Currently pursuing advanced studies in UX Design, Toba's journey began with a BSc in Geology from the University of Ibadan. His passion for design led him to reimagine user experiences, designing high-fidelity UI solutions for a variety of platforms, from mobile apps to web-based applications. As the Lead Product Designer at The Market Hub, Toba has spearheaded the redesign of core applications, creating user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes that improve usability by integrating user feedback and addressing complex business requirements.

As the Chief Product Officer at CODETRATIVE, he spearheaded the launch of AI-powered healthcare solutions for Norway and Sweden, achieving significant operational efficiencies and improving patient care outcomes. His leadership in developing ThriftPals, a communal savings app, showcased his ability to drive innovative product strategies, with a 15% higher retention rate during beta testing compared to competitors. Additionally, Toba optimized company operations by managing cross-functional teams, enhancing collaboration, and achieving a 25% revenue increase through market-aligned product strategies.

His collaborative ethos has also seen him work closely with UX engineers, product managers, and clients to deliver scalable solutions that meet KPIs and success metrics. Notably, his past projects have achieved a 30% increase in user sign-ups through optimized UI/UX design.

Profile of Toba Samuel, a Nigerian Product Designer and Creative Director specializing in UI/UX and game design.

Lagos Meet is showcasing talented Nigerian creators and hosting 'playful' meetups and insightful conversations to inspire more excellent work.

Lagos Meet

Call of Duty Mobile UI Concept

Ever wondered what it would be like to protect Lagos from unknown gunmen? Lagos Invasion by Samreel Entertainment is a thrilling first-person shooter game that lets you serve Nigeria by protecting Lagos from would-be assailants. This game takes you on a mission through Lagos' most famous landmarks.

The game is currently in testing, and will be released soon. Tag along with @samreelentertainment as they prepare to launch an adventure where you can defend the city like never before.


Lagos Invasion, a first-person shooter game by Samreel Entertainment, allows players to protect Lagos from unknown gunmen.

Lagos Invasion

One Chance Games by Babafemi Fagbemi, Ifedayo Ojo, and Timeyin Gordon lets you experience Nigeria through an intensive boardgame experience. The most Lagosian boardgame ever, One Chance mirrors the harsh reality often expressed in Nigeria as "no chance of escape, where 'only God can save you.'" The game educates players on how to be street-smart, grow wealth, save, invest wisely, and achieve their dreams. For more product design work, follow @babafemi.f, @ifedayoh_ and @gtimeyin. Follow @onechancegame to start playing.

Collaborators
Creative Direction: Babafemi Fagbemi
Art Direction: Timeyin Gordon, Ifedayo Ojo, Babafemi Fagbemi
Product Design: Ifedayo Ojo, Babafemi Fagbemi
Product Visualization: Timeyin Gordon

One Chance Games offers an intensive boardgame experience that reflects the reality of life in Nigeria.

Game Design

Nobody ever expected the guns welded in backstreet workshops from Awka to Aba to show up in video games—but East Replica is dragging them into our games. They’re not romanticizing anything. They’re simply saying: 

our reality is detailed enough, complex enough, and historic enough to deserve a place in the worlds we build.

 This shift is what more African creators need to adopt when it comes to asset creation and authenticity in game art.

East Replica’s work is inspired by the fearsome objects Nigerians may see with an hunter, an armed robber, unknown gunman, or professional bandit. Their weapon models especially—age-worn shotguns, battered magazines, patched-up rifles—don’t look like the fantasy props you will see in most digital marketplaces. They look like they have lived a life. They look like they’ve been held, modified, repaired, and passed down.

Weapons— are notoriously one of the most technically demanding asset categories in game production. It means learning mechanical logic, understanding how materials age, how metal responds to wear, how wood darkens with sweat and sun. It meant obsessing over details most people overlook.

Their choice to represent local weapons and props isn’t some aesthetic gimmick. They understand that reality—our reality—is rich ground for world-building. There’s also something deeper in what they’re doing. When Nigerian creators build worlds, they often pull heavily from the West—Western rooms, Western props, Western textures—because that’s what’s available in the global asset libraries. East Replica is challenging that. They’re creating the assets our corner of the world seems to be missing. The ones that make our game spaces feel real, and not look decorated with borrowed aesthetics.

And this shift matters. When a local studio wants to build a scene set in Port Harcourt, they shouldn’t have to texture over assets meant for a New York back alley. With work like East Replica’s, they finally have pieces that reflect the kind of considerations you want to see in your very own awka-made rifle.

The more Nigerian creators control the materials of our digital future, the more honest the worlds we build become. East Replica’s growth signals something other creators need to hear. Specialization isn’t a limitation. It can be a massive leverage.

Nobody ever expected the guns welded in backstreet workshops from Awka to Aba to show up in video games.