By Kingsley Adegboye

Long before he began building digital products and technology led ventures, Afeez Akinfola Oyinloye was already showing the signs of an innovator.

Growing up in Nigeria in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he enjoyed Sega games, especially Sonic and football, like many children of his generation. But beyond play, he was deeply fascinated by how things worked. He loved opening and fixing faulty electronics, not just for fun, but out of a natural desire to understand systems, repair problems, and create solutions.

That curiosity showed up early in unusual ways. As a boy, he used an FM microphone to generate frequency on neighbours’ radios, asking them not to tune away while he played cassette music and broadcast to them like a local radio station. At the time, he may not have had the language for innovation or digital technology, but he was already experimenting with communication tools, problem solving, and creativity.

His late father noticed those signs long before the world did. Although Afeez once said he wanted to become a doctor, his father had already observed his unusual attraction to electronics, repairs, and technical work. That early observation became one of the foundations of his journey.

A major turning point came around 2002 or 2003, when his father moved into a new office at Ajegunle in Osogbo, Osun State. Beside it was a technical repair shop that would shape Afeez’s future. The shop repaired manual and digital cameras, typewriters, Thuraya phones, and scientific calculators. After school, he spent time there watching the technician work, learning by observation and asking questions. His interest soon became obvious, and the shop owner suggested he be enrolled as an apprentice. His father agreed and paid for the apprenticeship, formally launching his technical journey in 2003.

He learned quickly and gained practical confidence early. In time, his boss trusted him enough to leave him in charge of shop activities when travelling. Some customers doubted that a young apprentice could handle their faulty gadgets, but his growing competence spoke for itself. As Nigeria entered a new era of mobile connectivity and GSM became more affordable and widespread, Afeez’s learning evolved with the times. By 2004, he had moved into mobile phone repairs and was already showing signs of independent technical creativity.

His curiosity did not stop at repairs. He began building things himself. He made moving toy vehicles using cassette deck motors (popular called rotor in Nigeria) and batteries. When the electronic test meters bought in the shop failed to last, he built his own using a stabilizer voltage meter and batteries. That device became known among local technicians, some of whom came to borrow it. It was an early sign of a mindset that would later define his work in digital innovation: identify a problem, build with available resources, and create value where systems fall short.

Over time, his technical curiosity expanded naturally into computing. His mother, a typist, also played an important role in that transition. Time spent around her typewriter and work environment gave him early exposure to machine interaction, structure, and disciplined use of tools. By the end of 2004, he had started using computers and the internet with ease. Older people in his area began relying on him to help them handle internet related tasks at cybercafes. That period helped him realise that his future was not only in fixing devices, but in computing, innovation, and digital transformation.

With continued support from his late father, Afeez pursued higher education, he wanted to study Computer Science at the University of Ado Ekiti, but he was offered Computer Science Education, which he accepted. Later, before entering 200 level, he gained admission to the University of East London and later studied Information Systems at the University of East London, a move that helped bridge his early hands on technical skills with broader knowledge of systems, digital tools, and innovation.

That foundation would later shape his entrepreneurial journey.

Afeez is the founder and CEO of MacTech Nigeria, a technology company incorporated in 2016, through which he has worked on a range of problem solving technology interventions. Under his leadership, the business has contributed to digital solutions that address practical challenges in mobility and public sector systems. Among its notable initiatives is WakaForMe Ride, a ride hailing and mobility platform designed to improve access to transportation services. He has also worked on digital systems for government related operations, including payroll solutions, showing his interest in using technology not only for commerce, but also for public impact.

As his vision expanded internationally, he also established MacTech Global Ventures Ltd in the United Kingdom as the vehicle for developing and scaling new technology products for wider markets. Through this UK based company, he is building a growing portfolio of digital ventures aimed at solving real life challenges in services, community engagement, payments, and digital access.

His current projects include MopMe, a cleaning technology service platform designed to connect users with trusted cleaning solutions, Zynzi, a social and spontaneous meetup platform that blends real world connection with trust driven discovery, and CommunaPay, a community wallet and group payment platform built to support shared financial activity and social payments. He is also working on London Travel Tourist AI, a digital product designed to support tourists and visitors with local guidance, itinerary and smarter navigation of city experiences, as well as a free UKTemplateHub webapp, a practical platform offering useful templates and resources for individuals and small businesses.

Beyond product building, Afeez’s story also reflects a broader commitment to advancing digital technology as a tool for opportunity, access, and systems improvement. His journey from repairing electronics in a local workshop to building digital ventures across Nigeria and the UK illustrates the power of curiosity, persistence, and practical innovation. It is a story rooted not in privilege or perfect conditions, but in early experimentation, parental support, discipline, and the courage to keep building.

His achievements also reflect growing recognition of his contribution to digital technology and entrepreneurship. From leading ventures that solve local and practical problems, to expanding into international innovation through UK based product development, Afeez represents a generation of founders using technology to bridge gaps between underserved needs and scalable solutions. His work stands at the intersection of grassroots ingenuity and modern digital ambition.

Today, he continues to build with the same mindset that shaped him as a child. What began with opening faulty electronics and broadcasting cassette music to neighbours has grown into a mission to create meaningful digital products, support innovation, and contribute to the growth of the technology ecosystem in both Nigeria and the UK.

At its core, Afeez Akinfola Oyinloye’s journey is not just about personal success. It is about the long arc of curiosity becoming capability, capability becoming enterprise, and enterprise becoming impact. In an age where digital transformation is reshaping economies and communities, his story is a reminder that innovation often starts early, quietly, and far from the spotlight.