Muyiwa Babarinde, the Head of Marketing and Growth at the fintech platform Waza, has been officially recognised as one of Nigeria's most outstanding young marketing leaders. This honour came as part of the highly competitive Brandcom "35 Under 35" Awards for 2025, which spotlight the top professionals shaping the marketing and communications landscape across Nigeria and West Africa.
A Career Defined by Strategic Growth and Impact
Babarinde's recognition marks a significant milestone in a career that has spanned technology, fintech, enterprise software, and consumer brands. At Waza, his strategic leadership has been instrumental in the company's expansion, contributing directly to its achievement of processing over one billion dollars in payments. His work has helped position Waza as essential infrastructure for African businesses engaging in international trade through its multi-currency solutions.
His professional journey showcases a consistent ability to drive growth at scale. Babarinde played a key role in the early growth of SeamlessHR, a leading HR tech platform. He later drove Facebook's product penetration across African markets while at Red Media Africa and contributed to Uber's strategic expansion in West Africa. Furthermore, his tenure at Alpha Mead Group saw him managing complex marketing initiatives across 12 different African countries, solidifying his expertise in multi-market strategy execution.
Rigorous Selection and Industry Praise
The Brandcom "35 Under 35" award is one of Nigeria's most rigorous recognitions for emerging marketing talent. The 2025 honourees were selected from a pool of nearly 30,000 nominations, judged on innovation, consistent excellence, and tangible business impact within the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) sector.
Joshua Ajayi, Convener of the awards and Publisher of Brand Communicator, praised the cohort. He stated that these professionals are redefining industry excellence through their creativity, strategic thinking, and measurable results, thereby setting new standards for marketing communications in Nigeria and beyond.
Beyond the Boardroom: A Commitment to Social Good
In his reaction to the award, Babarinde highlighted the power of collaboration and credited the incredible teams he has worked with. He described marketing as a discipline that creates pathways for business growth and community prosperity, expressing honour at the recognition and motivation to continue contributing to Africa's marketing landscape.
His commitment extends far beyond corporate achievements. As a former Curator of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community in Lagos, he has championed projects focused on education, healthcare, and civic engagement. A notable example is his 2024 blood donation initiative, executed in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, which demonstrates his dedication to leveraging his platform for societal benefit.
Babarinde's previous accolades include winning the Young Lions PR Nigeria competition, receiving two SABRE Awards for brand-building in Africa, and earning a nomination for The Future Awards Africa Prize for Professional Service.
Other distinguished marketing professionals honoured in the 2025 Brandcom "35 Under 35" list include Oyetola Akeredolu of Diageo, Damilare Akinpelu of Ogilvy Africa, Yewande Ade-Alao of Seven-Up Bottling Company, Olawande Meyungbo of Promasidor, and Moninnuola Kassim of Peak (FrieslandCampina WAMCO).
