With over 70 per cent of small businesses in Nigeria reluctant to fully digitise operations, citing fear of fraud and system vulnerabilities, Favour Adeniyi, a 24-year-old product designer at Microsoft, who is part of a new generation of design professionals rethinking how trust, usability, and security intersect at scale is seeking to rebuild trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

A recent EFInA report revealed that only 36 per cent of Nigerians trust digital financial services as cyber fraud complaints surged by over 89 per cent between 2022 and 2023 according to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).

In today’s enterprise tech landscape, the degree of confidence that users, especially businesses, have that a digital platform is secure, reliable, transparent, and protects their data, will determine whether or not they can adopt new technology and use it without fear or friction. As such, user trust is a competitive advantage.

Speaking at Morgan State University’s Women in Computer Science closing ceremony for the 2024–2025 academic year, Adeniyi, sharing insights on navigating the tech industry and the importance of human centered design, said: “Inclusive design is important for integrating cultural context and accessibility considerations to yield more effective and equitable enterprise solutions.”

“How emerging technologies are reshaping design roles has become a pointer for designers to adapt strategically and empathetically. Take for example Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy where trust remains a missing currency. From failed digital banking transactions to widespread concerns about data privacy and identity theft, Nigerians are navigating a technology ecosystem where skepticism often trumps adoption. In 2023, nearly 39 per cent of Nigerian adults remained financially excluded, with digital mistrust—alongside infrastructure gaps—being a key factor. But what if trust could be designed?”

This is the bold thesis driving the work of Favour’s work at Microsoft, one of the world’s biggest players in enterprise tech. As part of Microsoft’s Cloud + AI diviFavor spearheads design initiatives that impact how millions of users around the world experience Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365. Originally from Jos, Nigeria, Adeniyi moved to the United States to pursue a degree in Computer Science. It was during her undergraduate studies that she discovered a passion for user experience (UX) design, blending her strengths in creativity, behavioral psychology, and problem-solving. Today, she brings those skills to a complex and high-stakes areas of product design: cloud onboarding and enterprise security.

“My role isn’t just about how things look or flow, it’s about building trust with customers at a global scale and helping them feel confident, safe, and empowered to use powerful tools without fear,” she says. Her work focuses on designing secure sign-up and onboarding flows that reduce fraud, increase adoption, and build long-term customer trust. At Microsoft, she has helped shape initiatives that ensure enterprise accounts are “secure by design”.

In an era where security breaches and digital fraud are rising, the need for user experiences that prioritise protection and clarity has never been greater. For enterprise customers navigating cloud transformation, trust is everything, and Adeniyi’s work aims to embed that trust at the very first touchpoint.

Beyond her technical achievements, Adeniyi is also known for her leadership and mentorship. She frequently speaks at design and tech events, sharing insights on inclusive design, career growth, and navigating tech as a young African woman. She’s passionate about helping the next generation of underrepresented designers build careers in the global tech ecosystem.

“I want to make sure people from places like where I grew up can see themselves in tech leadership—because we belong in these rooms”.