“It is better with us.” That tagline best describes the thinking behind Whatadeal, the rebrand of Deelaa, and its mission to deliver the best deals across industries to consumers.
SystemSpecs Holdings Limited, the parent company of Remita and HumanManager, announced the rebrand of its subsidiary Deelaa to Whatadeal, a digital commerce platform offering services across travel, events, and e-commerce in Nigeria and Africa, at a press conference on March 28, 2025, in Oniru, Lagos.
In attendance were Mr. Emmanuel Ocholi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Whatadeal Limited, John Obaro, Group Managing Director of SystemSpecs Group, Mr Fela Bank-Olemoh, Managing Director of Whatadeal, journalists, and the company staff.
In his opening remarks, the Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. John Obaro, thanked the press and partners who have supported SystemSpecs over its 33-year journey. He reflected on the company’s growth from its early days of building functional programs to overseeing four thriving subsidiaries, including the newest addition—Whatadeal, a rebrand of Deelaa, which was launched in 2022.
He described Whatadeal as a platform designed to bring the best deals to consumers. Whether for event ticketing, travel, or e-commerce, the vision is to curate top-tier experiences in collaboration with industry leaders. “At Whatadeal, we are committed to delivering exceptional value across our business divisions— travel, events, and e-commerce,” Obaro said.
For event lovers, Whatadeal will serve as an event listing platform for sports matches, concerts, art shows, and movie tickets with curated offers and deals. In travel, it promises to provide unbeatable deals on flights, hotels, curated experiences, and visits to tourist centers across Africa and the world. For e-commerce, it is offering more than a marketplace: ”We will empower small businesses with affordable storefronts and improved visibility.”
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with an increasing number of youth, presenting a vast digital audience filled with opportunities. The e-commerce sector is projected to reach $33 billion by 2026, according to Payment and Commerce Market Intelligence research, while the travel sector is expected to generate $3.77 billion in revenue by 2025, per Statista. With an increasing demand for third-party services to streamline events, Whatadeal is well-positioned to improve the functionality of these sectors by offering integrated solutions that enhance convenience, competitive pricing, and accessibility for consumers across Nigeria and Africa.
After his speech, John Obaro introduced the newly appointed Managing Director of Whatadeal, Fela Bank-Olemoh.
“What we are trying to do here is unique,” Fela Bank-Olemoh said during his speech, saying Whatadeal is taking a bold step into three major industries: travel, events, and e-commerce. “We believe in our ability to excel in all three areas and offer users unparalleled value,” he added.
Mr. Emmanuel Ocholi, the Chairman, Board of Whatadeal, shared his faith in the company’s bold vision and the opportunities these industries present for growth. He expressed confidence in the new leadership, highlighting the demonstrated excellence in SystemSpecs’ other subsidiaries and Fela Bank-Olemoh’s career trajectory.
Fela Bank-Olemoh began his professional journey as a graduate trainee at SystemSpecs, where he rose to Senior Manager of International Sales. After seven years, he resigned to establish MediaVision Ltd., a sports marketing agency where he led projects like the Principal Cup, Nigerian bankers’ games, Chess for Change, and marketing rights for the 2000 Nations Cup in Ghana, amongst others. The next phase of his career was in public service, where he spent eight years serving as Special Adviser on Education to the Governor of Lagos State (2015-2019) and later as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions to the President of Nigeria (2019-2023). After his stint in the public sector, Bank-Olemoh started the FBO Leadership Centre and co-founded Knit Technologies, an event listing and discovery platform. He will be bringing his mix of tech, marketing, and public service experience to steer Whatadeal’s growth and future.
To unpack the vision behind Whatadeal’s rebranding, TechCabal sat down with Fela Bank-Olemoh for an exclusive post-event interview, gaining critical insights into his strategic direction and the brand’s expected evolution under his leadership.
TechCabal: You have had a diverse career path—how do you think these experiences will shape your leadership approach at Whatadeal?
Bank-Olemoh: I see myself as a 360-degree leader, shaped by experiences in the private sector, public service, and entrepreneurship.
At SystemSpecs, I learned integrity, execution, and discipline. Running MediaVision Ltd., I understood leadership, resilience and financial discipline. Governance taught me relationship-building and adaptability, while Knit Technologies and Whatadeal reinforced the power of innovation and problem-solving.
As I take on this new role at Whatadeal, I am bringing all these lessons with me. My goal is to empower consumers by building a platform that doesn’t just sell products but also gives value.
Now that you are at Whatadeal, what are your top priorities for the next 6 to 12 months?
For me, it’s all about reinforcing our core belief: It’s better with us. That’s our motto at Whatadeal. We want to build an ecosystem where customers get the best value across multiple sectors—whether it’s events, travel, or e-commerce.
We are in talks with the top travel industry operators and African tourist centers to curate unique experiences and the best travel deals. One of our key goals is to bring football clubs on board so they can sell their tickets directly on our platform. For example, tickets for the Kamoru Usman Fight Night at Business Event Centre are exclusively available on Whatadeal. We will offer exclusivity, an all-in-one experience with seamless technology; that is the kind of value we want to create for our users.
E-commerce is a competitive space. How do you plan to attract sellers to Whatadeal, support them, and handle logistics to ensure a smooth experience?
Our goal is not just to be another e-commerce platform but to create an ecosystem that truly supports sellers. One of the biggest challenges sellers face on existing platforms is visibility—many marketplaces don’t actively promote their vendors, leaving them to compete in an overcrowded space. At Whatadeal, we’re deliberately changing that by giving sellers real exposure and ensuring they reach the right audience.
To achieve this, we have a dedicated sales team actively onboarding sellers, helping them list their products, and ensuring they get the right tools to succeed. But we’re not stopping at visibility—we’re building a full business support system. Sellers on Whatadeal will have access to financing, logistics, and even insurance, making it easier for them to scale their businesses.
For logistics, we have integrated trusted logistics partners directly into the platform. Sellers have the flexibility to either handle deliveries themselves or use our logistics network for a seamless experience. This ensures that they can focus on selling while we handle the complexities of getting their products to customers efficiently.
Will the marketplace on Whatadeal be open to all types of sellers, or are there specific categories?
The Whatadeal marketplace is a general marketplace open to everyone, We also offer dedicated storefronts for small businesses. For example, if you are a fashion designer or run a small business, you can rent a storefront for as little as ₦5,000 per month. This gives you your own space to showcase your products, and we provide you with tools like invoicing, payment gateways and many more to grow your business.
What excites you the most about the future of entertainment, travel, and digital commerce in Africa?
What excites me the most is the future of Africa itself—and I want to play a key role in shaping that future. Look at what we’ve already done in entertainment—African creators and artists have a global voice, and we’re making a massive impact on the world stage.
The truth is, Africa is the future. The numbers don’t lie. We have a young, fast-growing population, and that can either be our greatest advantage or a challenge, depending on how we harness our potential. If we build the right businesses and create wealth, no one can match us. But if we don’t, it could become a major problem for us as a continent.
This is why I am passionate about shaping the future of entertainment, events, and travel in Africa. We need to take ownership of our narrative and create the opportunities that will define our future.
For example, when it comes to travel, we need to do more to promote African tourism. A lot of people have traveled to America, the UK, or Dubai, but how many have explored Ghana, Benin Republic, or other incredible destinations across Africa? We have fantastic countries that people don’t talk about enough, and it’s up to us—Africans like you and me—to promote, push, and engage with them.
If you ask me what excites me, it’s this: I firmly believe that Africa is the future of business, entertainment, and commerce, and at Whatadeal, we want to play a key role in shaping that future.
