“I build tools not just to solve problems, but to bridge the gaps that keep people out—because technology should feel less like a barrier, and more like a doorway.”
— Olayinka Obasa
Olayinka Obasa is a visionary product leader and founder whose work sits at the intersection of technology, inclusion, and global opportunity. With over a decade of experience designing impactful digital solutions, she has devoted her career to building tools that bridge gaps for underserved communities and make complex systems more human and accessible.
As the founder of Navisa, Olayinka is pioneering a transformative solution in the space of international relocation and talent mobility. Navisa, a civic-tech platform, leverages data and automation to simplify the visa, compliance, and resettlement process for individuals and families navigating global transitions. Since its inception, the platform has facilitated over 5,000 successful relocations across 35 countries, maintaining an impressive 97% visa approval success rate. Under her leadership, Navisa is not only on track to double its impact by year-end but has also become a trusted partner for universities, corporations, and startups seeking to relocate talent efficiently and ethically.
Before Navisa, Olayinka led product development at Vesti, where she oversaw the creation of financial and migration tools used by over 30,000 African users pursuing international education, business, and career opportunities. Her work directly contributed to the secure processing of over $3 million in cross-border transactions, while maintaining a 98% success rate in visa advisory services. She also played a pivotal role in expanding the platform’s offering from advisory to integrated financial services, ensuring that users had the financial readiness needed for their relocation journeys.
Her early contributions at Seamfix were equally transformative. There, she worked on national identity and biometric registration projects that helped onboard millions of Nigerians into formal identity systems; unlocking access to voting, financial services, and government programs for previously marginalized populations.
Olayinka’s approach to innovation is deeply human-centered, shaped not only by professional rigor but by a personal commitment to mentorship, equity, and community growth. Through platforms such as She Code Africa, AfroTech Women, and Afro-Tech Girls, she has mentored over 20 emerging women leaders in tech and product management. As a hackathon judge, including at Synafare Hackathon, and as a community lead for SkillsMover, she continues to champion local talent, evaluate pioneering African tech solutions, and support the next generation of product leaders.
Among her most notable achievements, Olayinka was honored with the Dratech International Innovation Award 2024 in the Innovative Founder Excellence category; an internationally recognized award celebrating African technologists who are shaping the future of science, AI, and civic impact.
Two standout projects that reflect her unique perspective include the national digital identity rollout at Seamfix; where her role as Business Analyst enabled the successful alignment of technical teams and government agencies to deliver inclusive verification systems and the pilot of Navisa’s relocation toolkit in three countries, which she led from user research to go-to-market. Both projects echo her mission to democratize access, reduce friction in human mobility, and empower individuals with the tools to thrive, no matter where they come from.
Currently based in the United Kingdom, Olayinka holds an MBA from the University of Chester and a BSc in Business Administration from Covenant University. She has also earned certifications in Project Management, CRM, and Cybersecurity, reflecting her holistic approach to product leadership.
Through every phase of her journey, Olayinka Obasa has remained driven by a powerful vision: to use technology not just to build products, but to open doors, shape futures, and foster a world where movement, opportunity, and belonging are possible for all.
INTERVIEW WITH MS. OLAYINKA OBASA
Founder, Navisa | Winner, Dratech International Innovation Award 2024 (Innovative Founder Excellence)
1. As someone who started your career in Nigeria and now leads a globally impactful tech platform like Navisa, what shaped your early ambitions, and how did your Nigerian roots influence the way you solve problems today?
Olayinka Obasa:
Growing up in Nigeria taught me two things very early on: the necessity of resilience and the power of resourcefulness. My ambitions were never fueled by ease, but by the gaps I saw every day in access, mobility, and opportunity, especially for people who had the talent but lacked the right tools. I studied Business Administration at Covenant University, but it was the lived experience; seeing how bureaucracy or lack of information could derail someone’s dreams that shaped my passion for building solutions.
Working on national identity systems at Seamfix gave me my first real insight into large-scale impact. We were helping millions of Nigerians get formally recognized by the state. That was no small feat, and it made me deeply aware of how critical digital access and identity are in modern society. Those early lessons in empathy, urgency, and execution never left me. They now form the foundation of how I lead Navisa bridging global systems with local realities, and always designing from the perspective of people who are often left out.
2. Navisa has already supported over 5,000 relocations globally, a huge feat in such a complex space. What was the defining moment or turning point that made you realize this platform was something the world truly needed?
Olayinka Obasa:
The turning point came while I was leading a product at Vesti. I was interacting with hundreds of users, bright young Africans trying to move abroad for school, work, or to join family. These were people with dreams, documents, and determination, but the process kept defeating them. The systems weren’t designed to be clear or supportive. There were too many gray areas, too much fear around rejection, and too little information about what came after relocation compliance, integration, and settlement.
