At the heart of this shift is a new wave of product designers who are challenging old paradigms and creating user experiences that are smarter, more inclusive, and deeply rooted in local context.

In 2024, design is no longer an afterthought in African tech, it’s a strategic advantage. Whether simplifying financial services, enabling remote healthcare, or empowering civic engagement, these designers are reimagining digital products to be more human, more intuitive, and more impactful.

This feature by Techeconomy highlights some of the bold, curious, and creative minds leading that charge. They’re not just designing interfaces, they’re shaping how millions of Africans engage with technology every day.

1. Daniel Abayomi (Nigeria)

Daniel is a Nigerian Product Designer, Mentor, and Co-Founder of Growteq—a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping teens and high school students with tech skills through no-code learning paths.

Currently a Product Designer at Meta, Daniel is passionate about delivering real-world impact by crafting thoughtful and effective product solutions.

Based in Lagos, he brings years of design experience along with three years as a Frontend Engineer. His work spans a diverse range of products, from grassroots non-profits to major tech companies with ambitious visions.

Daniel has extensive experience across multiple industries, including Fintech, Healthcare, Hospitality, Blockchain, Education, and Automotive. He has a keen eye for uncovering a product’s broader potential and translating it into engaging, functional design.

Previously, he served as the Design and Product Lead at Brass and worked as a freelance Product Designer at Toptal, among other roles.

2. Samuel Allotey (Ghana)

Samuel is a talented Product Designer and Podcaster, recognized as the Artpreciate UI/UX Designer of the Year in 2022. He currently holds the position of Senior Product Designer at SecondSTAX and he is also an IXDF(Interaction design Foundation) Country manager in Ghana.

With over six years of experience, Samuel has crafted user-centric solutions across a range of industries including fintech, e-commerce, and recruitment.

His portfolio includes work on Forex applications, shopping platforms, and messaging widgets. Always eager to grow, he is keen to explore new sectors and embrace fresh challenges.

Having worked with multiple startups, Samuel is adept at managing the full product design lifecycle, from initial concept through to launch and iteration.

He thrives in cross-functional teams, actively collaborating with product managers and engineers to ensure alignment and clear communication throughout the design process.

Outside of work, Samuel enjoys mentoring upcoming UX designers and sharing insights through a design podcast, which he co-hosts alongside three peers.

Previously, he has held product design roles at companies like Andela, FactoryFix, and Hubtel, among others.

3. Mosope Adebowale (Nigeria)

Mosope Adebowale is the definition of ambitious and adventurous. Currently a Product Designer at Meta, he brings a deep curiosity about the intersection of human behaviour and technology to his work.

Throughout his career, Mosope has focused on crafting seamless, intuitive user experiences. His mission is clear: to make technology more accessible and easier to use for people everywhere.

His design journey began with graphic design, evolved into UI design, and eventually led him to what he describes as “the sweet spot”—UX design.

He’s passionate about big ideas and gravitates toward brands that are committed to building products that enrich the human experience.

Mosope’s past roles include User Experience Designer at KPMG Canada, Lead Designer at Andela, and freelance visual designer.

Beyond design, he dreams of traveling across all seven continents to deepen his understanding of diverse cultures and societies.

4. Habeeb Azeez (Nigeria)

Habeeb is a Nigerian Product Designer with a strong technical foundation and a passion for creating digital experiences that drive real impact. Currently at Moniepoint, one of Africa’s leading fintech companies, he designs user-centered solutions that enable businesses to accept payments, access credit, and manage their operations with greater efficiency.

With a background in Computer Engineering from Yaba College of Technology, Habeeb blends design thinking with technical insight to build intuitive, end-to-end products. His experience spans multiple industries, including fintech, e-commerce, and logistics etc. where he has consistently delivered scalable solutions that serve thousands of users across Africa.

Beyond his core work, Habeeb is deeply committed to community and mentorship. As an active mentor with Friends of Figma Africa, he supports emerging designers in developing their skills and navigating their career paths.

He also contributes to the design community through open-source projects, workshops, and speaking engagements aimed at empowering the next generation of African designers.

Whether he’s refining user flows, guiding design handoffs, or mentoring upcoming talent, Habeeb is driven by a vision of a more inclusive, accessible digital future across the continent.

5. Sharon Wangari (Kenya)

Sharon Wangari is a Kenyan Product Designer whose impactful work across the continent has earned her a well-deserved place on this list.

