Dominic Ubong Essien

Dominic Ubong Essien
Dominic Ubong Essien
Born (1975-06-13) June 13, 1975
Ata Minya, Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Alma materUniversity of Sheffield, London
University of Port, Rivers State, Nigeria
OccupationsBusiness Executive, Entrepreneur, Investment Consultant
Known forFounding Foniso; CEO of TVIO Solutions Group
SpouseOluwadamilola Dominic Essien
Children3

Dominic Ubong Essien (DUE) is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and founder/CEO of several ventures, including TVIO Solutions Group and Foniso. He is known for his involvement in technology, finance, retail, and sports technology, as well as his efforts to foster digital advertising and sports networking in Nigeria and beyond.

Born June 13, 1975, in Lagos from Ata Minya, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He is an alumnus of St. Gregory's College, Lagos and an outstanding graduate of economics from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In 2001, he was a recipient of the prestigious British Chevening Scholarship, from which he earned a master's degree in Financial Economics at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.

DUE, as he is fondly called, started his career in the financial sector with Ventures and Trusts Limited (A Venture Capital firm) before joining the United Bank for Africa, and later NNB International Bank, before proceeding to the United Kingdom for his Master's program.

He was later headhunted from the United Kingdom to join Zenith Bank PLC, from where he moved to Lead Bank PLC as the Head of Project Finance and later resigned in 2004 to join MTN Communications as Regional Project Manager (South), overseeing the rollout and management of connect stores in the region. He left to set up Seed Media.

Seed Media is a technology start-up in Sub-Saharan Africa. A digital media pioneer in Nigeria, Seed Media Limited served as the exclusive online advertising representative for Yahoo! Incorporated in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He has been part of the successful implementation of some start-up projects such as Softel–The Moore-House, Lagos; Stark Industries, Ibadan; Best Oils, Ibadan; Le Meridien Ogeyi Place Hotel, Port Harcourt; Tinapa Business Resort Limited, Calabar; The Palms Shopping Centre, Lekki; e-Authentication project of the Federal Government of Nigeria, amongst others. These projects have largely defined his career as an investment management expert.

Dominic Ubong Essien (DUE) is an exceptionally driven serial entrepreneur with vast experience in business development, operational transformation and product development across numerous sectors, including technology, financial services, tourism, energy and sports.

As a Financial Economist, Essien continued to offer pro bono advisory services to successive state governments.[1]

Early life and education

Essien was born in Ata Minya, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. He attended St. Gregory's College, Lagos, and studied economics at the University of Port Harcourt. He graduated as the best student in the department and received the Madam Lillian Agbionenebo Memorial Award for Mathematical Economics.[2]

In 2001, he was awarded the British Chevening Scholarship and obtained a master's degree in Financial Economics from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.

TVIO Solutions Group

Essien is the Group Chief Executive Officer of TVIO Solutions Group, an investment and advisory firm engaged in business incubation and multi-sector transformation projects.[3] Under his leadership, the company has participated in projects related to hospitality, real estate, technology, retail, and public-sector digital systems.

Through the firm, Essien has been involved in projects such as the Tinapa Business Resort in Calabar, The Palms Shopping Centre in Lekki, Nigeria's federal e-Authentication initiative, and various private placement and financial advisory transactions.[1]

Foniso

Dominic Ubong Essien (DUE) is the Lead Founder/CEO of Foniso, a global social networking and engagement platform for sports professionals, fans, and organisations. Developed by TVIO Solutions Limited, Foniso enables users to connect, share content, and create communities around their favourite sports.

The platform, available on App Store and Play Store, was launched in beta across 24 African countries and select European markets, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France.

Described by the company as the “world’s first dedicated sports networking app,” Foniso seeks to bridge the digital divide in sports engagement by creating a centralised space for athletes, clubs, brands, and fans to interact.

Foniso's innovation is positioned within a global sports market projected to exceed US$826 billion by 2030, driven by technological adoption, increased investment, and the rise of digital sports consumption.

