My Official Profile: Olorunfemi O. Obasa

B. WRMA (specializing in Hydrology & Water Policy), MBA (specializing in International Business)

A brief summary of Olorunfemi Obasa’s education, work and initiatives.

Olorunfemi Obasa is the senior strategist and designer at Extrafemi- a left-brained digital strategy agency. Whether it is simply creating a flyer for use on social media or drafting a strategy to launch into new markets, we have consistently helped our clients across Europe and West Africa solve market challenges that enabled them to stay ahead.

Over the last 10 years, Extrafemi has delivered on several comprehensive design, strategy and policy projects across multiple sectors like design, finance, healthcare, and mining, amongst others, by tracking trends and metrics such as increasing household incomes, user growth and community management/ engagement while managing stakeholders and leveraging digital media on said projects. Extrafemi has also birthed other startups/ platforms- Wakafire Photography- which has provided product photography classes to over 600 business owners and international brands, ChatClass NG an online learning platform which expanded to at least 5 African countries (now defunct), Find A Mech which was one of the only two African startups to get into the ITU seed accelerator in Turkiye (now defunct), Page IV podcast and Olmak (A sub-project of the Oluwatonifemi Foundation) which is working hard to drive awareness of tech skills in North Cyprus.

As a trustee of the Oluwatonifemi Foundation, Olorunfemi believes that “sometimes, our strength is not always measured profits or numbers but in heart…”, which seeks to support non-profit organizations and social enterprises by providing photography, strategy, social media, and design solutions, or donations FREE of charge OR discounted for a specific period. So far, we have worked with and provided several thousands of dollars in support and free services to at least eight (8) organisations and non-profits. Read more here.

Academic Background

Olorunfemi Obasa holds a Bachelor's in Water Resources Management and Agrometeorology (B. WRMA) from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB), Nigeria. Modules include community participation, gender mainstreaming, hydrology and water policy. He wrote a research thesis on The Impact of climate change on the water quality of self-supply wells, A case study of Abeokuta-South Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria.

He also holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Cyprus International University (CIU), North Cyprus in Europe. Modules include international business, digital marketing and consumer behaviour.

Non-Academic/ Professional Education: Olorunfemi Obasa holds three (3) certifications in music from the prestigious Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), a certification in graphic design from the Abinibi Creative Academy (ACA), Certifications in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) levels II & III, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and the Associate Project Management (CAPMP) from the Joint Professional Training and Support International (JPTS).

Career in Strategy, Policy and Design

Olorunfemi has delivered design and strategic direction for many of Extrafemi’s clients like Dangote Flour Mills (then Tiger Brands-DFM), Genesis Group- the then largest indigenous media and hospitality group in Nigeria, CSL Stockbrokers Limited- the then largest stockbroking company in Nigeria, FCMB Asset Management Limited, My Black Market App, Standard Charted Bank, Nigeria, Girişimcinin Dünyası to mention a few. His work with a strategy-based consultant in Europe to extract data insights and create data visualizations birthed workable solutions for the government while Covid19 ravaged the economy.

He is directly responsible for developing the Wakafire Smartphone Photography Masterclass course product, which has proved valuable in helping over 600 business owners. He also birthed the “Celebrating Diversity” series on the Tvine Publication, a column highlighting and showcasing thriving foreign-owned food businesses in North Cyprus.

Olorunfemi’s work on human trafficking in North Cyprus connected human rights and advocacy groups with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigeria, to aid in the fight and aid rescued victims.

Publications: Books, Articles and Podcasts

Olorunfemi’s MBA thesis on “The Impact of Digital Marketing on SMEs and MSMEs on Lefkosa, North Cyprus” was recommended and has been added to the business library of the TRNC Chamber of Commerce- Kıbrıs Türk Ticaret Odası Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce. His thesis has also been published online here.

Olorunfemi co-authored the ‘Africa 80" book alongside 79 other Africans from at least seven (7) countries and is a guest columnist on the Tvine Publication, where he shares his ideas on economic growth and policy advancement for North Cyprus with the Turkish Cypriot diaspora in the United Kingdom, diplomats, key stakeholders, and senior government officials. He has also written and published at least four (4) books- “My Under30 CEO Story”, “My $1.5k Lesson on Buying a used car in Nigeria”, “Managing Debt in a long distance relationship” and more.

