Ibadan,  November 12th, 2020.

With offices in Ibadan, Epower is a web and mobile development agency from Nigeria, building amazing products that drive business growth.

The agency transforms ambitious brands through the thoughtful application of design and technology, with a team that develops culture-defining and profit-spinning digital products.

Olugbenga Ogunbowale is the CEO of Epower, which he founded in 2017 as a way to grow businesses and empower youth with digital skills.

In an interview with TIA, he described his professional path in Nigeria and the features that make his agency stand out. He also highlighted some of his recent work and described the digital industry in the country.

What makes your city an attractive place to do business and live?

Ibadan is a very exciting city. There is hardly any traffic jam, so movement is mostly stress free. Ibadan is one of the most affordable places to live in Nigeria. If you are looking for a serene city to live in Nigeria, Ibadan is not just an option. Ibadan is the third most populous city in Nigeria (after Lagos & Kano), so the market is huge. Businesses keep springing up daily, and the climate is good for business. For folks who want the market potential of Lagos without the stress (and traffic) of Lagos, Ibadan is the best option.

Tell us about your personal journey. How did you find yourself being CEO at Epower?

To understand how I became CEO at Epower, you first need to understand why I chose the ICT industry. I did because of two reasons. The first is that I have always been fascinated by computers. When I was in Junior Secondary School, my brother Oladayo, bought a desktop computer. I would sneak into his room and play Mario and try to figure out how it worked. Computers were scare then and he dare not catch me snooping around his machine.

After secondary school, my passion was so strong that I taught in a primary school for 6 months so I could raise money to go to a computer school. By the time I gained admission into University, I knew a lot about desktop publishing and a bit of computer engineering. In my very first year, I started teaching final year students how to use MS office. On campus, I organized several end of session trainings. It was where I first used the brand name ‘Epower’. I graduated and continued to freelance until sometime in 2014.

I saw a disheartening report on TV where 6.5 million graduates applied for 4,000 jobs. I could see unemployment was a ticking time bomb that needed to be addressed. As a digital-skills expert, I immediately started teaching digital skills so youths in my community could get jobs.

My trainings & trips were funded by money from my freelance graphics and web design business. The hectic schedule took its toll on my health & finances and I couldn’t continue doing it by myself. This is why I founded Epower in 2017. The goal was twofold: grow businesses & empower youths with digital skills to accelerate economic prosperity across Africa.

In your opinion, how do you believe Epower stands out?

It boils down to how we work. We hate boring. We are creative renegades. We take risks. We rewrite rules. We come up with brave ideas that take on conventionally accepted norms. Our digital products reflect our creativity and artistry. We like it simple. You won’t need a 100-page manual to use our products.

Simple is more accessible. Which is why we get things done faster, more easily, and more efficiently. And finally, we are excellent. From the jokes we crack to the codes we write, we challenge each other to aim high, stay hungry and refuse to accept ‘good enough’. This is why our works inspire awe and wonder.

How do you guarantee innovation on the projects developed?

Our goal for every single project is to build something that is enjoyable, lovable and profitable. We push ourselves to deliver incredible value to our customers by seeking a deeper understanding of the intended user, the expected outcomes and then designing products with a compelling user experience.

When developing talent, how do you manage different cultures to build teams that match businesses?

We welcome people from different cultures at Epower. Our core values are built around universally accepted principles and focused on performance. We respect each other’s cultural beliefs and religious beliefs. We leverage these different perspectives to build digital products that reflect the society.

What challenges is the team currently facing?

As anyone running a digital agency can tell you, cash flow can be difficult to predict. One month you are flush with projects and cash, the next month you have fewer projects and less cash.

To stabilize our cash flow, we have introduced new services requiring clients to pay monthly. Subscription customers are automatic customers. You do not have to start looking for a brand-new set of clients every single month.

Epower recently launched a new start-up called Grant Master. We know how difficult getting funding is, especially winning grants. We want to make that journey less difficult for organizations across Africa. We match organizations with the top 5% of grant writers that can help them achieve their goals of finding equity-free and interest-free funding.

In October alone, our grant writers won $15,000 for three clients. We’ve onboarded writers who’ve won a total of $4.5 million in grants.

Grant Master was the only West African start-up to make it to the finals of the Global Investment Summit and my pitch was the best out of 18 global finalists from six continents. Grant Master won $250,000 in perks from brands like Google and Amazon.

Can you share some recent work that you’re most proud of?

We recently built mobile Apps for Movendi International, one of the largest NGO’s in Sweden. Formerly named IOGT international – the Swedish based premier global network for development through alcohol prevention- was undergoing a massive rebranding. It needed a mobile app that could announce the new brand (Movendi) to the world while simultaneously offering fans & members across both Android and iOS, the latest news and updates on their phones.

First, we researched extensively the leading news apps in the world. We paid particular attention to the ones mentioned by the client. We conducted usability research, then crafted user interfaces backed with charming user experiences. We kept the team at Movendi in the loop, every step of the way. The apps received rave reviews from the Movendi team and their users.

What was the toughest challenge you faced when growing a business?

Hiring the right people certainly tops my list. Before we had a thorough recruiting process and a proper onboarding process at epower.ng, we made some mistakes with hiring. The wrong people made work slow, difficult and very painful. We have a small team, so hiring a recruitment agency was not part of our plans. I studied successful brands and read all I could about HR best practices.

In my experience, good recruiting starts from having a very clear picture of the person you want and not settling for less. The job description, the process of advertising the role, the interview or test and finally the onboarding process all play a crucial role. At Epower, new team members learn about our culture and what we stand for in the very first week. With everyone on the same page, it’s easier to make progress.

How would you describe the digital industry in Lagos compared to other major cities or design capitals? Which are the cross‐cultural influences on brand identity?

Lagos is a very dynamic city. As Nigeria’s most populated city, it offers a huge market with people from all over the country. Some of the biggest design agencies and digital studios are in Lagos. Compared to a calm city like Ibadan, Lagos is always bustling with activities, nearly round the clock.

As regards cross‐cultural influences on brand identity, differences in cultural frames of reference means design studios actively localize the brand identity of national or global brands. Digital campaigns are usually in English and a local language (depending on the location).

What issues are you paying attention to right now? What kind of news grab your attention?

I am paying attention to the evolution of software as a service (SAAS) and artificial intelligence. The kind of news that grabs my attention is usually startup focused. Some ground breaking innovation, an acquisition, some design feat and things like that.

Please share a fun fact people would be surprised to learn about you

I play drums.

Thanks Olugbenga!

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