Age is no longer a limitation for success. It’s not an excuse for doing or attempting a big project, either. Technology has levelled the playing field. These top 7 young entrepreneurs in Nigeria are proof that it’s possible.
Young thinkers and innovators are emerging across Nigeria and the African continent. They are taking charge, building brands, devising solutions to real-world problems, and creating jobs.
From Lagos to Abuja and beyond, young entrepreneurs are leading the way in various industries, including technology, fashion, agriculture, and entertainment.
This article highlights the top 7 young entrepreneurs in Nigeria in 2025 who are redefining success and proving that vision, passion, grit, and the internet are everything you need to conquer the world.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration or examples of what’s possible, these names are proof that greatness doesn’t have to wait.
1. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji
- Age: 34
- Industry: Tech/Fintech
- Notable Mention: Named in Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 alumni
Aboyeji is one of the most influential tech entrepreneurs in Africa.
He co-founded Andela, a platform that trained and connected African software engineers with global employers, and Flutterwave, which would later become a “Unicorn”, an industry term for a company that reaches a $1 billion valuation. Though he has since exited Flutterwave, he’s now funding and mentoring young African innovators.
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is now the CEO and General Partner of Future Africa, a venture capital fund backing some of the continent’s most daring innovators. He is playing a long game that reimagines Africa’s most challenging problems as its most profitable opportunities.
Through Future Africa, he has helped steer capital and strategy into over 100 startups across the continent, companies now valued at over $6 billion. From fintech to healthtech, agritech to education, his investments represent a growing army of entrepreneurs who are reshaping how Africa works.
Among them is Moove, a platform redefining vehicle ownership for ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria, and Itana, an ambitious experiment in building digital charter cities for African tech talent.
His approach has always been deeply intentional. Educated at the University of Waterloo’s St. Jerome’s University, where he studied Legal Studies and International Studies, Aboyeji was shaped by the frameworks of justice, development, and diplomacy. But where most people see policy as the pathway to impact, he’s chosen business as his battleground.
A consistent thread through Aboyeji’s work is the belief that prosperity and purpose should not be reserved for the privileged few. He sees startups not only as engines of growth but as tools for justice and vehicles to close gaps, break cycles, and unlock potential.
This conviction has earned him global recognition. He has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, joining a generation of thinkers and doers who are redrawing the map of global leadership.
DON’T MISS THIS: Debby Lawson started her snack brand with ₦960, now rakes ₦200 million
2. Odunayo Eweniyi
- Age: 31
- Industry: Fintech
- Known For: Empowering young Nigerians to save money digitally
Odunayo Eweniyi is a Nigerian entrepreneur and activist, renowned for co-founding PiggyVest in 2016, Nigeria’s largest digital savings and micro-investment platform, which now serves over 5 million users.
PiggyVest revolutionised personal finance in Nigeria by digitising traditional saving methods, offering users secure and automated ways to save and invest money.
Beyond fintech, Eweniyi is a prominent advocate for gender equality. In July 2020, she co-founded the Feminist Coalition, a group dedicated to promoting women’s rights and equality in Nigerian society. The coalition gained significant attention during the #EndSARS protests, organising emergency relief for protesters.
In January 2021, she co-founded FirstCheck Africa, a female-led angel fund that invests in early-stage, women-led startups across Africa, aiming to bridge the gender funding gap in the tech sector.
Her contributions have garnered international recognition. She was named one of Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 in Technology in 2019, a Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst in 2022, and a TIME100 Next honoree in 2021. In 2022, she received the Forbes Woman Africa Technology and Innovation Award.
3. Mark Essien
- Age: 45
- Industry: Travel Tech
- Notable Work: Active angel investor in the Nigerian startup ecosystem
Mark Essien is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur who founded Hotels.ng, one of the biggest online hotel booking agencies in sub-Saharan Africa. Launched in 2013, the company has grown from a local listing site to a major player in African travel technology, securing over $1.2 million in a Series A funding round in May 2015.
Born in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, and educated in Germany, Essien has a background in computer engineering and a history of building tech products, including Gnumm, a file-sharing software acquired by a German firm.
Beyond business, he’s passionate about building local talent. He founded the HNG Internship, a remote training program that has helped thousands of young Nigerians break into the software engineering field.
