Award Recipients:
- Chika Nwosu (PalmPay) – Most Innovative Fintech Company of the Year
- Olugbenga Agboola (Flutterwave) – Most SME-Supportive Fintech of the Year
- Sunil Natraj (JumiaPay) – Most Convenient Online Payment Option of the Year
- Tosin Eniolorunda (Moniepoint) – Financially Inclusive Fintech of the Year
- Dauda Gotring (OPay) – Most Customer-Friendly Fintech Company of the Year
- Dr. Mohammed Olatunji (MoreMonee) – Best Savings Fintech App of the Year
In Nigeria’s competitive fintech industry, recognizing the vision, impact, and leadership of purpose-driven companies is a way to highlight their impact on people’s lives.
This was the guiding ethos behind the 2025 Legit Business Names Awards.
Legit.ng established this prestigious, non-commercial recognition programme to honour the innovators transforming Africa’s financial future.
Now in its second year, the 2025 edition of the Legit Business Names Awards built on the success of its 2024 debut, reaffirming Legit.ng’s commitment to spotlighting transformative leadership in Nigeria’s fintech sector.
Each winner reflected how fintech is improving payments and savings, as well as reshaping how Nigerians build financial security, access opportunity, and participate in a rapidly digitising economy. The stories show what responsible, people-first fintech leadership can look like across the continent.
PalmPay’s Chika Nwosu: Championing Inclusive Digital Finance
Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, was recognised for expanding digital finance to Nigeria’s underserved populations. In 2024, PalmPay launched its *USSD code (861#), a game-changing feature that brought financial services to millions of users without smartphones or internet access. This innovation was central to the company’s mission of deepening financial inclusion, especially in rural and low-connectivity regions.
With its rapid growth across Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania, PalmPay is offering cash alternatives and building the infrastructure for a truly inclusive digital economy.
Flutterwave’s Gbenga Agboola: Building for Africa, Scaling Globally
Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, the visionary behind Flutterwave, was honoured for simplifying digital payments for businesses within and beyond Africa. In 2024, under his leadership, Flutterwave secured new payment licenses in Ghana, Uganda, and Malawi, opening up seamless cross-border transactions across these African markets. The company also widened its Money Transmitter License coverage in the United States, growing from 13 to nearly 30 states, making it easier for Africans in the diaspora to send money home.
Agboola also drove the success of Flutterwave’s Send App, a remittance platform that witnessed exponential growth in usage across the UK, US, EU, and Canada. Flutterwave’s core strength in 2024 encompassed tech-driven solutions, advocacy, enabling small businesses, and creating systems that work beyond borders.
JumiaPay’s Sunil Natraj: Expanding Access to Flexible, Everyday Digital Payments
Sunil Natraj, the strategic force behind Jumia Nigeria, was honoured for steering the transformation of JumiaPay into one of Nigeria’s most accessible and consumer-focused payment platforms. Under his leadership, JumiaPay introduced Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options in partnership with credit platforms like EasyBuy and CredPal, empowering Nigerians to shop online with greater flexibility and financial ease.
The platform also rolled out zero-fee payment services for essential utilities like electricity, cable TV, and mobile top-ups, helping users save money while managing their daily expenses seamlessly. These innovations positioned JumiaPay as a go-to tool for digital living in Nigerian homes. His leadership highlighted the power of partnerships with brands, with customers, and with underserved communities.
Moniepoint’s Tosin Eniolorunda: Financing Nigeria’s Informal Economy
Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO of Moniepoint, has been transforming Nigeria’s informal sector. In 2024, Moniepoint processed over $22 billion in transactions, reaching millions of small businesses and market traders who operate outside the traditional banking system. The company’s services have become a lifeline for these entrepreneurs, enabling them to receive payments, access credit, and grow their operations securely.
Under his leadership, Moniepoint also raised $110 million in fresh funding to deepen its reach and invest in infrastructure that supports everyday business owners.
Eniolorunda championed financial literacy through a nationwide campaign and partnered with SMEDAN and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to publish Nigeria’s first Informal Economy Report, a groundbreaking study that shed light on the needs and realities of millions of unregistered and underserved businesses.
OPay’s Dauda Gotring: Bridging Fintech and Social Good
When Dauda Gotring took the reins at OPay in 2023, he brought the precision of a former Central Bank director and a people-first mindset that has since reshaped the company’s mission. In 2024 alone, OPay rolled out NightGuard and Large Transaction Shield, two advanced security features that strengthened user protection through biometric verification and smart fraud detection.
Simultaneously, Gotring led the expansion of over 21 physical service centres across Nigeria, combining tech innovation with on-the-ground customer support.
Through its Play4aChild initiative, the company raised ₦30 million to fund scholarships for students at the University of Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, benefiting nearly 60,000 youths nationwide.
OPay also partnered with female-led SMEs and rolled out inclusive financial literacy campaigns in underserved areas. By initiating secure transactions and investing in education and gender empowerment, Gotring has repositioned OPay as a fintech catalyst for social good in Nigeria’s digital economy.
MoreMonee’s Dr. MO: Banking for the Next Generation
Dr. Mohammed Olatunji, the youngest Nigerian bank CEO, was recognised for MoreMonee’s explosive rise as the best savings fintech app of the year for impacting the way young Nigerians approach saving and managing money. In 2024 alone, MoreMonee introduced a high-interest savings feature called FutureBox, tailored to help everyday users build wealth sustainably.
It also became one of the first platforms in Nigeria to launch a domestically issued debit card in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria, AfriGO, and NIBSS, bringing localised control and cost savings to users.
Apart from digital innovation, MoreMonee launched the “Operation Feed the Nation” initiative, its flagship social impact programme aimed at tackling food insecurity in underserved communities, directly linking financial inclusion to real-world needs.
The Power of Purpose, a Celebration with a Message
The Legit Business Names Awards aims to highlight the impact of these innovators. Each winner has led real, measurable change in how Nigerians access, use, and benefit from financial services. These companies solve problems, improve lives, and accelerate economic inclusion across the country.
Rahaman Abiola, Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng, remarked:
“What we’re witnessing in Nigeria’s fintech space is indeed innovative. These leaders are building enterprises and designing the future of how we transact, save, invest, and interact with money through the help of technology. The Legit Business Names Awards is our way of telling these stories with intention and shining light on innovations that cater to real human needs. We believe that amplifying these voices will help open doors to more opportunities for growth, impact, and transformation in the sector.”
Adding to this, Felix Imoh, Public Relations Manager at Legit.ng and coordinator of the Awards, shared:
“These impactful stories are a reminder that fintech should be people-focused and mission-driven. As these leaders are building systems that work for everyday Nigerians, we are deeply joyful to give prominence to their successes and impact. We also hope to ignite courage and creativity in the next generation of tech entrepreneurs.”
As Nigeria continues to emerge as a powerhouse of digital innovation, the 2025 Legit Business Names Awards reaffirms a vital truth: the future of finance is being built boldly and brilliantly by Nigerians.
At the heart of this transformation is Legit.ng, using the power of storytelling and tech-driven, ethical journalism to spotlight changemakers, amplify underrepresented voices, and inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs.
This award series is an initiative celebrating success and shaping the story of a continent on the rise.
