Cheers to 2025
January 5, 2025
Every New Year holds promise, as though it is any different from the turn of
Akin Akingbogun, Engineer, Author, and Clean-Tech Innovator.
In an era that increasingly demands hyper-specialization, Akin Akingbogun stands out as a refreshing anomaly. He is a man who refuses to be confined to a single box. By day, he is the Co-founder and Vice President of Mobility at Qoray Mobility and Energies Limited, driving Africa’s electric vehicle revolution. By night, he is a published author of psychological thrillers, a prolific blogger, and the self-styled “Duke of Small Talks.” [1] [2]
Akingbogun’s journey is a masterclass in integrating seemingly disparate passions—engineering precision, corporate strategy, entrepreneurial innovation, and artistic storytelling—into a cohesive, impact-driven life. His story is not just about personal achievement; it is a blueprint for the modern African changemaker.
The Foundation of a Polymath
Akingbogun’s intellectual foundation rests on solid technical and business training. He holds a Master’s degree in Water and Environmental Engineering from the University of Lagos (2007) and an MBA in Business Marketing from Obafemi Awolowo University (2018). He further honed his leadership skills at the prestigious Lagos Business School. [3]
For nearly two decades, he built a robust career in the downstream oil and gas sector, where he developed expertise in project management and infrastructure design. One of his notable early achievements was the revolutionary redesign of access gates for retail filling stations—a pragmatic, cost-effective solution that became an industry standard across Nigeria. [3]
This early success revealed a pattern that would define his career: the ability to identify practical inefficiencies and engineer elegant solutions that scale.
Leading the Clean Energy Revolution
Akingbogun’s transition from fossil fuels to clean energy marks a significant evolution in his career. During his tenure as Head of Mobility and Projects, Renewable Energy at Sterling Bank, he became a vocal advocate for sustainable transportation. He was instrumental in developing innovative financing solutions to support the local production of electric vehicles, particularly in response to Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal. [4]
Today, his most prominent role is at Qoray Mobility and Energies Limited. Under his leadership, Qoray is not merely deploying vehicles; it is building a fully integrated electric mobility ecosystem tailored to African cities. [5]
In January 2025, Qoray achieved a monumental milestone: its flagship Electric Teak tricycle, driven by Nigerian rider Sekinat Taiwo, set a Guinness World Record by covering 347.11 kilometers in 12 hours. [6]
“Our Guinness World Record achievement wasn’t just about boundaries; it was about proving that African-built electric vehicles can compete with the world’s best. One year later, the real victory is the confidence our partners, riders, and state governments now place in the Qoray Electric Teak.” — Olabanjo Alimi, CEO of Qoray Mobility [6]
Since that record-breaking run, Qoray has deployed over 2,000 Electric Teak tricycles across Nigerian cities like Kano and Ilorin. These deployments have created green jobs, reduced daily operating costs for riders by over 30%, and established critical infrastructure, including Nigeria’s first commercially available AC and DC charging stations.
The Duke of Small Talks: A Return to Creativity
While his engineering and business achievements are formidable, Akingbogun’s creative identity adds a profound layer to his profile. After a 22-year hiatus from creative writing—a pause he attributes to the pursuit of career success—he returned to his literary roots in 2019. [3]
Adopting the persona “The Duke of Small Talks,” he launched a blog that quickly became a repository for his keen observations of human behavior. Since then, he has authored over 350 short fiction stories and published four books:
His latest novel, Damaged Goods (released in April 2026), exemplifies his writing philosophy. It moves beyond traditional crime-solving to explore the emotional forces behind human decision-making. [7]
“Rather than presenting crime as random, the story suggests that tragedy often grows out of everyday human weaknesses, such as jealousy, anger, insecurity, and silence. It’s not just about who committed the crime, but why it happened and what it reveals about us.” — Akin Akingbogun [7]
The Incurable Optimist
What truly sets Akingbogun apart is his authentic vulnerability and relentless optimism. He openly discusses his failures and business setbacks, reframing them as essential learning opportunities. This transparency makes him highly relatable and effective in his role as a certified business leadership and performance coach through his outfit, MindVolution. [1] [3]
He is a sought-after speaker, notably delivering a TEDx talk in 2024 titled “Storytelling for Impact,” where he demonstrated how narrative can drive social change. [8]
Akingbogun is a devoted family man, married to Tolulope and father to three children, all of whom show promising literary inclinations. He balances his high-achieving career with personal interests like playing the piano, traveling, and voracious reading. [3]
Conclusion: A Model for the Modern Professional
Akin Akingbogun’s life is a testament to the power of multidisciplinary integration. He does not write as an engineer who dabbles in fiction, nor does he innovate as a banker who happens to care about the climate. He integrates these identities deliberately, using technical knowledge to inform sustainable business, storytelling to humanize leadership, and coaching to amplify impact.
In a world that often demands we choose one path, Akingbogun invites us to embrace our multiple potentials. He is, in his own words, an “incurable optimist” who genuinely believes that the right mindset and determination can change the world. And looking at his track record—from setting global records in clean mobility to probing the depths of the human condition through literature—it is clear he is doing exactly that.
References
[1] Akin Akingbogun Personal Website. “Profile.” https://akinakingbogun.com/ [2] LinkedIn. “Akin Akingbogun Profile.” https://ng.linkedin.com/in/akin-akingbogun-b9679718[3] Reference Document: “Akin Akingbogun Profile.docx”[4] TechCabal. “Sterling Bank Drives E-Mobility Innovation.” June 5, 2024.
[5] Qoray Mobility. “Official Website.”https://qoraymobility.com/ [6] TechCabal. “Qoray’s electric teak: From Guinness World Record to nationwide EV momentum.” January 30, 2026. https://techcabal.com/2026/01/30/teak-tricycle-guiness-world-record/ [7] Punch Newspapers. “Author explores consequences of poor decisions in new novel.” April 19, 2026. https://punchng.com/author-explores-consequences-of-poor-decisions-in-new-novel/ [8] TEDxNUTM. “Storytelling for impact! | Akin Akingbogun.” September 2024.
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