A former veterinary surgeon turned digital technology leader, Onothoja Ogheneruona, is making waves in the tech industry with his remarkable contributions to business through digital technology. From co-founding CakeLagos – a cake delivery e-commerce platform, to serving as a digital product leader, leading two organisations from ideation to a $2 million seed funding. Ogheneruona’s career is an inspiring testament to his dedication in making the life of Africans and humanity easier.
“Transitioning from medicine to technology has come with a lot of challenges, but my desire to drive positive change keeps me going on this very daunting journey,” says Ogheneruona.
Over the years, Onothoja Ogheneruona has worn various hats, from functioning as a user experience and user interface designer to managing the entire software lifecycle of a digital product. Today, he works as an independent contractor for Yassir, where he leads the development and growth of electronic payment to drive financial inclusion to over five million people and 40,000 businesses across 45 cities in six EMEA countries.
“Technology is a powerful enabler, though tedious, it is the most efficient way to drive economic growth at scale, outside of the governmental policies” Ogheneruona noted.
He offers his services through two primary options: strategic advice and independent contracts. He also offers support to tech businesses, helping them actualise product-market fit, and scale. He also focuses on digitising non-technology businesses.
What sets Ogheneruona apart from his competitors is his diversity and depth of experience. His experience in successfully developing digital products for millions of diverse people across the EMEA region, as well as working across multiple industries from finance to commerce, automobile, and mobility, sets him apart from the traditional digital product designers and managers. His hands-on experience as a designer, product manager, and product analyst across gives him a unique perspective to digital products.
Ogheneruona’s impressive track record speaks for itself, with approximately 80 per cent of his clients coming through recommendations from satisfied past collaborators. His target audience includes digital startups looking to grow from zero to one or one to one hundred, as well as analogue businesses seeking digital transformation.
“While the tech industry is fiercely competitive, my focus remains on delivering the highest possible value with the available resources at my client’s disposal,” Ogheneruona stated.
While Ogheneruona’s accolades include national and regional awards from Hackathons in the early days of his career, his commitments in recent times have been more focused on non-work engagements. However, his dedication to creating real life solutions remains unwavering.
His work aligns with the World Bank’s global efforts to address the unmet financial inclusion needs of SMEs, which contribute significantly to development in emerging economies. Ogheneruona optimises his solutions to be cost-effective, and secure.
“The potential for technology to drive economic growth is immense, and I’m committed to realising that potential,” Ogheneruona affirmed.
One of Ron’s most valuable lessons has been the importance of relying on quantitative and qualitative customer data for direction and decision making. He emphasises the significance of understanding customer motivations and pain points, particularly in developing economies.
“When you listen to your customers, you uncover the keys to real innovation and enterprise solutions,” he said.
When asked about his driving force as an entrepreneur, Ogheneruona expressed a profound commitment to simply making people’s lives easier. He believes that leading a technical team to build digital software that will create jobs and improve the lives of millions is the source of his motivation.
Ogheneruona stands out in the market by tackling the challenging aspects of developing digital technology, which includes fieldwork to understand customers, ensure global compliance and cyber security standards, as well as delivering world-class standards on quality assurance.
“In a world driven by technology, our commitment to quality and security sets us apart,” he stated.
In the near future, Onothoja Ogheneruona envisions scaling his impact further – driving financial inclusion beyond the five million existing customers of firms works with. He plans to increase by five times the number of people who have access to digital finance, enabling them run their businesses easily, reduce financial operations and grow their credit score.
