Justin Essien’s career path is a masterclass in adaptability. Originally trained as a Petrochemical Engineer, he made a pivot that many would find daunting: moving from the structured world of oil and gas in Port Harcourt to the high-octane creative scene of Lagos.
Today, as the Head of Offline Marketing at Piggyvest, he bridges the gap between traditional brand visibility and the high-trust requirements of fintech.
1. The FMCG Foundation: Mastering Visibility
Before diving into finance, Justin spent over a decade in marketing, notably spending five years at Seven Up Bottling Company (SBC). Managing a giant like Pepsi taught him the “Visibility First” rule of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
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The Goal: Share of Voice (SoV) and Volume.
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The Strategy: In a crowded market, success meant ensuring that when a consumer was thirsty, Pepsi was the most visible and accessible choice.
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Pop Culture Wins: He played a key role in the PR rollout for Skales’ “Shake Body” (2014) and managed high-visibility campaigns for stars like Adesua Etomi and Rita Dominic.
2. The Fintech Pivot: Trust Over Awareness
The transition to Piggyvest was a shift from “impulse buys” to “financial commitment.” In fintech, awareness is only the first step; the real hurdle is conversion and trust.
“FinTech is harder. It’s not enough for people to see your communication. They have to act… They have to trust the platform with their money.” — Justin Essien
The Piggyvest Impact:
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Scale: Over ₦3 trillion in payouts since inception.
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Community: Led the OpenHouse strategy across five cities, engaging nearly 20,000 brand advocates.
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Loyalty: Piggyvest has moved beyond a “service” to being “one of us” for Nigerians, driven by frictionless communication and massive word-of-mouth.
3. The “Diamond” Effect: Creativity Under Pressure
Justin credits the harsh realities of the Nigerian environment—power outages, limited resources, and tight deadlines—as the “pressure that creates diamonds.” This grit is what allows Nigerian creatives to compete on a global stage when given the right tools.
Professional Standards & Compliance:
To ensure creative work remains “safe yet daring,” Justin maintains strict alignment with Nigerian regulatory bodies:
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ARCON (Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria): For advertising standards.
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SEC & CBN: For financial transparency and compliance.
Summary of Career Milestones
| Stage | Sector | Key Achievement |
| Early Career | Petrochemical Engineering | Secured a role with a major oil firm (Port Harcourt). |
| The Pivot | PR & Entertainment | Managed rollout for “Shake Body” and celebrity branding. |
| Scale Phase | FMCG (Pepsi/SBC) | Led visibility and competitive presence for Pepsi Nigeria. |
| Current Phase | Fintech (Piggyvest) | Directing offline efforts for a platform with ₦3T+ in payouts. |
