Meet the Nigerian Founder Who Walked Away From Tech and Built West Africa’s Largest Safety Footwear Company
When Yinka Atunde graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Babcock University, few would have predicted that his future lay not in software development or Silicon Valley, but in the rugged world of industrial footwear manufacturing.
Today, Atunde is the founder and CEO of Yikodeen, West Africa’s largest safety footwear manufacturer, a company that has transformed from a modest operation producing just 20 pairs of shoes daily into an industrial powerhouse capable of manufacturing over 5,000 pairs every 24 hours. In 2025, the company reached another major milestone after securing a $1.5 million investment from Aruwa Capital Management to accelerate its expansion and strengthen local manufacturing capacity.
Yet the journey began with an unexpected delay and a bold decision that changed everything.
A Career Detour That Became a Lifelong Mission
Nearly a decade ago, Atunde found himself in unfamiliar territory. Having completed his university education, he was preparing for the next chapter of his life when delays in Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme left him with an entire year of uncertainty.
For many graduates, the setback would have been frustrating. For Atunde, it became an opportunity for reflection.
With no immediate plans and time suddenly on his hands, he began questioning what he truly wanted to do with his future. While many of his peers were pursuing careers in technology or planning postgraduate studies abroad, Atunde was drawn to something entirely different.
Rather than following a conventional path, he approached his parents with an unusual proposal: he wanted to spend a year learning how to make shoes.
What seemed like an unconventional choice at the time would later become the foundation of one of West Africa’s most remarkable manufacturing success stories.
Learning the Craft Across Continents
Driven by curiosity and a desire to understand the industry firsthand, Atunde travelled to Italy, one of the world’s most respected footwear manufacturing hubs, where he immersed himself in the art and science of shoemaking.
He later expanded his learning journey to China, the global epicentre of footwear production, gaining valuable insights into large-scale manufacturing systems and operational efficiency.
Upon returning to Nigeria and completing his NYSC programme, Atunde made another surprising move. Instead of immediately launching a company, he joined a Nigerian shoe manufacturing factory as a worker.
His objective was simple: understand the realities of local production from the ground up.
Working on the factory floor exposed him to the challenges, inefficiencies and opportunities within Nigeria’s footwear industry. While he admired the craftsmanship and precision he had witnessed in Italy, he also recognised significant gaps in local production systems.
Rather than discouraging him, those gaps convinced him that a major opportunity existed.
Discovering a Gap in Nigeria’s Industrial Market
Atunde initially explored fashion footwear, but deeper market research revealed a much larger opportunity. He discovered that the vast majority of industrial safety footwear used by companies across Nigeria was imported.
The finding immediately captured his attention.
Unlike regular footwear, safety boots require rigorous testing, strict quality standards, international certifications and advanced manufacturing processes. Producing them successfully meant competing in a highly specialised market where quality could directly impact workers’ safety and lives.
For Atunde, that complexity was not a deterrent, it was an attraction.
Believing that difficult industries often create stronger barriers to entry and more sustainable businesses, he shifted his focus toward industrial safety footwear and began laying the foundation for what would become Yikodeen.
Reviving Nigeria’s Forgotten Manufacturing Heritage
Launching a safety footwear company came with enormous challenges.
The machinery required to manufacture industrial-grade safety boots was expensive and largely inaccessible for a young startup operating on limited resources. Purchasing brand-new equipment was financially impossible.
Instead of giving up, Atunde began researching Nigeria’s manufacturing history and uncovered a surprising reality.
Decades ago, Nigeria had a thriving footwear manufacturing industry. Although many factories had shut down over the years due to economic challenges and competition from imported products, much of their equipment remained abandoned in warehouses across the country.
Determined to find a solution, Atunde embarked on a nationwide search.
He travelled from state to state, visiting more than 15 defunct footwear factories and meeting former factory owners whose businesses had long ceased operations. He purchased old machinery and worked closely with local engineers to restore and modernise the equipment.
The process was slow, expensive and often frustrating. Machines frequently broke down, replacement parts were difficult to source and production remained inconsistent.
Nevertheless, Yikodeen gradually built a functioning factory using machinery many considered obsolete, proving that innovation often comes from resourcefulness rather than abundance.
Winning Trust in a Market Dominated by Imports
Building the factory was only half the battle.
Convincing customers to trust locally manufactured safety footwear proved even more challenging.
For years, many of Nigeria’s largest corporations preferred imported brands that had dominated the market for decades. The notion that a Nigerian company could deliver comparable quality was met with scepticism.
Despite repeated rejections, Yikodeen remained committed to continuous improvement.
The company invested heavily in product development, quality assurance, testing and certification. Every failed trial represented another financial burden, but each setback also provided valuable lessons that strengthened the business.
Atunde and his team continued refining their products, returning to potential clients with improved versions and demonstrating their commitment to meeting global standards.Their persistence eventually began to pay off.
The Breakthrough That Changed Everything
A major turning point came through support from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), which helped facilitate testing opportunities within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Recognising the importance of local content policies, Atunde strategically positioned Yikodeen to compete in sectors where Nigerian manufacturers could gain meaningful access.After nearly three years of rigorous testing, certification and product refinement, the breakthrough finally arrived.
In 2022, Yikodeen secured approval to supply 10,000 pairs of safety footwear to the Nigerian Police Force.
The landmark contract validated years of sacrifice, investment and perseverance.More importantly, it changed market perception.
Organizations that had once overlooked locally manufactured safety footwear began to take notice. Demand increased rapidly, and new opportunities emerged across multiple industries.
Today, Yikodeen serves more than 50 corporate and institutional clients, including leading organizations such as the Dangote Group, BUA Group, Seplat, NLNG, Saipem and the Nigerian Army.
Scaling for the Future
As demand accelerated, Yikodeen faced a new challenge: expanding production capacity fast enough to meet growing orders.The company had largely grown through bootstrapping and reinvested earnings. However, in 2025, it entered a new phase of growth after securing a $1.5 million investment from Aruwa Capital Management.
The funding has enabled Yikodeen to significantly scale its operations through a newly commissioned world-class manufacturing facility in Ejigbo, Lagos.
Today, the company produces more than 5,000 pairs of safety footwear daily and employs over 500 people, with women accounting for more than 61 percent of its workforce.The investment marks a major step toward establishing Nigeria as a leading industrial manufacturing hub while creating jobs and reducing dependence on imported products.
Building More Than a Footwear Company
For Atunde, however, safety boots are only the beginning.His long-term vision extends beyond footwear into a broader industrial safety ecosystem that includes a range of protective equipment and workplace safety solutions currently imported into Africa.
Having proven that world-class manufacturing can thrive locally, he believes Nigerian companies can successfully compete in industries traditionally dominated by foreign suppliers.
Yikodeen’s growth story stands as evidence that local manufacturing can achieve international standards, create employment, attract investment and contribute meaningfully to economic development.It is also a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship often begins with unconventional choices.
What started as a delayed NYSC programme and a desire to learn shoemaking has evolved into one of Africa’s most inspiring manufacturing success stories.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Atunde offers a simple but realistic message: manufacturing is not a shortcut to quick wealth. It requires patience, resilience and a long-term commitment to solving difficult problems.
But for those willing to endure the challenges, the rewards can extend far beyond financial success, they can help build industries, create opportunities and transform entire economies.
