Two teen brothers build mobile web browser

Osine Ikhianosine and Anesi Ikhianosime

The duo of Osine Ikhianosime and Anesi Ikhianosime have rekindled hope in the future of nigeria as they entered their names in the catalogue of application developers when they built a mobile web browser that is already in use globally. Osine Ikhianosime 13, and Anesi Ikhianosime 15 who co-developed ‘Crocodile Browser Lite’ were born of same parents and both are Year nine and 11 students of Greensprings School, Anthony Campus, Lagos.

While both brothers write code, Anesi designs the user interface. Osine and Anesi launched the mobile browser on the Mobango app store before moving to Google Play Store to try and reach a wider audience. As you read this piece, the browser currently has around 100 to 500 downloads and they do not have ads in the app yet. They both began developing an Android web browser, which they named Crocodile Browser Lite, about a year ago out of boredom.

Due to their strong interest  in technology, they decided to create a functional, fast browser for feature and low end phones because, according to them, “We were fed up with Google Chrome.” Osine who told TechCabal in his pitch mail said: ‘’I write the code, my brother designs it.”

Born April 28, 2001, his interest in computers began at age seven. It was also at this age that he and his brother, Anesi Ikhianosime, who was 9 at the time, came up with the idea of starting a company.

Recalling how it started, Osine said, they first named it ‘Doors’ with Microsoft’s Windows, but when they discovered that the name was already in use, they had to change the name to BluDoors. Relating his experience, Osine said: ‘’When we decided to learn to code at age 12 and 14 respectively, I didn’t let my uncle’s belief that it would be a tough feat to achieve deter me.”

On his part, Anesi said: “I learnt to code by myself. I started in 2013, I used sites like Code Academy, Code Avengers and books like ‘Android for Game Development’ and ‘Games for Dummies’,” said Anesi. Meanwhile their mother, Mrs Ngozi Ikhianosime, who is a Mathematics teacher said: “Osine could already use a PC before he could read at age three. It is all he does since he learnt to code.”

The mother who ascribed the success to Greensprings Schools, said students of the school have access to computer and internet facilities, just as personal laptops are made available to each of them at home. “After Anesi is through with his secondary school education, he will attend A levels, after which he will go to MIT in Boston for his first degree, because the university has the facilities he needs to learn.” She said.

Their father Mr Philip Ikhianosime, who is the Head of Management Services and Human Resource Manager at an Insurance Company says the boys developed interest in PC usage very early. He agrees as well, that his children’s school is very instrumental in their continued interest in programming.

Anesi says that he’d like to develop another app that solves real social problems, such as traffic and communication. The brothers are releasing a new version of Crocodile Browser Lite 3.0 this April.