How three students created Nigeria’s online jobs giant

Title: Unraveling the Success Story of Nigeria’s Premier Online Job Search Giants

In the summer of 2009, three industrious Nigerian students — Ayodeji Adewunmi, Olalekan Olude, and Opeyemi Awoyemi — spearheaded a remarkable feat. As their university lecturers went on strike, they seized the opportunity to utilize their time productively, planting the seeds for the creation of Nigeria’s premier online job platform.

Rather than getting complacent, they channeled their entrepreneurial spirit into establishing an online job search engine. Their brainchild, Jobberman, bloomed into a start-up now estimated to be valued in the multimillion-dollar range just five years after its inception. Now, with a steadily growing workforce of approximately 125 employees, Jobberman continues to expand its reach within and beyond Nigeria.

Despite Nigeria’s robust economy, it struggles with significant unemployment issues, particularly among its young demographic, who are most likely to be connected to the internet. Jobberman has lucratively tapped into this potential goldmine, becoming the single largest job placement website in sub-Saharan Africa.

The platform has facilitated job placements for an impressive 35,000 individuals in the past two years alone. Moreover, the number of companies relying on Jobberman to discover potential employees has exponentially increased from about 40 in 2009 to a staggering estimated 35,000 today.


According to co-founder Olalekan Olude, “The growth has been tremendous, it’s at rocket speed. One of the biggest challenges has been to keep up with the volume of work”. However, he also beams with pride, noting that each successful job placement through their platform helps support an entire household.

Overcoming Skepticism

The journey to success, however, hasn’t been without challenges. “In the beginning, a lot of people did not trust an internet-based business because at that time a lot of people were using the internet to perpetuate fraud here in Nigeria,” Olude explains.

Despite initial distrust, Jobberman thrived parallel to the growth and acceptance of other online businesses in Nigeria. It quickly grew in popularity and credibility, with companies gradually increasing the number of job postings upon gaining trust in the platform’s legitimacy and efficacy.

In 2012, Jobberman began to receive requests from clients wanting to use the platform to hire in Ghana. Rising to the occasion, the platform extended its services beyond Nigeria, and two years later, Jobberman claims to be the top online job site in both Ghana and Nigeria.

The company has recently also broadened its reach to Kenya through a partnership with another job site, Brighter Monday. This collaboration has enabled Jobberman to establish a presence in Uganda and Tanzania as well.


The platform’s efficiency is reflected in its users’ experiences. For example, Amarachi Apakama landed an executive assistant position at a mobile phone content company despite not having formally applied. She reports that this opportunity had a profound impact on her life, enhancing her confidence and morale immensely.

The Ripple Effect

Co-founder Ayodeji Adewunmi shares that Jobberman takes great pride in their role in fostering economic empowerment. According to Ayodeji, “One company recruited more than 80% of their employees through the site. Another time, a director was able to hire a former colleague in the United States to come and work for his company here in Lagos. All amazing stories.”

Olalekan Olude elaborates on the vast impacts Jobberman has had on households in Nigeria. He explains, “If you put food on the table by virtue of getting a job for someone, that person also fends for a mother, or a brother, and you create a multiplier effect within that household.”

With this massive ripple effect, the founders of Jobberman are motivated to continue their mission — to bridge the gap between employers and potential employees one job at a time.

Source: Jason Boswell/BBC

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.

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