By STELLAMARIS ASHINZE

Two Nigerian entrepreneurs, Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, whose Fintech, Moniepoint Inc., was named one of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2025, have attributed their success to home-grown excellence.

Tosin Eniolorunda, the Chief Executive Officer of Moniepoint, said this in news conference with newsmen on Saturday.

The chief executive officer said that their success as founders of the Fintech was a definitive validation of the quality of talent produced by the nation’s premier universities.

He said: “Unlike many tech founders who seek academic validation abroad, I and Felix Ike are products of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), respectively.

“In a significant shift for the global technology sector, we have found ourselves rewriting the narrative of African innovation through our Fintech giant, Moniepoint Inc.

“Though, we are locally rooted but globally competitive. Our success highlights a growing trend of “homegrown excellence” driving the continent’s digital economy.”

A Mechanical Engineering Graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Eniolorunda, noted that his deep immersion in the Nigerian banking ecosystem led to his pioneering of instant Point-Of-Sales transfers and the country’s first virtual account services.

He said that the company’s “all-in-one” ecosystem integrating payments, banking, and credit had bridged critical infrastructure gaps that previously hindered small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to him, since its inception in 2015, Moniepoint has achieved a feat rarely seen in the private sector.

“We have established a physical and digital presence across all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria.

“Our success proves that Nigerian universities can produce leaders capable of building world-class technology that competes on the global stage,” he said.

Felix Ike, the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Moniepoint, said he architected the robust, mission-critical infrastructure that currently served over 10 million businesses and individuals.

Ike said that the company’s rapid scaling had not gone unnoticed by the international community, and listed a recent milestone as being named one of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2025.

He added that the company had also been ranked as one of Africa’s fastest-growing companies for three consecutive years in the Financial Times.

According to Ike, a first-class Computer Science Graduate from the University of Lagos, the company’s story serves as a blueprint for indigenous innovation.

"By leveraging local insights and Nigerian-trained technical expertise, we have demonstrated that the next frontier of global finance is being built right here in Nigeria,” Ike said. (NAN, but headline rejigged)