Made In Africa

Building for African Startups: Lois Adeniji on Creating Spur Nation Group

In this episode of the Made in Africa Podcast, we sit down with Lois Oluwaseun Adeniji, Founder and CEO of Spur Nation Group, to unpack her remarkable journey of building a multi-vertical media and business services company—starting while she was still in her fourth year of college. Lois shares how what began as Spur Nation Magazine, a platform focused on telling compelling business and startup stories, organically evolved into a full-fledged media and business solutions group. Driven by increasing demand from clients, Spur Nation expanded beyond storytelling into marketing, PR, growth strategy, and hands-on support for startups and businesses. Today, Spur Nation Group operates multiple subsidiaries, including DreamLab, its technology arm focused on MVP development, and Avocado Publishing, its publishing company—bringing Lois closer to her vision of building a one-stop shop for startup and business needs.

Omolara Olarerin on Building PocketFood from Lived Experience

In this episode of Made in Africa, I speak with Omolara Olarerin, Founder and CEO of PocketFood, about her journey from trading books in secondary school to building a funded food-tech startup. She shares how her early hustle evolved into building her first app in university—a platform that connected people with trusted service providers like plumbers and electricians. Though that venture ended after graduation, it laid the foundation for her next big idea. Born out of her struggle to find lunch while working a 9–5, PocketFood has since raised over $100,000 and continues to grow across Nigeria’s food delivery space. A story of grit, insight, and turning everyday problems into lasting solutions.

Demystifying HR with Moses Babatunde (OgaHR)

In this episode of Made in Africa, I sit down with Moses Babatunde, popularly known as OgaHR—an HR consultant and founder of The African Work Summit. Moses started his corporate career in insurance sales. But a pivotal moment came back in his 300-level days during an interview where the panel told him he’d be exceptional in HR. That comment stayed with him, and years later his MD at AXA Mansard offered him an internship in the HR department—where he started with minimal HR tasks before fully transitioning into the field. We also dive deep into demystifying HR in Nigeria, from what HR truly does to the power dynamics between employers and employees. Moses breaks down the realities of the modern workplace, why many Nigerians misunderstand HR, and what both founders and talent need to get right. This is a must-listen for anyone navigating or building within the African workforce.

How Philips Olajide & Solomon Ogunbowale Built KorinAI, Africa’s First AI Music Lab

In this episode of the Made in Africa Podcast, Samuel Kemeshi interviews Philips Olajide and Solomon Ogunbowale, co-founders of KorinAI, Africa’s first AI music lab. They share how their childhood experiences taught them independence and problem-solving early on—skills that now shape their approach to building technology. Both founders originally planned to become medical doctors, but setbacks within Nigeria’s tertiary education system pushed them to pivot. That pivot led them to software development—and eventually to each other. Philips, trained in music technology, also faced repeated challenges in his music career, especially the high cost of production. His search for simpler, more affordable tools sparked the idea that became KorinAI. Solomon later left his role at Goldman Sachs to join him in building the platform. This episode dives into their journey, their vision for AI in Africa’s music industry, and what it takes to build world-class products from the continent.

Building Africa's Healthcare Future: Clafiya CEO Jennie Nwokoye on Telemedicine, Health Savings & Founder Wellbeing

In this episode of Made in Africa, host Kemeshi Samuel sits down with Jennie Nwokoye, founder and CEO of Clafiya, Nigeria's innovative healthcare platform that's making quality healthcare accessible and affordable across Africa. From working at the Secret Service and CIA interviews to building a healthcare startup in Nigeria, Jennie shares her unconventional journey into entrepreneurship. Learn how a Georgetown University project on community health workers evolved into Clafiya after going viral on TechCabal in 2021, attracting investment from Microtraction. In this episode, we explore: —Why African healthcare needs sensitization as much as infrastructure —How Clafiya combines health savings accounts (earning 10% interest) with telemedicine and pharmacy services —The challenges of building healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria's reactive healthcare culture —Navigating the 2021-2023 funding boom and managing startup expectations —Strategic partnerships with Adidas, MedPlus, and Synlab —The reality of founder mental health and setting boundaries Why most male customers use the platform despite appearing women-focused Jennie candidly discusses the hard lessons of managing people, the difference between being nice versus kind, and why founders must prioritize self-care to build sustainable companies.