AHMAD MUHAMMAD BANDE, Founder/CEO, Vortex Holdings
Young Entertainment Game Changer of the Year
Ahmad Muhammad Bande, popularly known as Ahmad Bande, is a Nigerian creative visionary, technology innovator, and founder of Vortex Entertainment, Nigeria’s first fully connected superhero franchise built to empower African imagination. He is widely regarded as one of the leading young voices redefining the future of African entertainment, youth empowerment, and digital creativity.
Born and raised in Sokoto, Nigeria, Ahmad Ahmad holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Sokoto State University. He began his creative journey in 2018 with storytelling, fiction writing, and youth-focused media. His passion for culture, technology, and transformative storytelling led to the creation of the Vortex Universe, an ambitious multi-platform entertainment ecosystem inspired by Nigerian heritage, cities, values, and history.
As the Chairman of Vortex Holdings, Ahmad leads a visionary conglomerate dedicated to shaping Africa’s future. Vortex Holdings’ subsidiaries drive innovation across entertainment, media, tech, and other ventures, each with a unique mission, yet united by a shared purpose: African innovations, empowering talents, and creating world-class experiences.
The company’s first subsidiary, Vortex Entertainment, stands as Africa’s first well-structured superhero universe, deeply rooted in African culture, values, myths, and history. It crafts globally recognized African heroes, worlds, and stories that inspire, entertain, and unite generations through animation, films, games, merchandise, and immersive experiences.
Ahmad has gained over seven years of experience across marketing, tech, AI solutions, youth empowerment, and creative production, working with organizations in Nigeria, UAE, and the USA. His leadership extends across multiple roles including Director of Marketing and Business Development at Rainbow Roptimum Technologies in the United States of America and Executive Director of the National Young Generation Forum.
In 2025, Ahmad’s forward-thinking leadership, innovative storytelling, and groundbreaking contributions positioned him among Nigeria’s fast-rising entertainment and tech disruptors, earning him multiple media recognitions across platforms like Daily Trust, Vanguard, and online creative communities.
Among his achievements and projects are the development of Vortex Universe Phase 1, a multi-ecosystem platform including comics, animation, games, merchandise, events, and immersive storytelling;
and the scaling of social media campaigns internationally, driving a 40% increase in sales for a Dubai-based retailer.
Ahmad has initiated impact-driven youth empowerment, leading programmes through NYGF and mentoring over 300 students in AI, digital skills, and tech innovation. He is a recognized contributor at Forbes BLK, the global Black innovators network and has featured as speaker in multiple tech and innovation conferences across Nigeria and beyond. He is regarded by many as part of the emerging wave of young leaders shaping the future of Africa’s entertainment landscape.
The selection of Ahmad Muhammad Bande as The Top10 Magazine’s Young Entertainment Game Changer of the Year is in recognition of his innovative value addition and contribution to the growth and development of the Nigerian creative industry as exemplified by some of his latest initiatives aimed at redefining the entertainment ecosystem.
