (homestay family) usually talked about tourism in PEI. It was during those conversations that thoughts came into my head.”
“If this is what’s important to this place, what can I do to help tourists, help others, help everybody,†he thought.
Mbonu began learning how to use Google’s software-developing, Flutter, last June. He used the kit to develop his app.
He faced challenges while creating the app, and is glad he finally made it, he said.
“I feel a bit achieved. This is my first app on the play store and app store.â€
However, it’s just the beginning of his software-development, he said.
“I have bigger things to achieve. If I can do something like this, I can do more.â€
Mbonu looks forward to seeing Islanders and tourists using his app.
“Hopefully everyone can download the app. If everyone uses the app, I feel like my work didn’t go in vain,†he said.
MyPEI is free to download in the App Store and Google Play store.