Tayo Oviosu
{{short description|Nigerian-American Entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tayo Oviosu
| image = Paga Founder and CEO Tayo Oviosu, Cellulant Co-founder and CEO Ken Njoroge, Helios Investment Partners Vice President Fope Adelowo, and moderator Jake Bright at TechCrunch Disrupt SF.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Oviosu far left in 2018
| birth_name = Eyitayo David Oviosu
| birth_date = {{start date and age|1977|09|10}}
| birth_place = Lagos State
| nationality = Edo State, Nigerian; American
| education = Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Southern California
Master's degree in Business Administration, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| years_active = 2009–present
| known_for = Founder and Group CEO of Paga
| notable_works =
| title = Group CEO of Paga
| spouse = {{marriage |Affiong Williams |2014}}
| children =
| awards =
| website = {{URL|https://paga.com/}}
}}
Tayo Oviosu is a Nigerian-American businessman who is the founder and group CEO of Paga, a mobile payments company that is focused on digitizing cash in emerging economies. Nigeria is Paga's first market.{{Cite web|url=https://ynaija.com/tara-fela-durotoye-tayo-oviosu-funke-bucknor-more-we-present-the-10-most-powerful-under-40s-in-business-ynaijapowerlist/|title=Tara Fela-Durotoye, Tayo Oviosu, Funke Bucknor & more! We present the 10 most powerful Under-40s in Business - #YNaijaPowerList » YNaija|date=2014-03-31|website=YNaija|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-24}}{{Cite web|url=https://techcabal.com/2015/04/15/21-nigerian-tech-ceos-at-the-top-of-their-game/|title=21 Nigerian Tech CEOs at the Top of Their Game|date=2015-04-15|website=TechCabal|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24}}{{Cite web|url=https://techpoint.africa/2017/04/10/tayo-oviosu-paga-founder-ceo/|title=Meet Tayo Oviosu, the man whose financial services company has wider reach than all banks in Nigeria combined|last=touch|first=Chief Chronicler Get in|date=2017-04-10|website=Techpoint.Africa|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24}}
Eyitayo Oviosu is from Edo State by origin, he obtained a master's degree in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. He formerly served as Manager Corporate Development at Cisco Systems in San Jose California and was vice president at Travant Capital Partners in Lagos, Nigeria until 2009, when he started Paga where he is currently the Group Chief Executive Officer.{{Cite web|url=https://techpoint.africa/2017/04/03/follow-nigerian-startup-founder-blogs/|title=7 Nigerian startup founder blogs every budding entrepreneur should follow|last=touch|first=Chief Chronicler Get in|date=2017-04-03|website=Techpoint.Africa|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24}}{{Cite web|url=https://techpoint.africa/2018/09/05/paga-9-million-unique-users/|title=NIBSS figures question Paga's 9 million unique user base|last=Mobile & African Tech Enthusiast │ Music │Get in touch|date=2018-09-05|website=Techpoint.Africa|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24}}
Tayo Oviosu has also co-founded Kairos Angels.
Education
Oviosu is a graduate of Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Southern California. He also has a master's degree in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University in 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=138362326&privcapId=129149971|title=Tayo Oviosu: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2019-05-24}}{{Cite web|url=https://nairametrics.com/2018/06/16/profile-of-tayo-oviosu-founder-ceo-paga/|title=Meet Tayo Oviosu: The face behind Paga, Nigeria's largest mobile payment platform|last=Owoeye|first=Fikayo|date=2018-06-16|website=Nairametrics|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-24}}
Career
After graduating from USC, Oviosu started his career at Biomorphic VLSI as a Semiconductor Chip Design Engineer and then Event 411 as a Software Engineer all based in Los Angeles California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/SciTech/Tech4Africa/Speakers/Tayo-Oviosu-20100803|title=BIO: Tayo Oviosu|date=2010-08-03|website=News24|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24}}
He later went to work for Deloitte Consulting in the CRM and Technology practice as a Senior Consultant. After business school he joined Cisco Systems in San Jose California where he was responsible for strategy, acquisitions and private equity investments in a few segments and helped lead Cisco's investment expansion in Africa with investment opportunities. He led investments and acquisitions which include the $130m acquisition of Reactivity and investment in Guardium (Database Security, Series C, sold to IBM).{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2012/09/01/ive-got-number/|title=I've Got Your Number|last=Africa|first=Forbes|date=2012-09-01|website=Forbes Africa|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-24}} In 2008, he returned to Nigeria where he joined Travant Capital Partners and served as vice president.
In 2009, he founded Paga to address the use of cash and expand financial access.{{Cite web|url=https://nairametrics.com/2018/06/16/profile-of-tayo-oviosu-founder-ceo-paga/|title=Meet Tayo Oviosu: The face behind Paga, Nigeria's largest mobile payment platform|last=Owoeye|first=Fikayo|date=2018-06-16|website=Nairametrics|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-24}}
Personal life
Eyitayo Oviosu is from Edo State, born in Lagos by Ora, Edo State father and mother from Kogi State. He is married to an Efik woman from Cross River State, Nigeria. Affiong Williams in 2014.{{Cite web |date=2017-04-14 |title=Tayo Oviosu and Affiong Williams are relationship goals |url=https://techpoint.africa/2017/04/14/tayo-and-affiong-relationship-goals/ |access-date=2022-10-07 |website=Techpoint Africa |language=en}}