This accolade, presented at the grand Brandcom Awards night at The Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, marks a significant milestone in his dynamic marketing career, underlining his extraordinary contributions to marketing and corporate communications within and beyond Nigeria.

Renowned for pioneering innovative marketing strategies that resonate with contemporary consumer needs, Olayiwoba Osoba has solidified Zone’s position as Africa’s leading blockchain payment infrastructure company through his visionary leadership.

His expertise, drawn from substantial roles at Tek Experts, Andela, and Intel Corporation, has seen him steer companies through market fluctuations with agility and unwavering focus on sustainable growth.

His contributions have been instrumental in transforming marketing paradigms, particularly through his involvement in Intel’s PC acceleration project that significantly boosted technology adoption across several African nations.

At Andela, Osoba’s strategic and marketing acumen was pivotal in amplifying the brand and orchestrating impactful programs that showcased the company’s commitment to investing in African tech talent and connecting them to global opportunities.

Joshua Ajayi, the Convener of Brandcom Awards and publisher of Brand Communicator lauded the recipients, stating, “These young professionals exemplify the vibrant spirit of the industry. Their work is pivotal in the continuous evolution of marketing communications in Nigeria.”

The Brandcom Awards, Nigeria’s apex platform for recognising the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) industry’s prowess, annually celebrates brands, organisations, and individuals who lead with innovation and dedication.

The “35 Under 35” category sheds light on the trailblazers shaping the future of marketing communications.

Upon receiving the award, Olayiwoba Osoba reflected;

“This honour is a testament to the collective spirit and relentless drive of the teams I’ve worked with. It underscores the importance of our work in connecting brands with their audiences in meaningful ways. I’m grateful for the recognition from Brand Communicator and thrilled to stand among such inspiring peers.”

In addition to his sterling career, Osoba is a mentor and advisor, generously sharing his expertise with the next generation of marketing professionals and tech startups, embodying the ethos of giving back to the community that fostered his growth.

Other celebrated professionals in this category include Oke Umurhohwo of Itel Mobile, Onyebuchi Allanah of Maltina, Anani Aidovhioghie of X3M Ideas, Babatunde Adenuga of FSDH Group, Olufemi Oguntamu of Penzaarville, and Olayiwola Jegede of iMinndX, all of whom have demonstrated exceptional expertise and commitment to excellence in their respective domains.

Osoba’s educational background, featuring a bachelor’s degree from Babcock University, an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology, and an Executive Program in Business Strategy from Harvard Business School, equips him with a global perspective and strategic skills recognised industry-wide.

Osoba joins AppZone from Tek Experts where he led Marketing and Corporate Communications across the company’s Africa region.

In his new role, Osoba will oversee the marketing, branding, and storytelling efforts at AppZone.

Founded in 2008, Appzone, Africa’s no.1 Fintech Software Engineering firm has evolved into a payment infrastructure company.

Its Layer-1 Blockchain network digitizes Fiat payments and enables the transition to digital currencies while connecting previously excluded financial institutions into an all-inclusive payment ecosystem.

In December of 2021, Appzone launched ZONE, Africa’s first decentralized payment network which is set to disrupt Africa’s fintech space.

Before joining Tek Experts, Olayiwola  Osoba led marketing, corporate communications, sales, and partnership efforts for several global and local technology companies.

During his time as Andela’s Regional Marketing Manager, he was responsible for the company’s regional marketing operations and brand-building efforts, including end-to-end management of talent supply generation projects, co-marketing activities, and all CSR initiatives in West Africa.

During his time at Intel, Osoba supported Intel’s PC acceleration project in Africa. The project delivered strong growth records in the adoption per household in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya between 2017 and 2018 and ensured sustainability in an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Osoba is passionate about the growth of Africa’s tech ecosystem and spends his time volunteering, supporting and offering FREE specialized advisory and marketing consulting services to a long list of tech startups in Africa.

Olayiwola Osoba holds a bachelor’s degree from Babcock University and an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology in Washington DC.

Osoba is a member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK, and a member of the Advertising Practitioners Commission of Nigeria.

Osoba’s career experience will come in handy with guiding AppZone’s marketing and storytelling goals and executing the strategies that will be key to the success of the company’s transformation.