One case that stuck with me was a young woman who got her admission and visa approved, but nearly lost it all because her financial documents weren’t properly structured. It was heartbreaking, but it also lit a fire in me. That’s when I began sketching out what Navisa could become not just a visa tool, but a full platform that holds your hand from intention to integration. We’ve now grown to serve clients in 35 countries, and the feedback is humbling. People tell us we made their move not just possible, but peaceful and that’s what keeps me going.
3. You recently received the Dratech International Innovation Award for Innovative Founder Excellence. What does that recognition mean to you, especially as a Nigerian woman leading in global civic tech?
Olayinka Obasa:
The Dratech International Innovation Award was deeply personal for me. It’s not just a professional acknowledgement, it’s a symbol of what’s possible when African talent is allowed to dream big and build boldly. Being recognized among innovators across the continent reminded me that our stories matter, and that our solutions can lead on a global stage.
As a Nigerian woman in tech, it sometimes feels like you have to fight twice as hard to be heard, and three times harder to be believed. So to be honored in the Innovative Founder Excellence category felt like validation not just of the platform, but of the values behind it: inclusion, courage, and purpose. It motivates me to keep mentoring other women, to keep speaking on global stages, and to keep proving that where you start from should never determine how far you can go.
4. You’ve worked on two major projects: national identity programs at Seamfix and now Navisa which both deal with mobility, access, and belonging. What do those themes mean to you, and how do they show up in your work?
Olayinka Obasa:
Mobility, access, and belonging are more than buzzwords to me; they’re human rights. They show up in every project I’ve taken on because I’ve seen what life looks like when people don’t have them. At Seamfix, we helped millions get documented, and with that simple act, unlocked bank accounts, SIM cards, voting rights, and more. That taught me that systems can either exclude or empower.
Navisa is the continuation of that mission. It’s about making global systems navigable and human-centered. Whether it’s helping a family understand what documents they need for relocation or building tools for students to safely pay tuition abroad, every product decision is grounded in one question: Does this help people move forward and feel safe while doing it?
Belonging is more than geography; it’s about being seen and supported wherever you are. That’s what I hope our work at Navisa continues to make possible.
5. You’re also active as a mentor, judge, and thought leader; especially for women in tech. Why is community building so central to your career, and what do you hope your legacy will be beyond your current work?
Olayinka Obasa:
Community has always been my anchor. I didn’t get here alone, and I don’t believe anyone should have to. The tech ecosystem especially in Africa is still emerging, and it can be intimidating, particularly for women. I mentor through platforms like She Code Africa and AfroTech Women because I want others to feel what I didn’t always feel early on: seen, guided, and believed in.
Being a judge at hackathons or leading workshops isn’t just about giving feedback; it’s about giving hope and opening doors. I want my legacy to go beyond product metrics. I want it to be about how many young women felt confident because someone like me stood up and said, “You belong here.”
If in ten years, there’s a wave of female founders building bold, socially impactful platforms and they trace part of their journey back to a conversation or a workshop with me, then I’ll know I did something meaningful.
CLOSING REMARKS – INTERVIEW WITH MS. OLAYINKA OBASA
As our conversation with Ms. Olayinka Obasa draws to a close, it becomes unmistakably clear that her journey is one marked not just by innovation, but by intention. From her formative years in Nigeria to her current leadership on the global stage, Olayinka has carved out a space where technology becomes more than code and platforms it becomes a bridge, connecting people to opportunity, security, and dignity.
Her work with Navisa is not only transforming the landscape of international relocation, but it is also affirming a future where access is no longer a privilege but a right. She has built tools that are practical yet profoundly human, guiding thousands through the complexity of migration with clarity and care. And before Navisa, her impact at Vesti and Seamfix demonstrated a consistent thread of purpose using innovation to solve real problems faced by real people.
More than her accolades which include the 2024 Dratech International Innovation Award for Innovative Founder Excellence, what stands out is Olayinka’s unwavering commitment to lifting others as she rises. Whether mentoring women in tech, evaluating early-stage African startups, or speaking on ethical and inclusive design, she reminds us that success is not just about achievement, but about legacy.
For Dratech International, whose mission is to spotlight African innovators breaking boundaries across science, technology, and artificial intelligence, Olayinka is a shining example of what it means to lead with integrity and impact. Her recognition by this prestigious platform reinforces what many already see: that she is one of the brightest minds in the diaspora, building from her roots while shaping the world.
To the young Nigerian dreaming of doing something meaningful in tech, to the girl wondering if she can lead in rooms that weren’t built with her in mind Olayinka’s story says, “Yes, you can.” It takes grit. It takes clarity. And most importantly, it takes never forgetting where you come from, even as you design for the world.
As we end this session, we celebrate a woman who is not only rewriting the rules of global mobility but is also rewriting the narrative of African excellence on the world stage.
Thank you, Ms. Olayinka Obasa, for sharing your story with grace, with depth, and with purpose. The world is undoubtedly better for the work you do.
