The top 10 product leaders transforming Nigeria’s tech ecosystem
The Nigeria digital landscape is growing rapidly, and some brilliant minds play significant roles in this. With a population of over 200 million people, Nigeria is home to some of the finest technology companies in Africa. The rapid expansion of tech-related sectors such as FinTech, E-commerce, Digital Health, and EdTech is characterised by a growing number of startups, tech hubs, and tech talent which showcase Nigeria’s evolving technology industry. In a dynamic and growing tech landscape such as this, building successful products has been central to tech adoption.
Organizations in the digital technology sector engage product leaders to be in charge of the build, go-to-market, and growth of their value chain. Such leaders are multiskilled and their competencies range from data analysis to engineering, marketing, customer experience, strategy, design thinking, leadership and more. These experts do not only influence business and technology in Nigeria, the impact of their work usually goes beyond borders. Despite having vastly different backgrounds and experiences, they have a common passion which is to create products that grow businesses while also addressing pressing societal issues.
In this article, we will be looking at the top ten product managers in Nigeria based on industry impact, product success, innovation and leadership. These individuals are vanguards, driving growth and pushing the boundaries of what is possible, paving the way for a brighter digital future. Without further ado, here are the top ten Nigerian product managers you should know.
1.) OLUWATOBI OTOKITI
Oluwatobi Otokiti is a seasoned product manager who is dedicated to innovation with over a decade of experience building products for Nigeria and other emerging markets. She is adept at creating growth strategies that increase user acquisition while leading teams to successfully launch new product features.
She has been positioned as a strong product leader considering her work experience gained at renowned brands which include Flutterwave, Andela and Interswitch.
Otokiti is the founder of Product Dive, a leading EduTech and consulting company for product management professionals. Through this community, her commitment to empowerment can be seen from the many success stories of helping emerging product managers break into the industry.
She is also a public speaker who has spoken at several international conferences. In 2020, she spoke to over 1000 career professionals at a product management conference known as Mind the Product. Otokiti is undoubtedly dedicated to the Tech Industry and committed to its growth.
2.) OMONIYI ONI
Omoniyi Oni is an astute Product leader of over 10 years with a track record of building user-centric products in complex domains. With a background in software engineering and digital design, he has demonstrated a track record of leading successful product initiatives at scale by using agile and product-driven techniques. He remarkably executed The Newspaper Stand digital publishing platform which is vastly recognized considering its novelty and societal relevance.
Oni currently heads the product team at Pawa2u Ltd where he innovated a mobile eCommerce model that simplifies access to energy products and services.
He is the Founder of Soar Digital Network, a product Community for which he has gained recognition as a leader in the Technology Space. Through this community, he has mentored and reskilled aspiring product people while also upskilling young professionals.
He has not only been invited to speak at Industry events but his insights have also been engaged by national media houses.
3.) TEMI GIWA
Temi Giwa has over 12 years of experience in diverse tech fields which include Development, Digital Marketing and Consulting. These experiences contribute to making her exceptional at product management.
Giwa is a high-impact product manager who has a track record of developing and executing high-risk markets. She calls herself the “Swiss Army Knife” who is generally useful, versatile and flexible. Not only does she develop and scale technology products from strategy to execution, she also has a track record of establishing high-risk product strategies in low-information markets.
She gained valuable experience at Wakanow and KPMG Nigeria and is currently in charge of product success as the Product Lead at Paystack where she drives product success across multiple levers such as Merchant Tools, Internal Operations and Quick Delights.
4.) OMOLARA OSIYEMI
Omolara Osiyemi is an accomplished Product manager who is passionate about customer-centricity and value creation. She is proficient at ideation, design, technical development and monitoring of innovative products.
Osiyemi is currently a Product Manager at MTN, one of the largest telecommunications and technology companies in Africa where she has successfully launched key products and services as well as managed their lifecycle.
She gives back to her community through coaching and mentoring and is committed to promoting a growth culture among product professionals.
5.) OLADIPUPO BOLAJI
Oladipupo Bolaji is an accomplished technology professional with a background in software development, project management, agile methods, and product management. With his strong project management and technical background, he is able to deliver excellent products consistently.
Bolaji has a proven track record of producing effective products across a wide range of sectors. He is recognized for innovative strategies that improve user experiences and streamline release processes. His thorough awareness of client demands and cross-functional collaboration enables him to deliver unique solutions that address business objectives.
He currently works at eTranzact International and his commitment to delivering exceptional products, as well as his contributions to the tech industry, position him as one of the top African product managers to watch.
6.) OBIANUJU EZEANYAGU
Obianuju Ezeanyagu is a driven and dedicated Product Manager with years of experience that span across IT Services, IT Consulting and Finance. She is committed to delivering exceptional products that push the boundaries of digital technology..
She has been a featured speaker at Product School, where she gave invaluable insights that inspired the next generation of Product Managers to create innovative products and apply best practices in their work.
She currently works at Woven Finance, creating and administering high-value payment solutions that streamline day-to-day business transactions and facilitate reconciliation.
She is passionate about helping aspiring and entry-level product managers succeed.
7.) BENJAMIN DADA
Benjamin Dada has extensive experience working with businesses at different stages of development. He has assisted various startups in scaling and meeting their strategic goals, focusing on critical go-to-market tasks such as business development, alliances, and growth.
Having worked for national and International Organizations, Dada has a wide cultural exposure and a diversified professional network which influence the quality of his approach to product management.
Dada is also a prominent figure in the African tech media space. He has spent over six years tracking the emergence and evolution of Africa’s technology industry, first as a journalist and then as a media entrepreneur. His expertise in this field has given him a unique perspective on the issues and opportunities that African businesses face, and he is enthusiastic about leveraging his platform to assist them thrive.
8.) UBECHUKWU UKAIGWE
Ubechukwu Ukaigwe is an expert Product professional with vast Technology experience in Telecoms, Consulting and Startups. He has extensive experience in product development with agile methods, user experience research and design, software QA manual testing and operations management.
Ukaigwe has also managed products using Scrum processes with a track record of plotting growth and product-market fit prospects through metrics and data analysis.
He currently works as TBO Consulting Group’s Manager of Products and Partnerships. Ukaigwe’s abilities and expertise make him a great asset to any team looking to create and market successful products.
9.) ANJOLA AKINRINOLA
Anjola Akinrinola is an astute Product Manager with years of experience in the Technology sector. He prioritizes process, strategy, and user problem solutions in product delivery and has a thorough understanding of market feedback, stakeholder management, and cross-functional teams.
With his considerable product management experience, he has helped drive the success of a variety of products and services across many industries where he engages strategic inputs in designing agile processes and clear product roadmaps.
Akinrinola is currently a Senior Product Manager at Omnibiz, where he leads the product development process and contributes to the company’s strategic goals.
He is one of the top product managers to watch due to his enthusiasm for product, process, and strategy, as well as his commitment to providing excellent results for his stakeholders.
10.) AKINTUNDE OPAWOLE
Akintunde Opawole is an experienced product manager who is driven by innovation and excellence. He possesses a combination of technical talent and business acumen which influence his product decisions.
Opawole engages agility and strategic partnerships to deliver great products. He has worked on several projects, delivering Innovative Products in the B2B and B2C Markets. He is adept at performing market research, managing business roadmaps, interpreting user needs and discovering breakthrough enhancements.
Opawole currently works at SidmachTechnologies where he develops and runs product vision and strategy. He designs and develops solutions to issues in various areas of society, particularly in new environments. He is an exceptional leader who can rally a group behind a common purpose and lead them to success.
