Justin Essien is making waves in Nigeria’s marketing landscape, especially in the sought-after intersection of fintech and consumer engagement.
As Head of Offline Marketing at PiggyVest, he directs every face-to-face interaction that shapes how millions of Nigerians experience the platform. Their work establishes solid relationships in a field where trust and action determine success.
Essien traded the oil rigs of Port Harcourt for the bright lights of Lagos, swapping petrochemical engineering for a 12-year stint in marketing and advertising, starting with an internship at an entertainment PR agency after realizing that his creative side was not a good fit for the harsh oil industry.
Essien's professional base was in public relations, where he worked on high-impact campaigns. One of his early major projects was the PR rollout for Scales' “Shake Body” in 2014, which was a defining pop culture moment.
The agency handled entertainment clients in music and film. He managed promotions for celebrities such as Rita Dominic and Adesua Etomi. These experiences immersed him in high-visibility campaigns.
This early experience in cultural marketing led to a role at Dubai-based digital agency “Alive Now”, where she worked as Country Head for their Nigerian client, PEPSI.
The move broadened his scope of global brand work in FMCG, culminating with a five-year stint at “Seven Up Bottling Company” where he held senior marketing responsibilities.
At Seven Up Bottling Company, his focus was on scale, visibility and competitive presence within one of the most competitive consumer categories. “I just cared about making our products more visible so that consumers would consistently choose us,” he explains.
The change in fintech happened unexpectedly. PiggyVest set out to sponsor Big Brother Naija, a platform which Pepsi had dominated for years. A contact at PiggyVest sought advice from him on strategies. He advised them for two years before joining full-time.
Today he leads offline efforts at a platform that serves millions of people, has generated over N3 trillion in payouts since inception and has a reputation for exceptional brand loyalty.
Working within finance requires a change in marketing priorities. “Fintech is hard,” he said. “It's not enough for people to see your communications. They have to act.” Fintech marketing is completely different from FMCG.
In his role at Seven Up Bottling Company, he focused on awareness, share of voice and volume. Success means beating competitors in visibility. In fintech, awareness alone falls short.
Users must trust the platform with their money and take concrete steps like saving or investing. Conversion requires accuracy. “Fintech is more data-driven, and it's harder because you need people to take action with their money”.
Regulatory compliance remains an ongoing part of Essien's professional experience. He is ARCON-certified and has extensive knowledge of advertising standards and financial regulations, ensuring coordination with ARCON, SEC and CBN.
This background allows creative work to operate within clear boundaries without compromising quality or intent.
Professionally, he is recognized for his judgment and attention to detail. Rather than positioning himself as a creative technician, he operates as a strategic leader with a strong sense of evaluation.
“I know what excellence looks like,” he said, a principle that guides both his leadership style and his approach to reviewing work. He closely studies global campaigns and adapts ideas while paying careful attention to the local context.
“Nigeria makes you work harder than you need to,” he says, “but that pressure produces diamonds.” “You have to face so many obstacles… that you have to try harder.” “It is in this environment that prepared Nigerian creators compete globally when given better tools.”
Piggyvest benefits from their approach. The brand enjoys exceptional loyalty. Oral speech accelerates development. Last year, he led strategy and implementation for PiggyVest's openhouses in five cities, which attracted nearly 20,000 attendees, all advocates. Users freely share experiences.
“There is a large amount of word of mouth going on,” Essien said. “Everyone who has used PiggyVest has told someone else.” Accessibility fosters connection. People tweet at brands and get responses without any hassle. He added, “People feel like Piggywest is 'one of us.'
To quote Josh Chibueze, CMO of PiggyVest, “It's hard to accomplish a project like Openhouse at scale, it's one thing to host a few hundred users in Lagos, it's another to recreate that energy, intimacy and sense of belonging across five cities in Nigeria, each with their own rhythms, infrastructure and cost realities”
He gives credit for this to the strength of the team. He praises the CMO, Josh, a co-founder whose grassroots vision drives results. “Piggyvest has a top marketing department, you can see it from what we have done over the last few years, Play Store/App Store rankings in finance etc.”
Along with his corporate role, Justin is also active as an entrepreneur. He owns a digital creative agency “Yellow Hammer” under the “RIOT (Write Ideas One Time)” group with his partner Chuka Obi and his agency work includes campaigns for Pepsi, Adidas, 9mobile, Octa FX etc. covering creative activations, talent partnerships and other brand initiatives.
On the subject of artificial intelligence, Essien takes a pragmatic view. He sees AI as a tool that enhances efficiency and output rather than as a replacement for human judgment. “It's about partnerships. These are tools that enhance your work,” he says, pointing to adaptability as a key requirement for modern marketers.
His work has received industry recognition, including being named Marketing Professional of the Year in FinTech by Brandcom and receiving Outstanding Team Member of the Year in Marketing at PiggyVest. These honors validate continued effort. They are aiming high for 2026.
Essien prioritizes excellence over the spotlight. He avoids compliments that bring stress. That leaves the LinkedIn essay and public thought leadership. His goal is clear “I just want to be known as an excellent marketing leader, run excellent marketing campaigns, earn well, travel and retire young so I can focus on raising my son to play for Manchester United. Until then, I am working intensely.”
His path from engineering to leading marketing efforts at Nigeria's leading digital savings platform reflects adaptability and commitment.
Driven by a relentless focus on quality, clarity and impact, Essien continues to shape how some of Nigeria's most visible brands engage audiences, build trust and convert attention into long-term loyalty.