The platform offers real-time interactions, personalized experiences, and monetization opportunities for athletes and sports organizations, redefining how sports are celebrated and experienced worldwide.[4] The app was publicly launched in Lagos in 2024 and described as a dedicated social-sports application intended to serve athletes, clubs, fans, sports organizations, and stakeholders globally.[5]

Foniso is positioned as a “sports-only” social network: a platform designed to avoid the distraction of non-sports content common on general social media, focusing instead on sports-related engagement and content sharing.[6]

According to its founder, the platform aims to offer features such as live-score updates, club and athlete content, fan communities, news, polls, video content, and monetisation opportunities for athletes and content creators.[7][4]

In 2025, the National Sports Commission (NSC) — Nigeria's governing sports body, officially endorsed Foniso in a move to promote local sports talent through digital innovation and visibility.[8]

Other collaborations

In 2025, Foniso announced a partnership with the organisers of the Niger Delta Games (NDDC Games), scheduled for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Through this partnership, Foniso will provide a dedicated digital space for athletes, journalists, and fans participating in the Games, offering real-time updates, networking opportunities, visibility to a broader audience, and awards for top-engaged teams and content creators.[9]

Professional affiliations

Member, Nigerian Economic Society (NES)

Member, Project Management Institute (PMI)

Alumnus, Owners Management Programme (OMP 11) – Lagos Business School

Member, Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (C.IoD)

Personal life

Essien is married to Oluwadamilola Dominic Essien. They have three children: Mbuotidem, Mfoniso, and Andikan.[1]

Timeline of major events

  • **2024 (March)** — Launch of Foniso by TVIO Solutions, described as “the world’s first sports-networking app.”[4]
  • **2024 (March)** — Public presentation of Foniso in Lagos, unveiling platform features and vision.[5]
  • **2024 (March)** — Founder states ambition to create a dedicated hub for sports stakeholders, offering monetisation and global visibility to African athletes/clubs.[6]
  • **2024 (July)** — Foniso publicised a plan to partner with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and domestic football clubs to showcase local football talents globally.[10]
  • **2024 (August)** — Media coverage describes Foniso as a platform to boost sports engagement, provide live content, betting insights, and broader monetisation opportunities.[11]
  • **2025 (April)** — Official endorsement by the National Sports Commission to leverage Foniso for athlete visibility, talent development, and strategic partnerships.[8]
  • **2025 (March)** — Partnership announced between Foniso and the Niger Delta Games (NDDC Games) to support athletes and stakeholders' engagement, content creation, and awards for engagement.[9]

Reception / Public response

As of 2025, the platform has received official recognition from Nigeria's National Sports Commission, which endorsed it as a tool to improve visibility and career opportunities for local athletes.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Essien champions innovation and leadership in Nigeria's digital economy". Business Day. 2024.
  2. ^ "Dominic Ubong Essien: Hope for Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency". TheCable. 2023.
  3. ^ "TVIO launches Buymore Stores to expand retail access in Nigeria". The Punch. 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "TVIO unveils social networking app for sports fans". TheCable. 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Foniso social networking app launched – ACLSports". Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  6. ^ a b "Foniso 'll meet, surpass expectations of many users globally – Essien". Vanguard. 2024.
  7. ^ "Foniso: New Platform Set to Boost Sports Engagement, Betting Insights". THISDAY. 2024.
  8. ^ a b "NSC endorses Foniso, seeks strategic partnership". The Punch. 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Foniso announces partnership with Niger Delta games to promote local athletes". TheCable. 2025.
  10. ^ "Foniso to partner NFF to showcase Nigerian football talents globally". TheCable. 2024.
  11. ^ "Foniso: New Platform Set to Boost Sports Engagement, Betting Insights". THISDAY. 2024.
  12. ^ "NSC endorses Foniso, seeks strategic partnership". The Punch. 2025. The platform has been described in media coverage as filling a unique niche — offering a “sports-only” space for athletes, clubs, fans and stakeholders, separate from mainstream social media networks rife with unrelated content — and promising a more focused and monetizable environment for sports content creators.|title=Foniso social networking app launched – ACLSports |url=https://www.aclsports.com/foniso-social-networking-app-launched/ |access-date=2025-12-09}}
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