In this article, Techeconomy presents five great Nigerian product designers whose contributions demonstrate quality and creativity.

These individuals were selected based on their industry impact, global recognition, and contributions to the design ecosystem.

1. Opemipo Aikomo

As the Head of Design and Co-Founder at Paystack, Opemipo Aikomo has been at the forefront of innovation in digital payments since 2016.

Paystack, which processes over 50% of all web payments in Nigeria, serves more than 60,000 organizations, including giants like FedEx, UPS, and MTN.

Opemipo’s design journey began in university as a graphic designer, evolving into a decade-long career in building digital products. Before co-founding Paystack, he played pivotal roles in launching startups like Devcenter, a developer community; Tix, a platform for events; and Sendcash, a cryptocurrency-powered money transfer app.

Under his leadership, Paystack scaled from a small team in Nigeria to a multinational operation across six countries, significantly shaping the company’s culture, brand, and merchant experience.

Stripe’s acquisition of Paystack in 2020 stands as a testament to the company’s global influence.

2. Jude Ejike

Jude Ejike is an innovative product designer and user experience researcher whose work has had a significant influence on fintech. Jude played an important role in the success of Squad by HabariPay, GTBank’s fintech platform.

Squad reached a significant milestone in January 2024, surpassing $190 million in monthly transactions while becoming profitable in its first month.

Beyond fintech, Jude has led groundbreaking UX research on the NHS app, focusing on digital healthcare usability. His research identified key usability challenges in digital health solutions, leading to improved patient engagement, accessibility, and efficiency.

With a Master’s in UX Design, Jude is a strong advocate for user-centred product development, mentoring upcoming designers and contributing to industry discussions on design strategy, accessibility, and digital transformation.

Jude’s dedication to community-building and mentoring future designers further solidifies his role as a leader in the Nigerian tech ecosystem.

3. Michael Ajah

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

He also led the redesign of Raise’s core product, resulting in a remarkable 400% revenue increase. His integration of AI-driven features, such as Organize AI and sales AI voice agents, has improved user experience and positioned Raise as a leader in equity management.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Michael shares his insights through a YouTube channel and curates resources for his design community.

4. Clive Ayonye

Clive Ayonye’s passion for crafting user-centred designs has led him from Lagos, Nigeria, to Amsterdam, where he has made a significant impact on the global tech scene.

With 12 years of experience, Clive specializes in creating digital experiences that balance simplicity, clarity, and empathy. Previously leading the team responsible for designing payment experiences at Booking.com, the world’s largest accommodation platform, Clive’s work emphasized usability and effectiveness.

Currently, as part of Meta’s WhatsApp team, he contributes to shaping secure and reliable communication experiences for over 2 billion users worldwide. His approach, informed by data yet driven by empathy, has enabled him to solve complex problems while connecting users with brands through thoughtful design.

5. Kene Udeze

Kene Udeze is a multifaceted designer and community organizer who has contributed to diverse sectors of product design. Currently working at IKEA in Amsterdam, Kene collaborates with teams to design tools that help individuals create personalized physical spaces and enhance home furnishing journeys.

Before joining IKEA, Kene made his mark at Booking.com and led design initiatives at Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), one of Nigeria’s leading innovation centres.

He founded Usable Community, a platform for product designers passionate about building functional and beautiful products.

He also created the UX Curriculum, a curated guide for newcomers to UX design. Through Origin Stories, Kene shares the journeys of designers to inspire and guide the next generation of product creators.

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.