Emmanuel Olorunshola on building for Nigeria’s Digital Future
Emmanuel Olorunshola’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2016 when steep shipping fees on a $28 Overstock.com purchase inspired him to launch Shopnow.ng, Nigeria’s first Bitcoin-only e-commerce platform.
He later founded Foodkix, a bicycle-based food delivery service, and Kixmenu, a digital menu and POS solution; ventures that showcase his persistence and focus on locally tailored innovation. Beyond startups, Olorunshola has trained over 10,000 people in e-commerce and entrepreneurship across Africa and globally.
In a recent interview, he shares insights on moving from crypto commerce to food tech and stresses that Africa’s next unicorns will come from solving everyday local problems, not copying Silicon Valley models.
Q: You’ve described a specific 2016 moment with Overstock.com as pivotal to your entrepreneurial journey. What happened?
Emmanuel Olorunshola:
I was exploring websites that accepted Bitcoin; remember, crypto was still very niche then. I found this beautiful wristwatch on Overstock.com selling for $28 and was excited to buy it with Bitcoin. But at checkout, the shipping to Nigeria was $140—five times the price of the watch. I was disappointed but then thought there must be other Nigerians with Bitcoin facing the same problem. Why not create a platform where they can spend their crypto without these ridiculous barriers? That’s how Shopnow.ng was born, arguably Nigeria’s first Bitcoin-only e-commerce store.
Q: That was quite early for Bitcoin commerce in Nigeria. How did the market respond?
Olorunshola:
People thought I was crazy. In 2016 Bitcoin was mysterious to most Nigerians and e-commerce itself was just taking off with Jumia and Konga. But I’d noticed that despite banking limitations and the economic recession, many young Nigerians were getting into crypto.
The platform never became massive, but it proved something important: Nigerians were ready for alternative payment systems. More importantly, it taught me about building for local needs instead of copying foreign models.
Q: Shopnow.ng eventually wound down. How do you process failure as an entrepreneur?
Olorunshola:
Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s part of the process. Shopnow.ng taught me about cryptocurrency adoption patterns, logistics challenges, and that being first doesn’t guarantee success. You need timing, execution, and sometimes luck.
I didn’t have investors or major capital, so everything came from personal savings and sheer willpower. When something didn’t work, I pivoted quickly. Every “failure” was market research for the next idea.
Q: What kept you going through those tough periods?
Olorunshola:
I genuinely believe Nigeria deserves world-class digital solutions built for our context. Too many people copy Silicon Valley without understanding our unique challenges: unreliable power, complex logistics, cash-dominated economy, trust issues with online services.
I taught myself product design, basic coding, digital marketing, whatever was needed. That self-reliance became crucial when the right opportunities emerged.
Q: Beyond your ventures, you’ve been deeply involved in training entrepreneurs. Tell us about that side of your work.
Olorunshola:
While building these companies, I realized many young Nigerians had passion and ideas but lacked practical knowledge. I started small workshops in Lagos, and it grew bigger.
Over the past seven years, I’ve trained over 10,000 people in e-commerce and entrepreneurship; running seminars in universities across Nigeria (University of Ibadan, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt) and even expanding to Accra, Ghana. Online trainings brought students from the US, UK, Dubai, and Canada, all learning about African e-commerce and entrepreneurship models.
Q: What drives your passion for training others?
Olorunshola:
I learned everything the hard way. Why should the next generation go through the same struggles? When a participant launches their first successful online store, it’s incredibly fulfilling.
Teaching keeps me grounded. Breaking complex ideas into simple, actionable steps makes me a better entrepreneur and forces me to revisit fundamentals and best practices.
Q: After e-commerce, you moved into procurement and logistics with Diville, then food delivery with Foodkix. What inspired that pivot?
Olorunshola:
Ordering food in Nigeria was painful. Riders were inconsistent, orders got lost or arrived late. Instead of building another motorbike delivery service, I asked: what if we used bicycles?
People laughed; “Bicycles in Lagos traffic?” but for short distances, most food deliveries, bicycles are faster, cheaper to maintain, and more eco-friendly.
Q: How did you convince restaurants and riders to adopt a bicycle-based platform?
Olorunshola:
We started small and proved the concept. Restaurants saw that bicycle delivery was reliable for nearby orders. Riders: many students or unemployed youth, got steady income without the high costs of motorbikes.
The key was treating it as a job-creation engine. We trained riders, planned efficient routes, and built a system that worked despite Nigeria’s challenging environment.
Q: Food delivery in Nigeria comes with unique challenges. What were the biggest obstacles?
Olorunshola:
Three main areas: logistics, payments, and trust.
- Logistics: Nigeria’s roads, unpredictable weather, traffic. We trained riders and built route optimization suited to local realities, not just Google Maps.
