From 18th century's John Hopkins to 20th century's Apple founder Steve Jobs, every generation experienced its share of successful young entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The entrepreneurial landscape in Nigeria is rapidly evolving, with young leaders paving the way for innovation and growth. As we step into 2025, these young entrepreneurs are ones to watch as they continue to shape industries and inspire the next generation of Nigerian innovators.
As of early 2025, Nigeria's startup ecosystem continues to thrive, attracting significant investment despite global economic challenges. In the first quarter of 2025, African startups collectively raised $460 million, with Nigeria securing approximately 24% of this total, equating to around $110 million.
Celebrating Young Entrepreneurship in Nigeria
In the view of instilling a culture of nation-building and leadership dynamics, we are celebrating the nuances of young entrepreneurship in Nigeria, who inspired us and many. The philosophy behind establishing your own organisation brings out the critics, but millennials today have followed suit, exploring new ways to serve a greater purpose. As for a culture-rich nation as Nigeria, the success of a young entrepreneur will be the key to nation’s transformation in the new millennium.
Our team at peopleHum is especially delighted to announce the successful young entrepreneurs in Nigeria (in no particular order):
- Maya Horgan
Maya Horgan Famodu is the founder of Ingressive, an organisation that aids companies expand into Africa. Horgan has also established a non-profit setup for her firm - Ingressive for Good, which provides micro-scholarships, tech training and talent placement for African youth. In conversation with Guardian, she speaks about nothing being more important than one's "ability to do through numbers, experience, expertise (and) intelligence." She further advices on developing the entrepreneurship value and adds, "Always lead with numbers and the tangible value you offer."
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Advice: "Be strategic. Know your network is limitless, and contact whomever you desire to reach; but always make sure you have some value to offer them."
- Tiwalola Olanubi Jnr.
Tiwalola Olanubi is the founder of Dotts Media House, one of Africa's leading digital marketing agencies. He is also the founder of Zarafet Loaves, a Lagos-based bread bakery, and Trendupp Africa. Tiwalola is a part of numerous CSR projects such as Leap Africa's Youth Day of Service and among others. Being enthusiastic about youth development and entrepreneurship, he quotes "The best thing that can happen to any entrepreneur is to start chasing their dreams as early as possible. My advice is to start early as soon as that idea gets into your mind."
- Florence Chikezie
Florence Chikezie is a strategy consultant, coach, trainer, author, and investor. She is the founder and CEO of ReDahilia International Limited, a trusted business that offers free investment informations for client spanned across the globe. Florence believes the solution to the economic problems faced by Nigeria and other countries in the world lies in the confines of entrepreneurship. "The game plan has always been to pass on the knowledge and ensure that business owners do business the right way."
- Gossy Ukanwoke
Gossy Ukanwoke is the founder of Beni American University, the first digital university of Nigeria. He founded an online forum named as Students Circle Network which has wide database of academic resources, allowing interaction over educational resources for young learners. Ukanwoke has further worked with African governments on strategic developments to assist in creating better access, quality and relevance of learning in higher education institutions.
“Education is about teaching people how to make a living, and teaching people how to live; how to interact with others, how to lead their lives and make something out of themselves. With education comes discipline and we need a lot of discipline in Nigeria as well."
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- Bidemi Zakariyau Akande
Bidemi Zakariyau Akande is the founder and CEO of LSF|PR, one of the fastest growing PR agencies in Nigeria. Her organisation LSF|PR is a recipient of a certificate of excellence by the SABRE Awards (2018) - the worlds biggest PR awards programme, dedicated to benchmarking the best PR work across the globe. Guided by values and principles, Bidemi spoke about an entrepreneur's tendency to be naturally "pulled in different direction, losing focus of (their) core values." In this regards, she adds, "It’s important to be guided by principles and operate by those principles."
Advice: "It's ok to start small and scale as you grow. You don’t necessarily have to wait for when you have all the funds you need."
- Fred Oyetayo
Fred Oyetayo is the founder of Fresible, a digital agency in Nigeria with expertise in web development, branding, and digital marketing. Oyetayo is also the curator of Law Repository, a platform of engagement and value orientation for Nigerian law students, lawyers and para-legals. He has earned a B.L Degree from the Nigerian Law School in 2015 and an LL.M Degree in 2018.
Advice: "One of the first things I realised in life is self-awareness. If you want to connect the dots, you must know your purpose."
- Chika Madubuko
Chika Madubuko is the founder of Greymate Care, an Al-driven caregiving platform. Finding the greatest purpose out of her education, she describes how her course MSC Biotechnology from the University of Hertfordshire "enabled (her) to push herself and provide a comprehensive and practical approach to the industry she wanted to pursue a career in." An online platform that connects the vulnerable to a professional caregiver, an idea arose from Madubuko's personal challenges that she faced when looking for a care-giver for her grandmother. She has now based her service offering around providing trained professionals to care for vulnerable family members.
