Visionary engineer, founder of Africa’s first mobile phone repair assurance company, honoured for blending technical innovation with grassroots development.
The 2026 edition of the prestigious INAward has named Engr. Femi Olufemi Sanni, widely known as Araba, as its Social Impact Man of the Year, a recognition that celebrates his unique fusion of engineering excellence, entrepreneurial daring, and community-focused philanthropy.
Araba, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (FNICE) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), is not your conventional businessman. Long before the current wave of tech-driven service models swept across Nigeria, he pioneered Africa’s first mobile phone repair assurance company, a bold, forward-thinking solution that changed how millions of consumers protect their devices. By introducing a structured, reliable warranty system for phone repairs, he filled a critical gap in the continent’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem, offering customer protection and service reliability where none previously existed.
But his impact stretches far beyond boardrooms and balance sheets. Over the past decade, Araba has quietly built a reputation as a philanthropist who prefers action over applause. Through his Stefolga Group, his commercial radio station Flow FM 92.7, and his football development initiative Araba FC, he has touched thousands of lives in Kwara State and beyond, from free medical outreaches that have served over 450 people in a single day to youth empowerment programmes that give young people tangible skills and hope.
The INAward 2026 citation highlighted Araba’s ability to “marry technical mastery with a heart for the people,” noting that his brand of social impact is not reactive but structural. By building enterprises that solve real problems and simultaneously channelling resources into education, health, and grassroots sports, he has created a replicable model for sustainable development.
In his acceptance, Araba dedicated the award to the “unsung heroes of Kwara” – the everyday citizens, the market women, the young dreamers, and the community leaders who inspire him to keep pushing boundaries. “True social impact is not about the size of your cheque,” he said. “It is about the consistency of your presence and the depth of your care.”
The award further cements Araba’s growing influence as a technocrat with a social conscience, positioning him not only as a business icon but as a leading voice in the conversation about inclusive, people-first development in Nigeria.