As of 2025, his estimated net worth is $15 million. Essien continues to champion digital innovation and youth empowerment across Africa.
4. Temitope Ogunsemo
- Age: 40
- Industry: EdTech
- Fun Fact: Started his business with just ₦80,000
Temitope leveraged his passion for technology and education to start Krystal Digital. This fast-growing educational technology company specialises in the creation, development, and deployment of customised and service-oriented software applications for educational institutions in Nigeria.
Founded in 2010 in Lagos, Krystal Digital’s flagship service, MySkool Portal, is a web-based application designed as a School Information Management System for storing and documenting various data within schools.
As of 2018, this initiative has been adopted by more than 50 government-owned high schools in Nigeria, with over 65,000 active student users.
5. Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti
- Age: 36
- Industry: Fintech/Gender Empowerment
- Vision: Financial inclusion for women in Africa
Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti is the founder and CEO of Herconomy, a fintech platform that provides women with access to financial services, capacity-building opportunities, and a supportive community.
In 2023, Herconomy was selected as one of the recipients of Google’s Black Founders Fund, receiving equity-free funding, cloud credits, and mentorship to support its mission of establishing Africa’s first women-focused bank.
Durosinmi-Etti’s work has been recognised globally. She is a Mandela Washington Fellow and a Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum, having received awards such as the Tech Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022.
Through Herconomy, she aims to empower one million women by 2025, providing them with the tools and resources necessary to achieve financial independence and contribute to Africa’s economic growth.
6. Tosin Olaseinde
- Age: 37
- Industry: Finance Education
- Impact: Over 250,000+ people educated on personal finance
Oluwatosin Olaseinde is a Nigerian chartered accountant and the founder of Money Africa, an edtech platform that educates over 200,000 individuals on personal finance and investment strategies.
In 2020, she co-founded Ladda, a fintech application that simplifies savings and investment processes for users. In 2023, Money Africa received the $100,000 NSIA Prize for Innovation, recognising its impact in promoting financial education.
Additionally, the platform was selected for the Mastercard Foundation and CcHub Edtech Fellowship, further supporting its mission to democratise financial knowledge.
Expanding her reach, Olaseinde launched Money Africa Kids, an initiative designed to teach children aged 6 to 17 about money management through interactive tools, including animated courses and financial games.
Her contributions have earned her recognition as a Mandela Washington Fellow, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Finance and Economy (2020), and inclusion among the Top 50 African Business Heroes.
7. Temie Giwa-Tubosun
- Age: 39
- Industry: Health Technology and Logistics
- Focus: Improving access to essential medical supplies
Temie Giwa-Tubosun is a Nigerian-American health entrepreneur and founder of LifeBank, a health tech company addressing critical medical supply shortages in Africa. Established in 2016, LifeBank utilises technology and logistics to deliver essential medical products, including blood, oxygen, and vaccines, to hospitals across Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
Giwa-Tubosun’s inspiration for LifeBank stemmed from a personal experience during childbirth, which highlighted the challenges of accessing timely medical care in Nigeria. Her commitment to improving healthcare access has led LifeBank to serve over 1,000 hospitals, delivering more than 45,400 units of critical supplies and saving over 20,000 lives.
Her innovative work has earned international recognition, including the 2020 Global Citizen Prize for Business Leader. LifeBank was also selected for the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund in 2022, supporting its mission to expand healthcare access.
Beyond her entrepreneurial endeavours, Giwa-Tubosun has contributed to global health through roles with the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme.
Takeaways
If the stories of these top seven young entrepreneurs in Nigeria don’t teach you anything, you should go with these:
- Start small, grow fast
- Use digital tools and platforms
- Focus on solving a real problem
- Stay consistent and build community
- Never stop learning
- Learn the business side – marketing, branding, pricing
- Network with mentors and like-minded entrepreneurs
- Don’t wait for funding; start lean and grow
These top 7 young entrepreneurs in Nigeria show that building something impactful isn’t about having millions or elite degrees. It’s about having a clear mission, taking consistent steps, and staying driven to solve real problems.
If they can do it, you can too.
Want to be on this list in the future? Comment “I’m next”.