- Payments: It was largely a cash-on-delivery market. Convincing people to pay online requires building trust gradually.
- Trust: Nigerian customers had been disappointed before and assumed you’d fail too. Every successful delivery was a small victory.
Q: Despite these challenges, Foodkix gained traction. What made it work?
Olorunshola:
We focused on reliability rather than speed or scale. Customers trusted that their food would arrive, and that reputation became our biggest advantage.
We understood we were building infrastructure, not just an app, training riders, establishing restaurant partnerships, creating efficient operations.
Q: After Foodkix, you launched Kixmenu, a digital menu and POS system. What inspired that transition?
Olorunshola:
Running Foodkix showed me restaurants still taking orders on paper, managing inventory manually, lacking visibility into sales patterns.
Kixmenu became the solution: a complete digital restaurant management system where customers scan QR codes to browse menus, order, and pay digitally. Restaurant owners get analytics, inventory management, and streamlined operations.
Q: The timing coincided with COVID-19. How did that affect adoption?
Olorunshola:
The pandemic accelerated digital adoption. Suddenly contactless dining wasn’t optional, it was essential. Restaurants that had resisted digital tools were calling us desperately.
Kixmenu became a lifeline. Small restaurants could offer the same digital experience as big chains, reduce errors, improve efficiency, and serve customers safely.
Q: Looking back, how do you assess the impact of your ventures on Nigeria’s food technology landscape?
Olorunshola:
Foodkix showed localized solutions can outperform imported models. Understanding Nigerian consumers mattered more than fancy tech.
Kixmenu democratized restaurant technology, giving small eateries access to tools once reserved for large chains; leveling the playing field and improving service quality.
Beyond business impact, we proved you can start with minimal resources, focus on real problems, and still build something meaningful.
Q: Your training programs must have had ripple effects too.
Olorunshola:
Absolutely. Training someone to build an online business turns them into a job creator and community inspiration. I’ve seen participants build companies employing dozens and even become trainers themselves.
The global reach has been fascinating; diaspora participants bring insights about international markets while sharing African perspectives, creating a rich exchange of ideas.
Q: What’s your honest assessment of Nigeria’s startup landscape today?
Olorunshola:
The talent is extraordinary; Nigerians are world-class problem-solvers; but structural challenges persist.
Funding skews toward fintech and copycat models. Local, gritty businesses solving everyday problems struggle to get investor attention.
Regulatory uncertainty is huge; entrepreneurs spend too much time navigating bureaucracy. Infrastructure; power, internet, logistics; adds significant cost daily.
Q: Yet you remain optimistic about the future?
Olorunshola:
Absolutely. Nigeria’s next significant companies will emerge from sectors like food, housing, healthcare, and education; areas with massive unsolved problems and growing markets.
The founders who succeed won’t copy Silicon Valley. They’ll design solutions specifically for African contexts.
Q: What guidance would you give young Nigerian entrepreneurs today?
Olorunshola:
Start before you feel ready; perfect conditions don’t exist. Build for Nigeria, not Silicon Valley.
Expect failure and prepare mentally; every setback teaches something valuable.
Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision; entrepreneurship can be lonely.
And invest heavily in learning: formal training, online courses, learning from other entrepreneurs. Business changes fast; what worked last year might not today.
Don’t be too proud to learn from others; some of my best insights came from training participants.
Finally, remember business should create value beyond profit. The most successful entrepreneurs solve problems that matter to daily life.
Q: Where do you see food technology heading in Africa over the next decade?
Olorunshola:
I’m incredibly bullish on food tech as a transformative sector. As cities grow, we need smarter systems to feed people.
Three trends will define the next decade:
- Hyperlocal delivery networks are becoming standard urban infrastructure.
- Digital restaurant management tools are becoming as common as smartphones.
- Major innovations in food security; from supply-chain transparency to AI-driven agriculture.
My hope is that Africa won’t just import solutions but will export food-tech innovations globally, leveraging our unique challenges and insights.
Q: What’s next for you personally?
Olorunshola:
I’m still deeply involved in food tech but also exploring how technology can address education, healthcare, and housing.
Training programs will continue and expand; there’s huge hunger for practical entrepreneurship knowledge, and I see opportunities to reach more people through improved online platforms and partnerships with educational institutions.
The key is balancing ambition and pragmatism; thinking big enough to create real change, while building sustainable businesses.
I want to keep showing young entrepreneurs that you can start with almost nothing, stay true to local problems, and build something meaningful; whether through ventures or by training the next generation.
Emmanuel Olorunshola’s journey, from Bitcoin e-commerce pioneer to food-tech innovator and educator; illustrates the challenges and opportunities facing Nigerian entrepreneurs. In a scene that often prizes hype over substance, his story proves the power of persistence, local knowledge, and customer-focused innovation, while showing how sharing knowledge multiplies impact across the continent.
