Abiola Olaniran, the Nigerian software engineer and visionary behind Gamsole, died on Wednesday at 36.
He was laid to rest that same day in a private ceremony, according to sources close to the family.
Known for reshaping Africa’s mobile gaming industry, Olaniran’s passing has sent shockwaves through the continent’s tech and startup communities.
Quiet and unassuming but fiercely driven, Olaniran transformed a campus coding passion into one of Africa’s most celebrated mobile gaming ventures.
His work popularised mobile games in Nigeria and paved the way for other African developers to dream bigger.
Abiola Olaniran’s early rise and Gamsole’s impact on African gaming
A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Olaniran first rose to prominence in 2010 when he led his university team to win Nigeria’s Microsoft Imagine Cup.
That moment marked the beginning of his career in game development. In 2012, after securing seed funding from the 88mph accelerator, he launched Gamsole in Lagos, when mobile gaming was virtually unheard of in Africa.
Olaniran took a bold bet on the newly introduced Windows Phone platform and released simple, engaging games tailored to the global casual gaming market.
Titles like Road Blazer and Monster Ninja quickly gained popularity. By early 2015, Gamsole had crossed 10 million downloads across Windows Phone, Android, and feature phones in over 190 countries.
One of his standout achievements came in 2016 with the launch of Gidi Run, an endless runner game released in partnership with telecom giant MTN.
This marked a significant moment for game monetisation on the continent, introducing innovative models that combined advertising and distribution with mainstream consumer access.
Champion of tech, education, and African startups
Beyond gaming, Olaniran was deeply committed to Africa’s tech ecosystem.
In 2015, he became the first angel investor in Techpoint Africa, backing the media platform when it was just an idea in a notebook.
His early support included office space and seed funds that helped launch the publication into what it is today.
He also ventured into education technology, accepting the role of Chief Technology Officer at Kenyan startup eLimu in late 2020.
There, he applied game-design principles to ed-tech, revamping literacy and revision apps used by hundreds of thousands of students across East Africa.
His work at eLimu ended in 2022, after which he focused on mentoring young developers and investing in upcoming tech startups across the continent.
Despite multiple accolades, including Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30” in 2015 and “30 Most Promising Young African Entrepreneurs” in 2016, Olaniran remained deeply humble.
Friends and peers often describe him as soft-spoken, generous, and focused on impact rather than accolades.
Abiola Olaniran’s legacy in African mobile gaming and tech
Abiola Olaniran’s contributions helped redefine what was possible in African tech with limited resources.
From putting Nigerian-developed games on the global map to championing ed-tech innovation, his work will continue to inspire a new generation of creators and entrepreneurs.
Gamsole has produced over 35 mobile games, including Cookie Jam, Sweet Candy, and Temple Run-style adaptations.
More importantly, the company has symbolised what African creativity and technical skill can achieve globally.
As tributes pour in from across the tech world, one thing is clear: Abiola Olaniran wasn’t just a game developer.
He was a builder of dreams for himself and for countless others who saw possibility in his path.
His legacy is etched not only in downloads and awards, but in the entrepreneurs and developers he helped uplift—proving that even behind the scenes, one person can change an entire industry.