With over 8 years of experience, she specializes in Service and Systems Design, as well as Design Research,crafting solutions that expand access to essential services for underserved communities.

Her work has taken her across Eastern and Southern Africa, where she’s had the privilege of immersing herself in diverse cultures and collaborating with experts from various disciplines. Sharon is driven by a passion for creating meaningful, inclusive products that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.

She currently leads product design at Paystack, where she oversees and guides design initiatives across teams.

Her previous roles include Senior UX Designer and UX Chapter Lead at Sendy Ltd., Senior Designer and Design Manager at the Nairobi Design Institute, and Design Fellow at Dalberg, among others.

Sharon continues to champion human-centered design, ensuring that innovation reaches and resonates with the people who need it most.

6. Felix Obinna (Nigeria)

Felix is an experienced Nigerian Product Designer with nearly a decade of industry expertise. A graduate of Graphic Design from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he has spent over nine years helping businesses and teams craft impactful products that bridge user needs with business goals.

Known for seamlessly switching between strategic thinking and hands-on design execution, Felix connects the dots between organizational strategy, product vision, and user experience, bringing clarity to complex interaction challenges.

He previously led the design team at Chinook Capital (Youverify.co), contributed to product development and design operations at Devcenter, and currently heads a Product Design team at Flutterwave in San Francisco, California.

Felix has a strong track record of building and scaling design teams, defining effective product design processes, and mentoring designers throughout the product life cycle.

7. Chidinma Aniugbo (Nigeria)

Chidinma is a Senior Product Designer with a background in Economics and a passion for solving complex problems through design.

She has led high-impact projects across various industries, including fintech, education, and public health, working with global organizations such as Shopify, Babbel, Toptal, Co-Creation Hub, Swipe, and Workforce Group.

Currently based in London, Chidinma is known for her user-centered, data-driven approach. Her work consistently aligns user needs with business goals to deliver intuitive and effective solutions.

Notably, she improved barcode integration for merchants at Shopify, achieving a 96.97% coverage rate. She also led the design of a digital epidemiology network in Africa, significantly enhancing COVID-19 testing accuracy and disease surveillance.

Beyond her professional achievements, Chidinma is committed to uplifting others in the design community.

She is the founder of Design Chics, a non-profit supporting African women in design, and she built a Job Board highlighting remote and relocation opportunities for African design talent. She actively mentors aspiring designers and creates career-focused content on YouTube and social media.

Chidinma holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She continues to use her voice and skills to advocate for inclusion, knowledge-sharing, and impactful design across the globe.

8. Mitchelle Chibundu (Nigeria)

Mitchelle Chibundu is a Product Design Lead, author, and creative educator with over seven years of experience in fintech. At Ledger, she leads design strategy for payments, crafting intuitive and inclusive crypto experiences.

Her past roles include impactful work at Wise and Flutterwave, where she was a founding designer and helped scale the design team from 2 to 15 while launching the company’s first merchant-facing mobile product.

With a background in Marine Biology from the University of Lagos, Mitchelle brings systems-level thinking to her design practice.

She’s also the founder of Designer Babe®, a global creative community of over 50,000 people, and the author of two best-selling books: Clueless to Designer and Dear Designer, Write.

Her work bridges thoughtful product design with community building, empowering the next generation of tech creatives.

9. Oyeleye Ogunsanya (Nigeria)

Oyeleye Ogunsanya is a self-taught, multidisciplinary product designer and the Head of Design at Risevest, a fintech platform enabling Nigerians to invest in dollar-denominated assets.

With a foundation in economics and certifications in design thinking and AI, he brings together analytical depth and creative clarity.

Leye began his journey by sharing design experiments with friends before joining Myth Digital, where he honed his skills across branding, illustration, and product design. He later founded OE Studio, a platform aimed at making design knowledge more accessible.

He has led the design of impactful products like Risevest.com, 0xlegacy.com, and Calvest.app, and is recognized for embracing the messy, exploratory nature of the design process. Outside work, he enjoys driving, dining out, and draws creative inspiration from places like Rwanda.

10. David Mwangi (Rwanda)

Davie Mwangi is a seasoned Kenyan product designer with over a decade of experience in human-centered design across East Africa. He currently serves as a Senior UX Designer at Google, leading user experience efforts for Search in Sub-Saharan Africa and creating inclusive, impactful digital experiences for the region’s diverse user base.

