Nigerian Founder Takes Self-Checkout App to Canada and US

Samuel Ayo Oyedemi stood in a Canadian Lululemon store during holiday rush and watched customers wait 30 minutes just to pay for their purchases. The Lagos-born entrepreneur knew there had to be a better way.

Growing up in Agege, Oyedemi learned entrepreneurship early. He sold doughnuts in secondary school, making ₦2,500 a week. He washed cars, installed boreholes with his father, and even ran a small lending business with his mother before working at Access Bank.

After moving to Canada in 2023, that frustrating Lululemon shift sparked an idea. He'd already seen Jump n Pass try similar technology in Nigeria with mixed results. But maybe the timing was better in North America.

SKAAP works simply. Walk into a store and scan a QR code to access that location's inventory. Pick up items and scan them as you shop. When you're done, pay through the app and receive an exit pass confirming your purchase.

The concept mirrors what Jump n Pass attempted in Nigeria, but Oyedemi adapted it for Canadian shoppers. During beta testing across 10 stores in Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatchewan, SKAAP onboarded 200 users.

The biggest lesson? Speed matters more than he expected. Gen Z testers wanted the app to open camera-first, like Snapchat. They didn't want to navigate menus before scanning.

Oyedemi also scrapped plans to build full inventory management. Instead, SKAAP sits on top of existing retail systems, making it easier for small stores to adopt without overhauling their infrastructure.

Yes, giants like Walmart and Sam's Club already offer scan-and-go technology. But Oyedemi believes there's room for a solution designed specifically for smaller retailers who can't build their own systems.

Why This Inspires

From selling doughnuts in Lagos secondary school to building retail technology in Canada, Oyedemi's journey shows how problems observed in one market can find solutions in another. His willingness to iterate based on what Gen Z shoppers actually want, not what he assumed they needed, demonstrates the kind of customer-first thinking that turns ideas into lasting businesses. Sometimes the best innovations come from founders who've hustled in multiple markets and know that good ideas deserve second chances in the right conditions.

The app is still growing, but Oyedemi isn't rushing. He's learned that in Canada, trust matters more than speed, and broken promises don't get second chances.