Abiola Olaniran, Gamsole founder who won major Microsoft competition in Poland, dies at 36

Abiola Olaniran, a trailblazer in Africa’s mobile gaming industry and a key supporter of the continent’s digital media evolution, passed away on Wednesday, July 16. He was 36 years old.

While the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, reports indicate that he was laid to rest the same day in a private burial.

A computer science graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University and a skilled Unity3D developer, Olaniran first rose to prominence in 2010 after winning the Microsoft Imagine Cup in Poland, where he represented Nigeria in the global tech competition.

Two years later, he launched Gamsole, a Lagos-based gaming studio that would become one of Africa’s most downloaded mobile game startups. By 2015, the company’s titles had surpassed 10 million downloads.

In 2016, Gamsole partnered with MTN to release Gidi Run, a mobile game that set new benchmarks for how games could be monetized and localized for African players.

READ ALSO:Microsoft to invest $1m in AI skills training for one million Nigerians

Olaniran’s influence reached far beyond gaming. In 2015, he was named to Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 and later recognized among the 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa.

That same year, he became one of the earliest funders of Techpoint Africa, which has since grown into a major technology publication on the continent. From 2020 to 2022, he served as Chief Technology Officer at eLimu, a Kenyan ed-tech startup, where he oversaw a full revamp of its mobile learning platforms.

Described by peers as humble and soft-spoken, Olaniran was also known for mentoring up-and-coming developers and startup founders across Africa. On LinkedIn, where he had more than 500 professional connections and over 5,000 followers, he modestly described himself as an “experienced Unity3D developer with a track record of creating and publishing games across platforms.”

His most recent public remarks highlighted and celebrated the accomplishments of fellow innovators in the African tech scene.

Olaniran is survived by his loved ones and a community of creators who viewed him as a symbol of Africa’s potential in global technology innovation.

(NAIRAMETRICS)