Brand Communicator has announced the winners of its prestigious 35 Under 35 Awards, naming Waza’s head of Marketing and Growth, Muyiwa Babarinde, among the standout young professionals redefining the future of Nigeria’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) industry.
Babarinde was recognised alongside 34 other emerging leaders drawn from top brands and agencies across the country, in what organisers described as one of the most competitive editions of the awards. This year’s honourees were selected from nearly 30,000 nominations, underscoring the scale, interest, and credibility of the recognition programme.
The Brandcom 35 Under 35 Award celebrates professionals under the age of 35 who are demonstrating exceptional innovation, strategic clarity, and measurable business impact in communications, branding, and marketing.
The recognition celebrates young professionals whose ideas, execution, and results are reshaping marketing and communications across Nigeria and West Africa. For Babarinde, it marks a meaningful milestone in a career spanning technology, fintech, enterprise software, and consumer brands.
Babarinde has built a reputation for combining sharp strategy with deep market insight. At Waza, he has been instrumental in the company’s rapid expansion and contributed to its achievement of processing more than one billion dollars in payments. His work has helped position the company as an essential part of Africa’s trading infrastructure through its multi-currency payment solutions.
His record of impact stretches across some of the continent’s most influential brands. He supported the early growth of SeamlessHR as it became one of Africa’s leading HR technology platforms. At Red Media Africa, he helped strengthen Facebook’s product presence across African markets. He also contributed to Uber’s expansion in West Africa and later led strategic marketing initiatives for Alpha Mead Group across twelve African countries. Each role reinforced his ability to craft narratives that resonate and drive measurable business growth.
Joshua Ajayi, convener of the Brandcom Awards and Publisher of Brand Communicator, described this year’s honorees as leaders who are raising the bar for the industry. He noted that their creativity, clarity of thinking, and commitment to results are defining a new standard for marketing excellence.
The Brandcom 35 Under 35 category is one of Nigeria’s most competitive recognition programs for early-career marketing leadership. This year’s awardees were selected from nearly thirty thousand nominations, reflecting the scale and credibility of the selection process. The award celebrates professionals who bring innovation, consistency, and business impact to the Integrated Marketing Communications ecosystem.
Reflecting on the honour, Babarinde said the recognition is a reminder of the collective energy behind his work. He acknowledged the teams and partners who have shaped his journey and emphasised that marketing is at its best when it helps businesses grow and strengthens communities. He added that being recognised alongside other talented professionals inspires him to contribute even more to Africa’s marketing landscape.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Babarinde has remained committed to social impact. As a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community in Lagos, where he once served as Curator, he has supported initiatives that address education, healthcare, and civic engagement. His 2024 blood donation campaign, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, demonstrates his belief in using his influence for public good.
Babarinde’s career has been marked by several accolades, including winning the Young Lions PR Nigeria competition, receiving two SABRE Awards for brand building and reputation management, and earning a nomination for The Future Awards Africa Prize for Professional Service. These achievements underline both the quality and consistency of his work.
The 2025 cohort also includes 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 from FrieslandCampina WAMCO. Each honoree has made a distinct contribution to the evolution of marketing practice in Nigeria.
