Gamsole Founder Abiola Olaniran Dies at 36, Leaving Legacy in African Gaming

Abiola Olaniran, the founder of Gamsole, a Nigerian mobile game production company, passed away at the age of 36. The cause of his death remains unknown, and he was buried on the same day, June 16, in a private ceremony. Olaniran was known for his generosity and preference for staying behind the scenes rather than seeking the spotlight. He was the first Angel Investor for Techpoint Africa, providing seed money and office space in 2015, which helped the firm through its earliest media activities.

Olaniran founded Gamsole in 2012 and later became the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of ed-tech startup eLimu Kenya in November 2020. In this role, he supervised the significant rebuilding of their mobile applications and tailored game-design initiatives to literacy styles for learners across the East African region. He left eLimu Kenya in July 2022 to focus on mentoring angel investing and young studios across the African tech sector.

Olaniran's journey in the tech industry began as a Microsoft student partner during his time at Obafemi Awolowo University. He started coding at the age of 15 and focused on game development for Microsoft’s Windows phones. As an individual developer, he uploaded applications to the Windows store, with one of his first games, "Road Blazer," garnering about 40,000 downloads within a few weeks. He was also a Google Student Ambassador and participated in the 88mph accelerator program, becoming the only Nigerian picked at the time. This led to the founding of Gamsole in 2012 after receiving seed investment from 88mph.

Gamsole, founded in Lagos, aimed to drive mobile game operations across the continent. Olaniran's team won the national victory in the 2010 Microsoft Imagine Cup and became a world finalist in the same year. He also won the Samsung Developer Challenge. By 2015, Gamsole had recorded more than 10 million downloads across various platforms in 191 countries. The company partnered with MTN in 2016 to launch Gidi Run, which repositioned game monetization initiatives across Africa. Gamsole created more than 35 games, including Gidi Run, Temple Run, Monster Ninja, Sweet Candy, Juicy Links, and Cookie Jam.

Olaniran's achievements in the gaming industry were recognized by Forbes Africa, which placed him on its "30 Under 30" list in February 2015. The following year, he was named one of the "30 Most Promising Young African Entrepreneurs." In December 2016, he won "The Future Awards Africa" Prize for Technology. His success highlighted the profitability of the African gaming industry despite scarce resources and infrastructure, attracting investors to the sector.

Olaniran's demise has left the tech world in shock, with many praising his contributions and impact on the mobile gaming industry. He will be remembered for his passion and commitment to embracing powerful change and discoveries. His legacy continues to inspire young entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts across Africa.