For many young Nigerians, the journey into the tech and creator economy feels like running a race on a treadmill. You take the courses, you join the groups, and you post your work, but the break never seems to come. The talent is there, but the bridge to a real, sustainable income is often broken.
Chimaobi Stanley Anyanwu noticed this gap back in 2023. He saw a sea of ambitious young people trapped in social media circles, doing “stupid things just to trend” because there was no clear path to professional growth.
“I kept meeting talented people who were eager to build a career in tech and the creative economy,” Anyanwu says, “but the problem we have in Nigeria is that they lack access to mentorship.”
His solution, Owllup, aims to build a digital neighborhood where mentorship, community, and commerce live under one roof.
The skill-to-wallet pipeline
While many platforms focus solely on education or social networking, Owllup bridges the two with an integrated fintech layer. In January 2026, the startup made a significant leap by embedding a full suite of fintech capabilities, including digital wallets and an e-commerce marketplace.
The value proposition is seamless:
- Learning: Users join interest-based communities (tech, creator economy, etc.) and access structured mentorship.
- Validation: Through annual hackathons and live projects—such as the current cohort of nine developers building on the platform—users hone their craft.
- Monetisation: Once skilled, users list their services on the Owllup marketplace. A developer or designer can find a client, manage the project, and receive payment via an escrow system without ever leaving the app.
“Fintech was a natural extension of the mission; empowering young people not just to learn but to earn and grow independently.”
Traction and the low-data advantage
Despite being a bootstrapped venture, Owllup’s growth metrics indicate strong product-market fit. The platform currently boasts over 5,000 users, with approximately 2,000 already successfully monetising their skills.
The startup has also demonstrated its commercial viability, generating an estimated ₦24 million (NGN) through e-ticketing and marketplace transactions since its inception.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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Crucially, Anyanwu has optimised Owllup for the low-data environment. Recognising the high cost of data and unstable connectivity in Nigeria, the platform is lightweight and accessible, ensuring that economic participation isn’t a luxury reserved for those with high-speed fiber internet.
Revenue and sustainability
Owllup’s business model is as diversified as its features. The startup generates revenue through:
- Commissions: Taking 1.5% on bill payments and 3% on marketplace sales.
- Premium Subscriptions: Tiered levels for vendors to boost product visibility.
- Data Insights: Collaborating with NGOs and government bodies to provide anonymised data for better societal decision-making.
The five-year forecast
Anyanwu is playing a long game. Without external funding yet, he has focused on building a “purpose-driven” platform; one that avoids the noise of traditional social media in favor of impact.
In five years, his target is 70 million users across Africa.
While the platform is currently focused on Nigeria, Anyanwu plans to target the UK diaspora later this year, aiming to make cross-border collaboration seamless. By July, the app plans to add hotel and transport services, inching closer to becoming a true “super-app” for the daily lives of Africans.
“This year, we are transitioning into the UK to serve the African diaspora,” Anyanwu reveals. “The goal is to facilitate cross-border payments and business activities, allowing those abroad to engage seamlessly with talent and services back home.
Impact beyond Owllup
Beyond Owllup, Chimaobi has played an active role in Nigeria’s wider technology ecosystem. In 2023, he founded the Nigerian Tech and Innovation Awards (NTIA), a technology-led initiative created to recognize emerging talent and support underrepresented groups within the tech space. The platform hosts annual awards, masterclasses, and ecosystem programs to increase visibility and access for early-stage innovators.
Chimaobi has also contributed through mentorship and sponsorship initiatives. Through TDBizz Limited, he has led structured programs that equip young people and female entrepreneurs with digital skills, including content creation, branding, and monetization.
He also served as a mentor at the 2025 Data Immersed (TDI) Tech Summit and made Owllup the official sponsor of the TDI Hackathon, providing funding and career opportunities to participants.
