Nigerian fintech platform, Gigbanc held the first edition of its GigConnect on October 25, 2025 at the Zone Tech Park, Gbagada, Lagos, with hundreds of freelancers and gig workers from across Nigeria in attendance.
The event was designed to support the African gig economy by helping freelancers, remote workers, digital creators, tech talents, and entrepreneurs scale their businesses and access global opportunities.
“The primary selling point is for every single global talent in Nigeria and in Africa at large.” Ajijola Habeeb, Head of Marketing at GigBanc said.
Founded in 2024, Gigbanc serves as a neobank for global freelancers and businesses, providing financial tools to thrive in the global economy. The platform provides cross-border payment solutions, including multi-currency wallets, virtual dollar cards, and currency exchange.
Since launch, the platform has helped over 100,000 talents process over $3 million.
Mastering the skills and tools for digital success
Titled “Mastering the Skills, Mindet, and Tools for Global Digital Success,” the first panel session featured professional voices like Paul Okundaye, Co-founder and CEO of Gigbanc and Lynda Aguocha, a creative advertising and marketing communications specialist, and was moderated by Alero Boyo, founder of AlexBoyo World.
The session shed light on the core need of African digital talents with insights to actionable strategies for freelancers and gig workers. Paul Okundaye stressed on personality, peers, and mentorship as three important parts of a network.
“It doesn’t matter if you surround yourself with the best people; if you don’t open yourself to that knowledge, nothing would happen,” Okundaye said during the panel session. He also added that personal development is as important as a person’s network.
“Value is the first exchange. Before you can get back from people in the ecosystem, think about the value you can also offer to them,” Boyo said.
How African talents can thrive globally
While the contient’s gig economy is experiencing exponential growth, many professionals still struggle with limited access to international clients, competitive pay and cross-border financial tools.
Titled “How African Talents Can Thrive Globally,” the second panel session, which featured leading figures from the global tech and finance landscape, directly tackled the roadmap for African professionals to transition from local to international earning brackets.
The speaker line up featured Babatope Oni, Co-founder/CTO of Gigbanc, Daud Sulaimon Abiola, Founder, Skill Africa, and Adebola Rez Afolabi, CTO, Soft-Thread Solutions, and the session was moderated by John Onuorah, Digital Marketing Manager at Gigbanc.
“Build a reputation of delivering quality. Also communicate, let people see what you’re doing. Your stakeholders are your customers and clients, so they need to be part of that journey. When you want to scale, opportunities will come from the people who have experienced your work, and those who know what you do,” Adebola Afolabi told talents at the event.
Personal branding and negotiation
The highlight of the event was the breakout session moderated by Lynda Aguocha, who spoke to freelancers and gig workers on personal branding, positioning, and negotiation. She highlighted key elements of branding, which included clarity, consistency, authenticity, and content.
“Branding is more than aesthetics. Position yourself the way you want to be perceived. And you have to negotiate from a place of value,” Aguocha said.
The session shifted the focus from technical skills to strategic business components necessary for premium earnings in the global digital economy.
GigConnect and more
During the event, freelancers participated in a GigHustle challenge, a 120 second challenge where freelancers had to pitch their unique service, skill set, and professional value to the live audience. The winner of the challenge walked away with a $50 prize.
GigConnect 1.0 also saw musical performances from artists like Tonie the Emperor and Kold AF, who wowed the audience with their vocal renditions.
The event featured a live demo of the Gigbanc app by Paul Okundaye, CEO of Gigbanc. Alongside the display of how the app works and its current services, Okundaye stated that Gigbanc is now connected to over 200 banks in Nigeria and transactions in Naira are processed free on the app.
Gigbanc will be launching several features including Gigbanc for business, gamification features, and cashback on bill payments.
GigConnect 1.0 marked the roll-out of a significant part of Gigbanc’s goal to make the African community of freelancers and gig workers more connected especially to global opportunities.
