Nigeria’s technology landscape is rapidly evolving, with young, innovative minds driving the country’s digital future. From breakthrough fintech solutions to innovative startups, these technology experts have played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s economic growth and global technology prominence.
Here are the 10 most influential young technology experts in Nigeria. Their contributions have significantly shaped the country’s digital ecosystem.
Olugbenga Agboola
Olugbenga Agboola is the co-founder and CEO of Flutterwave. Before launching Flutterwave in 2016, Agboola developed fintech solutions for major technology companies and financial institutions such as PayPal and Standard Bank. Under his leadership, Flutterwave grew to become one of Africa’s best-known technology companies, achieving unicorn status and leading the continent in fintech innovation.
Confidence Staveley
Confidence Staveley, a member of the Forbes Technology Council, is the founder of the CyberSafe Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting digital access and cybersecurity awareness, especially among women in Africa. She is also the author of API Security for White Hat Hackers: Uncover Attack Defense Strategies and Master Secure API Implementations. Staveley has a talent for simplifying complex cybersecurity concepts and making them accessible to a broader audience. Her efforts have earned her numerous awards, including 2023 Cybersecurity Woman of the Year.
Tayo Ovios
Tayo Oviosu is the founder and CEO of Paga, Nigeria’s leading mobile payments platform with over 20 million users. Paga has helped advance financial inclusion by providing simple and accessible payment solutions to individuals and businesses. Oviosu’s contributions to fintech have had a significant impact on the Nigerian economy, enabling millions of people to participate in the digital economy and supporting the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the country.
Iyanolwa Aboyeji
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji co-founded two of Africa’s most successful technology companies, Andela and Flutterwave. Andela connects African software developers with global companies, and Flutterwave simplifies payments across the continent. Mr. Aboyeji’s vision has fostered technology talent across Nigeria and attracted significant global investment into Africa’s technology ecosystem. He is currently involved with Future Africa, a platform that provides funding, coaching, and community support to innovators solving Africa’s biggest challenges.
maya hogan famodu
Maya Hogan Famodu is a Nigerian-American entrepreneur and founder of Ingressive Capital, a venture fund founded in 2017 to support technology startups in Africa. She also founded Ingressive for Good, an NGO that provides training, placements, and scholarships to African talent. Famodu has been recognized in Forbes magazine’s “Under 30 Technology” and was named one of the “10 Inspirational Women Dominating Nigeria’s Technology Ecosystem” in 2019. She is the youngest woman to launch a technology fund (with a solo mission) in sub-Saharan Africa. 25 years old. In 2020, she doubled her assets under management (AUM) from $5 million to $10 million with support from Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund, Y Combinator’s Michael Seibel, Techstars, and others.
Sora Akinlade
Born and raised in Lagos, Sola Akinlade is the co-founder of Paystack, a digital payments platform that has revolutionized online payments in Africa. Alongside Ezra Olubi, Akinlade built Paystack into an organization often referred to as the “African Stripes” and was acquired by the real Stripes in 2020. For his contribution, Akinlade was honored as an Officer of the Order of the Niger.
Odunayo Eweniyi
Odunayo Eweniyi hails from Oyo State and is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of PiggyVest, a Nigerian digital investment platform. With a background in business analysis and operations, Eweniyi is the co-founder and GP of First Check Africa. This early-stage investment firm invests in technology startups founded or co-founded by women in Africa.
Her leadership and work has earned her numerous awards, including the Forbes Women Africa Innovation Award and the Future Award Africa Technology Award.
Tito Obia
Tito Obia is a health tech entrepreneur and public health advocate dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare in Africa. She co-founded Helium Health, a Nigeria-based health tech company, and served as Head of Public Sector Growth. Prior to joining Helium Health, Ovia worked at the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, collaborating with private and public stakeholders to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Honey Ogunday
Honey Ogundeyi founded Edukoya, an exam preparation platform launched in May 2021 to help students prepare for exams. With a background in internet and brand management, Ogundeyi has extensive experience in banking, telecommunications and business consulting. Her expertise in web commerce and online advertising lends itself to her mission of solving real-world problems through technology.
Ezra Orbi
Ezra Olubi is a Nigerian software engineer, co-founder, and chief technology officer at Paystack, a leading African fintech company. Olubi, along with Sola Akinlade, founded Paystack in 2015 to simplify online payments for businesses in Nigeria and across Africa. His work has had a significant impact on Africa’s fintech landscape, driving innovation and making digital transactions more accessible.