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- Uche Pedro
Uche Pedro is the founder and CEO of BellaNaija, a media company known for creation of content in the lifestyle and entertainment domain. Being passionate about her nurturing the youth of her community, she founded the #BNDoGood, an initiative that supports numerous non-profit organisations such as LEAP Africa, Slum2School, Django Girls, among other. She earned a degree as the Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Advice: "Cut out the noise, focus on doing the right thing, making an impact on opening doors for others to come"
- Obinna Okwodu
Obinna Okwodu was the co-founder of Fibre, a Nigeria-based company helping users find rental accommodation by reducing the entry barriers to renting property in the country. Previously working at Morgan & Stanley as an Investment Banking Analyst, Obinna has graduated as a Bachelor in Science form the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Fibre model reduces the time and costs to find rental accommodation from 200 days to a week.
Advice: "Don't make assumptions, ask questions. Test the market before going into it."
- Silas Adekunle
Silas Adekunle is the co-founder and CEO of R.I. a data platform for industrial automation and IOT. Silas is also co-founder and CEO of Awarri, a company focused on enabling robotics and AI in Africa, starting with education. He is graduated as an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology from the University of the West of England, Bristol.
Quote: "Coming up with an idea, presenting it to people and getting them to say “yeah we believe in this” was nothing but entrepreneurship."
- Chinedu Azodoh
Chinedu Azodoh is co-founder and CGO at MAX, a technology company building the infrastructure for last-mile mobility in Africa. Along with his fellow cofounders, Chinedu established Metro Africa Xpress, a motorbike ride-hailing and delivery service popularly known as MAX.ng. The smartphone and web-based platform is much like Uber, Lyft, and other ride-sharing companies.
Azodoh explains how they set goals with an aim to create an affordable, accessible, and more secure mobility infrastructure for the African continent.
Quote: "Most cycle taxi drivers made about $80 a month when we started MAX.ng. Within two and a half years, every driver on our platform was making $600 a month. That’s what we’re doing in Nigeria-developing social systems and social infrastructure."
- Awa k. Ndukwe
Awa k. Ndukwe is a brand strategist, business development consultant and content writer. He also co-founded Youth Up, a platform that offers necessary tools, knowledge and awareness needed to empower the youth. Having started his career as a Health And Safety Coordinator, Ndukwe graduated as Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Lagos.
Quote: "Branding is about making a promise and keeping the promise consistently over a given period of time. It was about my team, it was about building a perception and positioning."
- Ifeadi Anigbogu
Ifeadi Anigbogu is a HR leader, keynote speaker, and mostly a management consultant. As a business coach, Ifeadi focuses on the big picture, collaborating with the HR department and consulting with the leadership team to make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction. She is a true example of transforming the role of an HR Strategist to build unique people management practices.
Quote: “We should remain the students of life. Keep learning. Be open to change. Face the world with a mindset of possibility.”
Africa's Youngest Billionaires in 2025
Despite Africa having a predominantly young population, most of its wealthiest individuals are older. However, a new wave of young billionaires is emerging, particularly in technology, fintech, and entertainment. These young billionaires are not only amassing wealth but also reshaping Africa’s economy by investing in innovation and digital solutions.
As of 2025, ten of Africa’s billionaires are over 72 years old, with Nathan Kirsh, the oldest, being over 90. Here are some of Africa's youngest billionaires:
- Mohammed Dewji (Tanzania) - 49 years old
- Net worth: $2.2 billion
- Mohammed Dewji remains the youngest billionaire in Africa. He built his wealth through METL Group, which has investments in textiles, beverages, and agriculture. Dewji is also known for his philanthropic work, focusing on education and healthcare.
- Femi Otedola (Nigeria) - 62 years old
- Net worth: $1.5 billion
- Femi Otedola made his fortune in the oil industry but has since diversified into energy and finance. His investments in the power sector are contributing to Nigeria’s electricity reforms.
- Patrice Motsepe (South Africa) - 63 years old
- Net worth: $3 billion
- Motsepe is a mining tycoon and the founder of African Rainbow Minerals. He also owns Mamelodi Sundowns FC and has played a key role in corporate philanthropy through his Motsepe Foundation.
- Yasseen Mansour (Egypt) - 63 years old
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Yasseen Mansour is a major player in Egypt’s consumer goods industry. He holds significant stakes in Palm Hills Developments, one of the country’s biggest real estate companies.
- Nassef Sawiris (Egypt) - 64 years old
- Net worth: $9.5 billion
- As the wealthiest man in Egypt, Nassef Sawiris has interests in construction, chemicals, and sports. He holds a stake in Adidas and owns a major share in Aston Villa Football Club.
