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Nigerian musician-turned-entrepreneur Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, has signalled plans to eventually take his technology-focused business to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), saying Nigerians should have an opportunity to invest in locally built global companies.
In an interview with Nairametrics, Mr Eazi said he is increasingly interested in Nigeria’s capital market and hopes to follow the example of prominent Nigerian business leaders who have built large companies locally and opened their ownership to the public through the exchange.
‘It Will Be a Pleasure to List a Technology Company’
Mr Eazi, who founded emPawa Africa and is building the broader Choplife business, said a future NGX listing would allow Nigerians to participate directly in the growth of technology and intellectual-property businesses created on the continent.
He noted that he already invests in the Nigerian stock market and has gained an appreciation for the level of organisation and regulation surrounding listed companies.
According to him, the ambition is to move beyond the traditional model of Nigerian companies listing brick-and-mortar businesses and demonstrate that technology and intellectual property can also become locally listed assets.
He cited Abdul Samad Rabiu, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola as examples of business leaders whose paths have influenced his thinking.
“It will be a pleasure to list a technology company on the NGX,” Mr Eazi said.
However, he indicated that the process remains at an early stage and that the timing of any potential listing would depend on the business reaching the appropriate point.
Choplife Expands Beyond Music
Choplife has evolved from Mr Eazi’s music interests into a broader entertainment and technology platform spanning music, events, gaming, media, sports and intellectual property.
The entrepreneur explained that the business began with emPawa Africa before expanding into events through Detty Rave and subsequently into gaming and sports.
The strategy is built around the idea that entertainment increasingly depends on technology and digital payments, creating opportunities for businesses that connect different parts of Africa’s consumer economy.
Mr Eazi said the company is therefore not focused solely on developing technology products, but also on creating and owning intellectual property across digital and physical entertainment.
Why Itana Became Part of the Strategy
Another major development in Choplife’s expansion is its move into Itana, a digital-first business hub in Nigeria.
Mr Eazi said the decision was influenced by the need to centralise operations on the continent and reduce some of the administrative and cross-border challenges associated with operating businesses across multiple African jurisdictions.
He argued that companies operating across Africa frequently encounter different regulatory, banking, foreign exchange and tax requirements in each country.
For a business moving money and operating digitally across several markets, he said, those differences can create significant friction and tie up capital.
According to him, Itana’s digital-first structure and its connection to the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) make it attractive as an operational base, particularly because of the predictable regulatory and tax framework being developed around the zone.
Over 21 Engineers Already Working From Nigeria
Mr Eazi also disclosed that Choplife already has more than 21 engineers working from Nigeria, developing technology products locally.
He expressed concern that the quality of Nigerian engineering talent does not receive enough attention internationally, arguing that Nigerian developers are capable of producing technology designed for African markets while meeting global standards.
The company is also considering developing a physical campus where engineers, entrepreneurs and creatives can work and interact.
Beyond technology development, Mr Eazi said Choplife intends to explore opportunities for producing film, media and other creative content from its operations in Itana.
African Businesses Still Face Regulatory Friction
Operating across multiple African countries remains one of the biggest challenges for technology companies, according to Mr Eazi.
He pointed to the absence of a fully integrated African market, noting that businesses often have to repeat licensing and regulatory procedures whenever they enter a new country.
He gave the example of Nigeria and neighbouring Benin Republic, where geographical proximity does not translate into similar regulatory processes for technology companies.
Mr Eazi argued that greater cooperation between African governments could reduce the time and cost involved in cross-border expansion.
He also backed initiatives promoting closer economic integration across the continent, saying governments and entrepreneurs need to communicate more effectively across jurisdictions.
Investment in pawaPay Shapes Founder Outlook
Mr Eazi’s perspective has also been influenced by his involvement with fintech company pawaPay, where he is an investor and board member.
He said the experience of working closer to operating businesses has changed how he assesses founders and startups.
Rather than focusing primarily on headline growth figures, he said he has developed greater appreciation for entrepreneurs building sustainable products and solving genuine business problems.
He argued that direct exposure to businesses using financial technology has provided a better understanding of the challenges facing founders across markets including Nigeria, Ghana, Mali and Uganda.
‘Reputational Risk’ Still Hurts African Startups
Mr Eazi identified perception as another major obstacle facing African technology companies seeking capital.
He argued that international investors can sometimes view African businesses through the lens of negative narratives, creating what he described as a reputational challenge for founders.
He called for greater attention to successful African businesses and smaller wins that demonstrate the continent’s capacity to produce competitive companies.
According to him, the difference in investor perception can be significant when an entrepreneur establishes a company outside Africa, compared with building the same business from an African jurisdiction.
Building an African Company for the World
Rather than setting a specific 10-year target, Mr Eazi said his immediate priority is building a Pan-African company that is genuinely African in its ownership, operations and structure while maintaining global standards.
His broader ambition is to build on the foundations created by earlier generations of African entrepreneurs and leave structures that future founders can also leverage.
For the NGX, a successful listing of a technology company associated with Mr Eazi would also represent a different kind of capital-market story — one in which technology, entertainment, intellectual property and African consumer businesses become part of the public-equities ecosystem.
For now, however, the proposed listing remains a future ambition rather than a confirmed transaction.
NGX
