Across Africa, small and growing businesses face a persistent challenge which is access to quality consulting.
High costs, shattered expertise, and limited guidance in areas like HR, finance, and growth leave startups struggling to organize teams, maintain accounting compliance, and scale effectively.
Many promising ventures falter not because of lack of ideas, but due to gaps in operational execution.
In this edition of Techparley’s Drive100, where we spotlight Africa’s most promising emerging innovations, out attention is on People Advisor Limited, a Nigerian startup bridging this consulting gap.
According to Omobolanle Antonia Ayoola, Founder and CEO, the company helps SMEs “start right, grow sustainably, and compete effectively,” ensuring that operational foundations match entrepreneurial ambition.
What You Should Know About People Advisor
People Advisor Limited addresses a critical need in Africa’s startup ecosystem such as affordable, accessible, and practical business consulting.
Its subscription-based model allows startups to focus on their core operations while the advisory team handles critical functions like HR, accounting, and growth strategy.
“Many small and growing businesses in Africa struggle to access quality consulting due to high costs, fragmented expertise, and limited guidance across critical business areas,” notes Ayoola.
The startup combines strategic guidance with practical tools, including support for social media, product development, and compliance, allowing SMEs to build structured, scalable businesses without incurring the prohibitive cost of hiring multiple consultants or large advisory firms.
Building the Consulting Gap for Small Businesses
Small businesses often operate without structured teams, formal accounting processes, or compliance frameworks. This leads to inefficiencies, lost opportunities, and stalled growth.
People Advisor Limited bridges this gap by offering hands-on advisory from ideation to execution, guiding startups in everything from team structuring to financial oversight.
Ayoola highlights, “Our service starts from the very first level of business ideation and we have supported over 20 SMEs and startups across Nigeria guiding them in business structuring, people systems, and growth strategy.”
By integrating advisory support across multiple business functions, the startup provides a one-stop solution that saves clients time, cost, and operational headaches.
How the Model Works, and Why It Matters
The startup operates on a subscription-based consulting model, providing continuous support for startups without upfront heavy fees. This approach ensures predictable costs and ongoing access to expertise.
“Rather than multiple organizations, you have all your business being managed in one place,” Ayoola explains, underscoring the convenience and efficiency of the model.
People Advisor Limited also organizes People, Product & Code (PPC), Nigeria’s first trade fair connecting startups, software developers, and talent with investors, recruiters, and potential clients.
“This event aims to give visibility to businesses and jobs to professionals with ease,” says Ayoola.
The combination of consulting and ecosystem-building initiatives strengthens networks, improves visibility, and enhances the practical impact of advisory services.
Inside the Team Fueling the Mission
The company’s diverse and experienced team underpins its success.
Omobolanle Antonia Ayoola (CEO & Lead HR Consultant): Experienced in HR-as-a-service and outsourcing consultancy, Ayoola brings a hands-on approach to business structuring and people management.
Oladeinde Habeeb (Finance Consultant): Manages accounting for multiple SMEs and ensures compliance with financial regulations.
Oluwadamilola Ogundiran (Principal Consultant, Accounting): Brings experience in financial management for companies like Jumia and Air Separation Nigeria, ensuring accurate reporting and strategic oversight.
Olayinka Fakunmi (HR Associate) and Aisha Osifeso (Social Media & Community Manager): Provide operational support, client engagement, and visibility.
Together, the team ensures that African SMEs receive practical, expert guidance, not just theoretical advice.
Ayoola emphasizes, “We simplify growth for businesses by offering hands-on advisory… helping companies structure their teams, ensure compliance with statutory regulations, and make informed decisions that drive results.”
Challenges and How They’re Being Solved
Building trust and visibility are the company’s primary challenges. Startups may be skeptical about paying for consulting services in a market with limited precedent for subscription-based advisory.
People Advisor Limited addresses this with free trials, referrals from satisfied clients, and content-driven awareness campaigns.
Internally, the startup is scaling operations with automation and standardized systems, allowing it to serve more clients without compromising quality or the personal touch.
As Ayoola notes, “Service is difficult to sell hence we always have to run a free trial before we land a first client. However, with excellent customer referrals have been resolving this challenge for us.”
Scaling Sustainable Advisory with Technology
People Advisor Limited is developing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to integrate HR, accounting, and payroll into a single, accessible platform.
“Affordable consulting is optimal and scalable when it’s backed with technology. Hence, we are building an ERP that synchronizes Accounting, Payroll and HRIS,” says Ayoola.
This innovation ensures startups can access expert advice seamlessly while adopting efficient, technology-driven operational systems.
By combining human expertise with digital infrastructure, the company is making sustainable advisory services scalable for SMEs across Nigeria and potentially beyond.
Why It Matters for Africa’s Entrepreneurial Future
Africa’s startup ecosystem needs more than capital; it needs foundational support, operational guidance, and trust-building mechanisms.
People Advisor Limited demonstrates how structured, affordable consulting can help startups scale efficiently, manage risk, and unlock growth.
Ayoola underscores this, noting, “Our service helps companies structure their teams, ensure compliance with statutory regulations, and make informed decisions that drive results.”
By enabling startups to build solid foundations and adopt scalable practices, the company is helping shape the next generation of African entrepreneurs, ensuring that innovation is matched with sustainable business growth.
Talking Points
People Advisor Limited exemplifies a pragmatic and highly relevant approach to addressing one of Africa’s most persistent entrepreneurial challenges, access to affordable, expert, and integrated business consulting.
By combining hands-on advisory across HR, accounting, growth strategy, and operational compliance with innovative initiatives like trade fairs and a subscription-based model, the startup directly tackles the structural gaps that often limit SMEs’ growth.
What sets it apart is the deliberate focus on both operational efficiency and ecosystem visibility, ensuring that businesses not only receive guidance but also connect with talent, investors, and markets.
While scaling trust and visibility remains a challenge in a market cautious about paid consulting services, the team’s combination of free trials, client referrals, and technology-driven solutions like their forthcoming ERP demonstrates a thoughtful, scalable response.
Overall, People Advisor Limited highlights how African startups can blend expertise, accessibility, and practical innovation to create sustainable impact, showing that the next wave of entrepreneurial support may lie as much in advisory infrastructure as in capital injection.
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