Prior to Google, Davie held leadership roles at companies like poa! internet, KOKO Networks, and Bank of Kigali, where he drove design strategy, user research, and product development. His work spans fintech, connectivity, and e-commerce, consistently focusing on solving real-world problems through thoughtful design.

Beyond his professional work, Davie is deeply committed to growing the design community in Africa. He regularly mentors emerging designers, speaks at industry events like Nairobi Design Week, and actively participates in local UX meetups.

His passion for knowledge sharing and collaboration continues to inspire a new generation of designers working to shape the future of technology on the continent.

The post Meet the Minds Redefining Digital Experience in Africa in 2024  appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Driving this growth are exceptional product designers who are not only creating compelling experiences but also redefining how technology works for people and communities.

These are the individuals shaping industries, designing innovative experiences, building design cultures, and ensuring that digital products are both functional and human-centred.

This year, Nigerian product designers pushed boundaries in fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, and civic tech, designing tools that touched millions of users and transformed how businesses and individuals interact with technology.

But their influence goes far beyond shipped products. Many of them are also thought leaders, mentors, and community builders, sharing knowledge, nurturing talent, and raising the profile of design as a critical driver of innovation in Africa.

This spotlight was curated to highlight standout product designers whose contributions this year combined industry impact, community engagement, and forward-thinking creativity.

They are not just practitioners; they are leaders and role models whose work provides inspiration for aspiring designers and founders across the continent.

Michael Ajah – Product Designer, Raise

Michael Ajah brings over six years of expertise in product design, merging aesthetics with functionality to create sustainable solutions.

As Lead Product Designer at Raise since January 2022, he has spearheaded transformative projects that have redefined private equity product experiences.

Michael led the redesign of Raise’s core product. His integration of AI-driven features, such as Organise AI and sales AI voice agents, has improved user experience and positioned Raise as a leader in equity management.

Michael’s achievements also include developing the Hermes Design System and internal tools that enabled teams to operate at ten times their previous speed.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Michael shares his insights through a YouTube channel and curates resources for his design community, and he is celebrated as a designer who is redefining product design in Africa through AI-powered systems that raise the bar for efficiency and user experience.

Aderinsola Oluwafemi – Product Designer, Eden Life

Aderinsola Oluwafemi is a product designer at Eden Life, where she leads the design and management of all digital products, including the customer-facing mobile app, the Marketplace Vendor platform, and Eden’s internal CRM tool.

She plays a key role in Eden’s shift from an exclusive subscription model to a dynamic on-demand service, helping expand the company’s offerings and product functionality.

Aderinsola designs and maintains Eden’s cohesive cross-platform product, positioning her as a design pioneer of the first lifestyle service product in the Nigerian market.

She works closely with product managers to align user needs with business goals and collaborates with engineers to deliver consistent, high-quality products.

With a strong grasp of how interconnected systems impact the overall experience, she brings a strategic and user-centred approach to every part of the product life cycle, and her forward-thinking contributions have reshaped how digital services scale in Nigeria, setting new standards for cross-platform service design.

Habeeb Azeez – Product Designer, Brass

Habeeb Azeez is a product designer at Brass, where he focuses on building financial tools that help African businesses manage and grow their money with confidence.

He leads the design of core experiences across the Brassmoney platform, an award-winning business banking platform renowned for its smooth experience in comparison to its competitors, from onboarding, dashboards, to transaction flows, with a strong emphasis on clarity, usability, and business impact.

He works closely with engineers and product managers to translate complex financial processes into intuitive interfaces, making enterprise-grade finance more accessible to small and medium businesses.

Beyond day-to-day product work, Habeeb contributes to design systems, drives user research efforts, and champions a user-first mindset across the team.

His thoughtful approach and ability to balance business needs with great UX make him a standout voice in Nigeria’s growing fintech design scene, and his impact is seen in the enterprise finance space, where he turns complex systems into clear, user-centred solutions that empower businesses.

Gideon Adeyemi – Product and Design Lead, Pennee

Gideon Adeyemi is a product designer whose work has shaped some of Africa’s most impactful finance products.

He leads product and design at Pennee, a credit product empowering thousands of small businesses. His influence also spans to large-scale solutions like COVr, the award-winning first-ever plug-and-play agency banking service software in Nigeria, and Airsynq, an air surveillance and simulation system for data monitoring to improve property security.

