Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade, emerging as one of Africa’s foremost hubs for innovation and technology. With the surge in FinTech, e-commerce, health tech, and various digital solutions, the emphasis on exceptional user experiences has reached unprecedented heights.
The era of tolerating poorly designed interfaces and frustrating digital experiences is behind us. As competition in the tech industry sharpens, startups are embracing the importance of dedicated product teams that encompass UX researchers, UI/UX designers, and product managers, much like the dynamic environment found in Silicon Valley. These talented professionals collaborate to ensure that digital products are not only functional but also seamless, intuitive, and deeply engaging for users.
This article highlights 10 Nigerian product designers who are at the forefront of this transformative journey. These innovators have not only perfected the art of creating visually stunning and functional designs but have also played a pivotal role in advancing design thinking, usability testing, and design education within the industry.
Pamela Ohaeri
Senior UI/UX Designer | Lawyer | Educator | Digital Product Strategist
Pamela Ohaeri is a multi-talented professional who seamlessly blends her expertise in UI/UX design, brand strategy, and law to create intuitive digital experiences. As the founder of Hello Dreams, she inspires individuals and businesses to turn their ideas into reality through the power of design. Her unique perspective as both a designer and legal expert gives her an edge in developing trustworthy, compliant, and innovative solutions.
Driven by a passion for education, Pamela serves as a mentor and design educator, guiding young professionals as they embark on their journey into tech and product design. Through hands-on workshops, mentorship programs, and tailored training sessions, she empowers designers with the essential skills and confidence they need to excel. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and purpose.
Olawale Bamidele
Founder, UX Thrive | Product Designer | Design Mentor
Olawale Bamidele is an experienced UX designer, mentor, and digital technology innovator known for creating intuitive user experiences and promoting design communities. With substantial expertise in UI/UX design, product strategy, and motion graphics, he has led and contributed to numerous impactful projects across fintech, logistics, and government sectors.
As the founder of UX Thrive, a prominent UX design community in Nigeria, Olawale focuses on fostering growth, knowledge sharing, and mentorship. His leadership has positively influenced over 1,000 designers, with direct mentorship extended to more than 200 aspiring UX professionals. UX Thrive connects designers, facilitates experience exchange, and provides learning resources that drive career growth and excellence.
Beyond community building, Olawale actively produces UX tutorials, thought-provoking content, and mentorship programs—championing both skill-building and peer connection across Africa’s design ecosystem.
Emmanuel Omole
Product Designer | Community Lead
Emmanuel Omole is an accomplished Product Designer with a strong background in brand strategy. He has over four years of experience in design and currently leads a team as the Design Lead at DigitalSprout, a design and marketing agency specializing in growth and marketing efforts for African brands.
He is one of the founding members of the Port Harcourt Design Community, where he is dedicated to building an environment where designers can thrive. Through mentoring, public speaking, and community contributions, Emmanuel empowers designers to focus on solving for outcomes rather than just building features. His work spans early-stage startups to scaling teams, always emphasizing clarity, impact, and insight.
David Okpara
Senior UI Designer | Award-Winning Creative | Tech Educator
David Okpara is a Senior UI Designer at Manafa, known for his award-winning contributions to digital design. With a strong foundation in visual storytelling and branding, David crafts engaging user experiences across both web and mobile platforms, focusing on clean design systems and design consistency.
As a passionate advocate for tech education, he mentors junior designers and shares best practices through workshops, online content, and speaking engagements. His commitment to shaping the future of Nigerian design—through creativity, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary collaboration—continues to make a lasting impact on the industry.
Dennis Obaro
UI/UX Designer | Web2 & Web3 Enthusiast | Design Mentor
Dennis Obaro is a versatile UI/UX Designer with deep expertise across both Web2 and Web3 ecosystems. He blends visual storytelling with user research, crafting experiences that are both intuitive and future-forward. His work spans fintech, crypto platforms, and decentralised applications, making him a unique voice in the evolving design landscape.
Dennis is a dedicated mentor, actively contributing to tech education by guiding aspiring designers. His passion for community building and his work on blockchain-driven interfaces position him as a thought leader pushing the boundaries of what digital design can achieve in Africa.
Femi Richards
Senior UX Designer | Mentor | Author
Femi Richards is passionate about designing accessible and engaging digital experiences that balance aesthetic appeal with user functionality. His career is rooted in a deep commitment to continuous learning and inclusive design, having completed certifications from institutions like Utiva, Coursera, and The UXLady School of Design.
Femi is also a skilled UX writer, known for clarity and empathy in microcopy. He earned the prestigious CEO Merit Award at Console Creative, where he works part-time as a UX Designer. As an author, mentor, and advocate for skill-sharing, Femi’s work reflects both a deep intellectual curiosity and a commitment to lifting others as he climbs.
Kareem Balikis
Product Designer | Community Builder | UXTribe Founder
Balikis Abosede is a dynamic product designer and community builder who is redefining design support systems through her platform UXTribe. Since transitioning into tech in 2022, she has rapidly built a name for herself through her passion for collaboration, education, and empowerment.
Her platform connects designers, facilitates mentorship, and promotes design visibility—especially for underrepresented voices. Having worked with TagDev Technologies and volunteered for multiple tech initiatives, she offers both practical guidance and heartfelt support to aspiring designers. Balikis embodies what it means to build a career with others, not just for oneself.
Akanbi Mayowa
UI/UX Designer | Product Strategist | UX Thrive Team Lead
Akanbi Mayowa is a talented UI/UX designer and strategist focused on building usable and scalable interfaces. With design experience spanning fintech, e-commerce, BaaS, and SaaS, Mayowa has worked with top companies like Wakanow Group and Baza, bringing clarity and delight to complex user journeys.
As team lead at UX Thrive, he mentors emerging designers, helping them create strong portfolios and land opportunities. His work on platforms such as Accomdium, One-shot, and P-UP demonstrates a high degree of craft and problem-solving. He’s known for turning product complexity into elegant simplicity.
Theophilus Tena Gopregha
Product Designer | Educator | Tech Enthusiast
Theophilus is a seasoned product designer with a degree in Computer Science and Informatics from the Federal University Otuoke. His design journey is powered by curiosity, technical depth, and a passion for education. He has worked on AI-powered platforms, mobile-first dashboards, and community management tools such as Veesitor.
Theophilus produces engaging content on Figma, UI/UX principles, and design systems—translating his technical insight into accessible lessons. He also brings a unique lens to digital design by merging legal awareness with user advocacy, making him a standout in both design execution and thought leadership.
Ogunniran Stephen
UI/UX Designer | Product Strategist.
Ogunniran Stephen is a passionate UI/UX designer and product strategist with a knack for turning complex ideas into smooth, intuitive digital experiences. He started out in the world of graphic and brand design, where he built a strong eye for aesthetics and visual storytelling. As time went on, he made a natural shift into UI/UX, where creativity meets strategy and he’s never looked back.
Over the years, Stephen has worked across several industries, from fintech, EdTech and e-commerce to Proptech and SaaS, helping brands not just look good, but work smarter. His designs are known for being clean, user-centered, and laser-focused on solving real problems and delivering results that matter, whether that’s improved engagement, smoother user journeys, or stronger revenue.
Beyond his hands-on work, Stephen is a design facilitatior at UX Thrive, a growing community where he mentors upcoming designers. Through bootcamps and hands-on sessions, he’s helped many go from zero to job-ready, building solid portfolios and gaining real-world skills and experience. Whether he’s designing for a startup or mentoring the next wave of creatives, Stephen brings clarity, creativity, and a deep understanding of how good design drives business success.
Source: Thisday.Com