Minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, Bosun Tijani, has expressed sorrow over the death of Abiola Olaniran, renowned tech entrepreneur and founder of mobile game company Gamsole.

In a heartfelt message shared on his Instagram page on Saturday, the minister described Olaniran as a “rare talent” whose contribution to Nigeria’s tech ecosystem will never be forgotten.

“I’m deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Abiola Olaniran. Abiola was a rare talent- visionary, humble, and committed to using technology to solve real problems,” Tijani wrote.

He recalled working with Olaniran during the acquisition and transformation of eLimu, a Kenyan education technology firm where Olaniran served as chief technology officer between 2020 and 2022.

“His quiet brilliance and dedication left a lasting mark on everything he touched,” Tijani added.

“Nigeria has lost one of its finest minds in the tech space far too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. Rest well, Abiola. Your impact will not be forgotten.”

Abiola Olaniran died on Wednesday at the age of 36.

While the cause of death remains unclear, sources say he was buried the same day in a private ceremony.

Olaniran was celebrated across the continent for his role in building Africa’s mobile gaming ecosystem.

A graduate of Computer Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, he rose to prominence after representing Nigeria at the Microsoft Imagine Cup in Poland in 2010 and later winning the Samsung Developer Challenge.

In 2012, he founded Gamsole, a Lagos-based gaming company that went on to achieve over 10 million downloads across 191 countries by 2015.

Gamsole was behind popular games like Gidi Run (in partnership with MTN), Monster Ninja, Sweet Candy and a localised version of Temple Run.

Throughout his career, Olaniran earned numerous accolades.

He was named to Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list in 2015, included among the 30 Most Promising Young African Entrepreneurs in 2016 and won The Future Awards Africa Prize for Technology that same year.

He was also an early investor in Techpoint Africa, now one of the continent’s leading tech media platforms.

His sudden death has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s tech and creative industries, with tributes pouring in from fellow innovators, entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders.

Olaniran is remembered not just as a developer, but as a pioneer who inspired a generation of African game makers with his vision of making tech-driven entertainment accessible, relevant and proudly local.