- Abdulsamad Rabiu (Nigeria) - 64 years old
- Net worth: $4.6 billion
- Rabiu is the founder of BUA Group, a leading Nigerian company involved in cement production, sugar refining, and real estate. His business expansion continues to boost Nigeria’s industrial sector.
- Aziz Akhannouch (Morocco) - 64 years old
- Net worth: $1.5 billion
- Akhannouch made his fortune in petroleum and is currently Morocco’s Prime Minister. He owns Akwa Group, which has investments in gas and chemicals.
- Strive Masiyiwa (Zimbabwe) - 64 years old
- Net worth: $1.2 billion
- Masiyiwa is a tech entrepreneur known for founding Econet, a major telecommunications company in Africa. His investments in digital finance and satellite technology continue to grow.
- Aliko Dangote (Nigeria) - 67 years old
- Net worth: $23.4 billion
- Dangote remains Africa’s richest man, with vast interests in cement, sugar, and oil refining. His newly commissioned Dangote Refinery is expected to revolutionise Africa’s energy sector.
- Naguib Sawiris (Egypt) - 70 years old
- Net worth: $5 billion
- Naguib Sawiris has built his wealth through telecommunications and media. He is also a major investor in gold mining and financial services.
The dominance of older billionaires in Africa is slowly changing as younger individuals rise in wealth and influence. The growth of sectors like fintech, e-commerce, and digital services has made it possible for young entrepreneurs to build billion-dollar businesses. This trend is expected to continue, with more young Africans breaking into the billionaire club through innovation and technology. Their investments will not only generate personal wealth but also drive Africa’s overall economic progress.
Africa’s youngest billionaires in 2025 represent a shift from traditional industries to modern sectors. Their impact on job creation, economic growth, and innovation is significant.
Age and Marriage: Nigerian Billionaires and Their Wives
When considering who you want to spend the rest of your life with, everything is a factor and one very important factor to a lot of people is age. Some people cannot entertain the idea of marrying someone older than them while others can't entertain the idea of marrying someone younger than them. Here are some Nigerian billionaires and their wives:
- Adams Oshiomole and Lara Fortes
Former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomole in May 2015 tied the knot with his now wife Lara Fortes who hails from Cape Verde. At the time of their marriage, Adams Oshiomole was 63 years old while Lara Fortes was 29 years old. She is very humble, she appreciates the nature of my job and life that it is one that one comes back home late. I am happy that all my children are at home with her and accept her as their mother even though she is not old enough to be their mother.
- Chief Razak Okoya and Shade Okoya
Billionaire industrialist and Aare of Lagos, Chief Razak Okoya has had a number of wives - at least four. His last wife Shade Okoya married Razak Okoyo when she was just 21. At the time of the marriage, Razak was 59 years old. She is now the MD/CEO of Eleganza Group, a leading conglomerate in the manufacturing industry in Nigeria founded by her husband Razak.
- Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Frances Chinonyerem Enwerem
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is a Nigerian politician and businessman. 2 years after losing his wife of 40 years, the at the time 72 years old billionaire gave love another shot and married 26 year old wife Frances Chinonyerem Enwerem, the daughter of one of his late wife’s close friends who also happens to be the sister of Big Brother Naija contestant Prince Enwerem. According to reports, the children of Chief Emmanuel did not give their blessings to the union because of the huge age difference but this did not stop the two from going ahead with the wedding.
- Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and Mitchel Ihueze
Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, the reported billionaire CEO of SNECOU Group Limited caused conversation online last year when his marriage to one time Miss Universe Nigeria, Mitchel Ihueze, was announced.
- Prince Sunny Aku and Dabota Lawson
In 2014, Nigerian billionaire Prince Sunny Aku got married to former beauty queen Dabota Lawson when he himself was reportedly 52 years old. Dabota was 22 years old at the time according to reports. The marriage ended in 2018.
- Dr. Sonny Kuku and Susan Hart
Renowned master physician and endocrinologist, Dr. Sonny Kuku who was reportedly born on January 3, 1944 married former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 1994 Susan Hart. According to reports Sonny was in his 50s when he married Susan who was in her 20s at the time of their marriage. The couple have been married for many years now.
Quote: First of all, age is not a barrier in our marriage. I know you observed us from afar before you came to us, you will know that the age difference is nothing. We are best of friends.
- Ned Nwoko and Regina Daniels
Nigerian lawyer and politician Ned Nwoko famously married his now wife actress Regina Daniels in 2019. At the time of their marriage, Ned was 59 years old while Regina was only 18 years old. As you can imagine, this marriage brought with it a lot of controversy and till today it is still one of the most widely talked about Nigerian celebrity marriage.
