Nigeria’s Fitness Platform, goalr, Revolutionizes Brand Engagement with Challenge-Based Influencer Marketing
From celebrity-led step challenges to cause-driven campaigns, Goalr is creating Africa’s first fitness-powered advertising ecosystem
In a marketing landscape saturated with passive product placements and short-lived influencer content, Goalr, Nigeria’s pioneering fitness platform, is charting a new course for how brands connect with audiences across Africa.
Launched as the continent’s first challenge-based fitness engagement platform, Goalr offers a participatory experience that allows brands to design and host walking, running, cycling, or calorie-burning challenges. These experiences are fully customisable, enabling businesses in the health, wellness, entertainment, and lifestyle industries to go beyond visibility and foster direct interaction with their audience.
“While traditional influencer marketing relies on celebrities posting product photos with captions, we’ve created opportunities for audiences to physically engage with brands through fitness challenges,” said Adebayo Owosina, Founder and CEO of goalr. “Participants don’t just see the brand, they experience it during workouts over days or even weeks.”
A New Model for Brand-Driven Movement
Through the Goalr app available on both iOS and Android, users can join free or paid fitness challenges tied to brand campaigns. Paid challenges often include prize pools or product rewards, while free ones focus on awareness and engagement. This approach has already attracted a range of partners, from wellness startups to multinational beverage companies.
One standout campaign, the “Goalr Walk with Bisola,“ saw Nollywood star Bisola Aiyeola lead a three-week fitness challenge requiring 5,000 steps daily. Over 60 contestants participated, competing for a ₦350,000 prize pool. Skincare brand Brown Girls Magic partnered to reward top participants with premium product hampers.
In the entertainment sector, the team behind actor Timini Egbuson’s new film ReelLove leveraged the platform to activate its release. The “ReelLove Steps Challenge” allowed participants to win movie tickets, blending pop culture and wellness into one seamless experience.
Rite Foods Ltd., makers of Sosa Fruit Drink, launched their own branded fitness campaign, the “SOSA Smooth Walk Challenge,” which attracted 50 participants within just 48 hours. Four winners were rewarded with ₦50,000 each, alongside spa experiences curated to enhance their wellness journeys.
Supporting Social Impact Through Movement
Beyond commercial campaigns, Goalr is also being used as a tool for cause-based marketing. The Shades of Life challenge, launched by Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, raised awareness for people living with autism. Similarly, the Pad-A-Girl Challenge by NGO Nyerinya donated 50% of participants’ entry stakes to provide sanitary pads for girls in underserved communities.
“It’s amazing that while I achieve my fitness goals, I’m also padding a girl,” said one participant. “My walk can literally pad a girl.”
The platform has been embraced by Nigeria’s growing network of fitness communities, including Cycology, Abuja Run Club, Purple Women Foundation, and City Cyclers. In a notable tribute, the Mabogs 1000 Challenge was hosted last year to honour the late Dr. Afolabi Mabogunje, a beloved figure in Nigeria’s cycling community.
Olympian Ese Ukpeseraye, Nigeria’s first female cyclist to qualify for the Olympics, has also embraced goalr. She logged over 700 kilometres in just three days during the “Queen of the Mile” Challenge, held during International Women’s Month in March 2025.
Fitness, Accountability, and Community
According to Omoh, Product Manager at Goalr, the platform is engineered not just for competition but for community. “What sets Goalr apart is how we’ve designed the user experience to balance competition with camaraderie. Users engage with branded challenges not because they’re ads but because they add genuine value to their fitness journeys.”
The platform has also proven useful in workplace wellness, with Kuda Bank staff using Goalr to stay fit and motivated. Internal testimonials highlight how the app has improved both individual health outcomes and team morale.
As of April 2025, the platform has recorded nearly 3,000 downloads and is already expanding globally, with its first UK-based challenge set to begin shortly.
Looking Ahead
With Africa’s health and wellness economy on the rise, Goalr is positioning itself as the go-to engagement tool for brands looking to authentically connect with fitness-conscious audiences.
“We’re creating a community on the move,” Owosina added. “This offers influencers, celebrities, and brands a new way to go beyond surface-level impressions and into meaningful interactions.”
Whether for corporate wellness, influencer collaborations, or social causes, Goalr is fast becoming a blueprint for how fitness can power the future of digital marketing in Africa and beyond.
