Idris Nfongang Tabi receives the Yoast Care fund for his contribution to the WordPress community

Meet Idris Nfongang Tabi, a valued member of the WordPress Community Team! Mukoko Jelissa nominated him for the Yoast Care fund because of his commitment and valuable contributions to the community. Let’s learn more about this passionate WordPress enthusiast.

Nominator Mukoko Jelissa: “I want to nominate Idris for everything he has done for the WordPress community globally and in Buea. He has taken on the formidable challenge of reviving our local community, which had nearly disappeared due to the Anglophone crisis that started in 2017. But for Idris, it’s more than just rebuilding a community; it’s a personal mission. He genuinely cares about seeing every member grow and succeed. Idris is always present and always willing to help. As an active WordPress organizer, he and the team put together weekly meetups, and each one brings something valuable to the community. For new members, especially those struggling to understand WordPress and its workarounds or stuck on a project, without hesitation and expecting anything in return, he’s always willing to help.

In addition, he’s a WordPress contributor, working on plugins that are now freely available in the WordPress repository. He’s an advocate for open-source contribution and collaboration. I wholeheartedly nominate Idris for the Yoast Care Fund for all these reasons. He has given so much to this community; this recognition would be a small way to give back to him.“

Let’s get to know Idris Nfongang Tabi

Those are some lovely words by Mukoko. Let’s get to know Idris a bit better and ask him some questions about his work and passion for WordPress:

Idris, what do you do in the WordPress space?

I primarily work as a developer and educator. I build and customize themes and plugins for clients, and I’ve also spent several years teaching others how to use WordPress, both beginners and those looking to dive deeper into development. In addition to that, I organize workshops, create tutorials, and help people launch their websites using WordPress. For me, it’s about writing code and empowering others to develop and manage their digital presence.

How did you first discover WordPress, and why did you start contributing?

Honestly, my first encounter with WordPress wasn’t very positive. Back in school, I had coursemates building client websites, and as a computer engineering student eager to dive into real code, I was excited to see what language they were using. But when they showed me the WordPress dashboard, dragging things around with no visible code, I was honestly disappointed. At the time, we believed real programmers didn’t use no-code tools, so I dismissed WordPress completely.

It wasn’t until about a year later, during an interview for an internship at Makonjo Media, that everything changed. The CEO asked if I knew WordPress, and I told him, “Yes, but I don’t like it. I want to be a real software engineer.” He laughed, turned his screen to show me some code, and said, “What do you see?” I replied, “PHP,” and he said, “This is WordPress code.”

That moment was a turning point for me. I realized I had rejected something I never truly understood. From that day, I started learning WordPress deeply, watching tutorials, reading documentation, and building with it. I even began teaching it to others, especially my
classmates, who had the same misconceptions I once had. Eventually, I started leading WordPress trainings at the company, and that’s how my contribution to the community began.

What’s one WordPress-related goal you have for this year?

One WordPress-related goal this year is to launch my first plugin on the official WordPress repository. I’ve built custom plugins for clients in the past, but I haven’t published one publicly yet. I want to create something valuable that solves a real problem for users, and simultaneously go through the process of submitting and maintaining a plugin in the community. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while, and I think it’ll be a great way to give back and grow as a developer.

What’s your favorite WordPress memory or something you are proud of?

One of my favorite WordPress memories was working on a project called Gifted Mom, which was my first client mobile project. The backend was built with WordPress, and it was the first time I worked with the WordPress REST API. What made this experience even more special was that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored the project and had a significant user base in Cameroon and Nigeria. Seeing something I worked on being used by so many people in an impactful way was amazing. It made me proud of what can be achieved with WordPress. It felt almost magical to realize the potential of WordPress at such a scale.

Where can people connect with you online, at WordCamps, or other meetups?

You can connect with me in a few different ways. I’ve had the opportunity to attend WordCamp Nairobi, and I’m looking forward to joining more WordCamps in the future. I’m also active on the WordPress Slack channel and regularly take part in local tech meetups, especially Buea WordPress Meetups, which are held every Wednesday evening, through my WordPress profile. If you’d like to reach out directly, you can find me on LinkedIn or X; just search for Tabi Idris Nfongang. I love connecting with others in the WordPress space to share ideas, collaborate, or just have meaningful conversations.

Thank you for this interview, Idris, and all your contributions to the WordPress community! Do you know someone like Idris Nfongang Tabi who also deserves to be in the spotlight? Go to our Yoast Care page and nominate them right away.