With a rich experience designing innovative technology products, guided by a philosophy of accessibility, minimalism, ease of use, and visual appeal, and strengthened by an analytical background, Gideon advocates for research-led, user-centred design.

Gideon is widely recognised for his contributions to the design community.

He has actively driven design education, thought leadership, and ecosystem growth, while also leading prominent innovative contributions across Africa, combining analytical rigour with visionary design to pioneer innovative digital solutions that elevate Africa’s design ecosystem. 

Alison Eyo – Product Designer, Moniepoint

Alison Eyo is a Product Designer at Moniepoint, where she focuses on creating strategic and impactful user experiences that help businesses thrive across Africa. With over three years of experience, she has designed intuitive digital products across industries, including fintech, education, e-commerce, health, and crypto.

Alison designed the Moniepoint banking product that has served hundreds of thousands of the Nigerian population.

The product remains the best because of its unique design and experience, making financial operations swift and easily accessible.

She’s endlessly inspired by the expressive potential of software and is driven by a desire to build and ship products that don’t just work, but delight.

Whether collaborating with cross-functional teams or experimenting with fresh design ideas, Alison brings both strategy and heart to her work, and her innovative perspective continues to elevate product design in Africa by turning everyday tools into delightful and inspiring experiences.

Pascal Amaka – Product Designer, Chowdeck

Pascal Amaka is a Nigerian Product Designer at Chowdeck, known for her curiosity-driven approach to creating user-centric digital experiences. With a background in Applied Science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, she transitioned from front-end development to design, discovering a passion for visual storytelling and user interface design.

She plays a crucial role in designing the experience of Chowdeck, the biggest logistics service provider in Africa. Pascal has contributed to various industries, including fintech and e-commerce, through roles at agencies like CheckDC and startups such as Sproutly HQ.

Beyond her professional work, she engages in digital art, photography, and mentorship, sharing her insights and experiences to inspire others in the design community.

Her work reflects a unique fusion of science, technology, and creativity, and her innovative outlook has enabled her to craft digital experiences that are both functional and inspiring for a new generation of users.

Eniola Aminu – Product Designer, Flutterwave

Eniola Aminu is a Nigerian Product Designer at Flutterwave, where she focuses on designing intuitive mobile experiences that power seamless payments and remittances across Africa.

Over the years, Eniola has contributed to a range of impactful digital products, including Barter and the Send App, paving the way for international transfer services within and outside the continent with these two pioneering products. With a background rooted in curiosity and empathy, Eniola has also been instrumental in designing products like Tuteria and Cowrywise.

Her early exposure to crafting solutions in edtech and finance shaped her commitment to user-centred, accessible design, blending aesthetic clarity with functional precision.

She is also passionate about mentorship and community, supporting emerging designers through platforms and events across Nigeria, and her innovative approach ensures that mobile-first financial design in Africa is not only seamless but also inclusive and accessible to all.

Oyeleye Ogunsanya – Product Designer, Risevest

Oyeleye Ogunsanya is a Nigerian product designer and design leader, currently serving as Head of Design at Risevest, Nigeria’s most successful investment technology platform, enabling Africans to invest in dollar-denominated assets.

With a background in economics, Oyeleye blends analytical thinking with creative problem-solving to craft user-centric digital experiences. His design journey began in 2018, transitioning from economics into visual and product design, and quickly advancing through roles at OE Studio and Risevest.

At Risevest, Oyeleye leads the design team in building intuitive, accessible financial tools that empower users to grow and manage their wealth.

His approach emphasises clarity, consistency, and empathy, ensuring that complex financial products are approachable and user-friendly.

Beyond product interfaces, he has contributed to community advancement of the design field through mentorship, and his innovative perspective is shaping the future of digital investing in Africa by making wealth creation more inclusive and accessible.

These product designers represent the best of Nigerian product design in 2022. They are visionaries who combined innovation, leadership, and community impact to raise the bar for design practice.

Their contributions go far beyond the interfaces they built, shaping industries, nurturing new talent, and inspiring others across the continent.

By highlighting their work, this spotlight not only recognises their influence but also provides role models for aspiring designers and innovators.

For these product designers, Their journeys prove that Nigerian design is not just keeping up with global standards, it is actively setting them.

The post African Design Innovators: The 2022 Nigerian Product Designer Spotlight appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.