Oluseun Onigbinde is a Nigerian innovator revolutionising governance through accountability and transparency. His groundbreaking organization, BudgIT, has given millions of Nigerians access to understand and engage with government budgets like never before.
Oluseun Onigbinde is an award-winning public data visualisation expert, open government advocate, and co-founder of BudgIT, a Nigerian civic startup that uses technology to engage with institutions. He also advocates fiscal transparency and firmly believes in the power of open data.
Oluseun received his early education at Loyola College, Ibadan, where he earned the best result of the school’s 2001 set in the West African Examination Council exam. He then attended the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, to obtain a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Electrical/Electronics Engineering. He furthered his studies at Stanford University School of Business, where he completed the social entrepreneurship executive program.
CAREER
Oluseun’s first foray into the labor market in Nigeria began with his stint with Access Bank during his one-year mandatory national service. He later joined First Bank, working for three years as a Strategy Officer. The idea for BudgIT was first birthed during his time at First Bank, where he claims his interest in banking was due to his desire to be in a space that enabled him to contribute his ideas.
BudgIT
In 2011, during a hackathon held at the Co-Creation Hub, Oluseun teamed up with Joseph Agunbiade to form BudgIT. During the hackathon, they devised an idea that grants the general public access to government spending. BudgIT’s goal was to make government budgets more accessible and understandable to the average Nigerian citizen.
Oluseun and Joseph leveraged technology and data visualization tools to clarify the complexities of government spending and, at the same time, sought to empower citizens to hold their leaders accountable.
In 2014, BudgIT gained more recognition after receiving a $400,000 investment from Omidyar Network. In June 2015, the Kaduna State Government employed the firm to build Open Budget.
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Tracka
In 2014, Olugbinde’s BudgIT established Tracka, a social platform for active citizens interested in monitoring budgets and public projects in their communities. Tracka functions in 20 states in Nigeria and allows citizens to update community projects and demand the completion of government projects.
Tracka has reached over 73,581 people, generated over 3,500 user-generated reports, and monitored over 500 projects across Nigeria.
The organization also founded Civic Hive, a civic innovation hub that primarily incubates tech start-ups. His organization has reached out to over 12 million Nigerians and supports over 45 civil society organizations and public institutions. Some include NEITI, the National Assembly, and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.
Oluseun has visited at least 28 countries, expanding conversations on the need for accountability and inclusive civic engagement. He has contributed to over 40 BudgIT publications on fiscal transparency, accountability, civic engagement, extractive reform, and public sector reform. He’s also a TV analyst for Channels TV, CNBC Africa, and TVC Nigeria.
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Recognition
Oluseun’s pioneering work with BudgIT has earned him recognition at home and abroad.
2012, he was awarded the Future Awards Prize for Science and Tech Innovation. In 2016, he was inducted into the Aspen New Voice Fellowship and the Draper Hills Summer Fellowship at Standford University. In 2018, Oluseun Onigbinde was selected by the Obama Foundation for its inaugural Obama Scholars Program at Columbia University.
Looking ahead, Oluseun remains committed to advancing BudgIT’s mission and expanding its impact across Nigeria and beyond. He envisions a future where every Nigerian citizen has access to transparent and accountable governance, where government budgets are no longer shrouded in secrecy but are open and accessible to all.
Oluseun Onigbinde’s journey from a young engineer to the founder of BudgIT exemplifies the power of vision, innovation, and determination to drive positive change.