In a report on top universities that had produced renowned entrepreneurs on the African continent, Nigeria’s University of Lagos was listed in the third position. Indeed, UniLag is alma mater to a number of people who have made a significant impact in the tech space.
Most of these entrepreneurs did not study tech-related courses while at the institution, and only later found their way into the tech field. Here are some of Unilag’s most renowned in the business and tech space.
Tony Elumelu
Tony Elumelu is a well-known name, particularly among startup founders looking for early-stage grants to run their business operations. He obtained a Masters degree in Economics at the University of Lagos. He founded Heirs Holdings, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation in 2010.
He has been the chairman of Transcorp since 2011 and has been the chairman of UBA Plc since 2014. He is a philanthropist and multi-faceted businessman who is a part of many organisations supporting growth in different areas.
He is a member of the Global Advisory Board of the United Nations Sustainable Energy For All (UNSE4ALL) Initiative, the Nigerian President’s Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council, among others.
Chuka Ofili
Like most people who found their way into tech, Chuka did not study a tech-related course while at the University of Lagos as he holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the institution. Chuka has made a number of attempts at starting his own business. Even though many ended in disappointment it never stopped him from moving on to the next.
He founded a number of businesses that failed after some time. In 2011, he started Ashar Development Limited and it folded in 2014. In 2012, he started BuyLikeMagic.com and it folded in 2014. In 2014 he co-founded Delivery Science Inc and it folded in 2018.
Currently, Chuka works with Gigster as the senior software architect and fullstack engineer.
Ife Ojobanikan
Ife Ojobanikan finished from the University of Lagos in 2007 with an undergraduate degree in Economics. She worked as a business development executive in Sterling Homes Limited before venturing into the tech sector.
She worked with WEMA bank for the development of the bank’s ALAT app, and joined TeamApt as a customer service support. She reached out to Microtraction’s Yele Badamosi and took a deep dive into the field of tech from there.
She currently is an associate with MicroTraction and leads the team at 148 Ventures and Investment Readiness Firm. As part of her role at MicroTraction she seeks quality startups for the VC’s year-round application programme.
Dr Adebola Akindele
Akindele finished from Unilag in 1993 with a degree in Banking and Finance. He worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1989 to 1993, before moving on to head operations at Oceanic bank. He rose through the ranks to become the group head for commercial banking in 1998. He left to Fountain Trust Bank before finally starting his own business.
He founded Courteville Business solutions (CBS) in 2005 and is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the group. The company leverages tech to provide e-business solutions for enterprise companies. The solutions provided by the company are spread across sectors including governance, education, and e-commerce.
Technext Newsletter
Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!