He was also the first Nigerian and African guest on the trilingual podcast in North Cyprus: Island Talks and the first Nigerian and African guest in the business/ entrepreneurship TV show- “Girişimcinin Dünyası”, which means “Entrepreneurs World”

Olorunfemi has been featured on notable media platforms like Ventures Africa, TechCabal, BellaNaija, Cool FM, Cyprus Today and Punch Newspaper, Bağımsız Gazette, Haber Kıbrıs to mention a few.

Awards, Speaking and Policy Engagements

In 2006, Olorunfemi was awarded the overall best-graduating student at Effortswill Academy, Nigeria.

In 2013, Olorunfemi was invited to provide a strategic direction for Prafundatia Consults, Nigeria, on Carbon credits and Carbon trading to the team for the Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) organizing framework for the Kingdom of Morocco.

In 2014, Olorunfemi’s “Fleuri Consults” startup was nominated for the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition. The Competition is an International Contest launched by the GOI Peace Foundation, Stiftung Entrepreneurship in Berlin and UNESCO. The award ceremony was held during Germany’s biggest entrepreneurship event in Berlin, Oct 11–12, 2014.

In 2015, Olorunfemi was shortlisted as one of the top 50 national runner-ups for the season two edition of the “The Next Titan” Business competition. The Next Titan is a Nigerian entrepreneurial reality TV show, the foremost in Nigeria and currently in its 9th season.

In 2015, he was also recognised as part of the winners of the Ignite Business Contest. The Ignite Ideas Contest is an initiative spearheaded by AGDC, with implementing support from Generation Enterprise, sponsorship from The Chair Center and the Lagos State Government, and collaboration from partners such as Digital Jewels and First Bank.

In 2016, Olorunfemi was shortlisted as an alumnus of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Nigeria, alongside 5,000 other African entrepreneurs for his startup- “ChatClass NG”. The Tony Elumelu Foundation is an African non-profit organization founded in 2010 by Mr. Tony O. Elumelu and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It is a pioneer member of the Global Impact Investment Rating System. So far, the Foundation has empowered over 18,000 African entrepreneurs across 54 African countries. Olorunfemi would later pivot to “Wakafire Photography”.

At the Social Media Week 2018 (Now the Africa NEXT Conference), Olorunfemi and the Wakafire Photography team broke records when they hosted “the first event covered entirely using only smartphones for photography and videography handled by non-camera/ photography professionals.”

In 2021, during his MBA, Olorunfemi and his partner made it to the semi-finals of the Digital Marketing Challenge organised by the Business and Economics Club of Bogazici University, Turkey, as international students from North Cyprus.

In 2022, Olorunfemi’s startup- “Find a Mech”, was also shortlisted as the second Nigerian startup in the ITU Seed Accelerator program, Turkey, which was also the TRNC Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Incubation program.

Olorunfemi was invited to advise on wealth creation and social empowerment to the World Bank for rural women in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as part of the confidence-building measures (CBMs).

Olorunfemi’s ideas on solving human trafficking in North Cyprus resonated well within senior government circles. Some of his ideas were later presented to the North Cyprus parliament. Olorunfemi has also received personal commendations from the President of North Cyprus.

Olorunfemi regularly contributes to the tech community via his platform Olmak (formerly Tech-TRNC), where he inspires and drives awareness of the opportunities that exist with/ in technology in North Cyprus to create a talent pool and connect the talent pipeline to vacancies from employers globally while engaging stakeholders from the private and public sectors to the highest levels of government to advance favourable policies for growth, talent attraction and retention.

Via his column at Tvine, Olorunfemi contributes solutions to national and economic issues in North Cyprus. Some of his popular articles are “How the TRNC can survive the economic fallout of the Pandemic”, The dubious role of Agents and their enrolment practices for TRNC Universities etc.

Olorufemi has been invited to speak at many events and platforms like the Sustainable Development Goals Community Development Service Group; (SDGs - CDs Group), Social Media Week, Lagos, African Nxt Conference, CASA program by Enterprise Hill, “Third Class? What Next?” for Third class graduates of the University of Lagos, “Success Academy for Youths” by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, “STEM Awareness” for Rubies & Gold Schools and Cyprus International University Christian Fellowship, to mention a few.

International Strategy Roles

Olorunfemi is a lead strategy adviser for a European non-profit, faith-based organisation.

How to connect with me

Connect with me on Twitter: @ObasaOlorunfemi or on Linkedin