Nigerian software startup Approovia is setting its sights on the global enterprise software market with the launch of Workspace Manager, a no-code AI platform designed to help organizations digitize and automate business processes without expensive consultants or foreign licensing fees.
Unveiled on Wednesday at GITEX Nigeria in Lagos, the platform allows third-party developers and businesses to build enterprise-grade applications with tools for digital forms, workflow automation, e-signatures, memos, and approvals. A retrieval-augmented AI search engine also enables users to query organizational data in natural language.
“We cut out the consultants using AI and no-code tools so that you become your own consultant,” said Stephen Onerhime, Approovia’s founder and CEO. “This is about giving organizations visibility and control over every process, with instant access to information when they need it.”
A Homegrown Alternative to Global Giants
Workspace Manager positions Approovia as a challenger to multinational incumbents like Microsoft, Oracle, and Salesforce, whose platforms dominate enterprise resource planning and workflow automation. But unlike those firms, Approovia says it offers locally owned intellectual property and leaner hosting costs — under $100 per month, compared to the $1,000-plus many startups spend on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
“When I put equivalent solutions in the market, I can sell them cheaper, and all the money stays here,” Onerhime said.
From Frugal Beginnings to Global Ambitions
Approovia traces its roots back to 2015, when Onerhime developed his first no-code solution, Visualize It, while working in government. After revisiting the idea in 2019 amid rising global interest in no-code platforms, Approovia formally began refining its technology stack in 2021.
Despite setbacks, the company has grown with backing from friends, family, and corporate investors, investing heavily in building tools from scratch. Its proprietary Approovia Design Studio methodology blends engineering rigor with AI to ensure enterprise-grade reliability. The next phase involves developing AI capable of generating code from structured specifications.
Broad Use Cases Across Sectors
Approovia’s Workspace Manager is sector-agnostic, with potential applications in healthcare, law, construction, and government. Onerhime says small organizations can onboard within a week, while larger enterprises could transition in under a month.
Rather than producing point solutions, Approovia’s strategy is to serve as the foundational no-code enterprise platform that others use to build industry-specific tools. “We’re democratizing big, complex enterprise solution-building,” Onerhime said. “Anyone can do it by prompting.”
Expansion Beyond Nigeria
While Nigeria remains its home base, Approovia is already eyeing global expansion. The company is planning to raise growth capital and expand into Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and other viable markets, with the long-term goal of becoming an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for enterprise software.
“This is not about Nigeria,” Onerhime said. “The opportunity is large enough globally. These things we’re building will change how enterprise software is made and deployed.”
Africa’s $180 billion digital economy provides fertile ground, but Approovia’s founder says the true target is the global enterprise software race — one long dominated by U.S. giants.
