...Obasanjo Hails Flutterwave as Africa’s Leading Fintech at 10th Anniversary Gala
Flutterwave Chief Executive Officer Olugbenga Agboola celebrated a decade of the company’s operations at a gala in Lagos, reflecting on its journey from tackling inefficient payment systems in Africa to becoming a globally recognised fintech platform.
The 10th-anniversary event, held at The Delborough Lagos, was described by Agboola — affectionately known as “GB” — as a celebration of shared prosperity, innovation, and Nigeria’s role in driving fintech development across the continent.
Recalling the challenges faced in 2015 and 2016, Agboola highlighted the cumbersome nature of payments at the time. “Sending money from Lagos to Accra often required routing funds through New York — slower than physically carrying cash on a plane,” he said, illustrating the inefficiencies that spurred Flutterwave’s founding in 2016.
The company was created with a mission to expand market access for small businesses, enable seamless cross-border payments, and create opportunities for Nigerians locally and abroad.
Dignitaries and Industry Leaders in Attendance
The gala drew high-profile guests including former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, MTN Nigeria Board Chairman Ernest Ndukwe, and other business and industry leaders. Agboola also recognised the support of Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, founder of Stanel Group, for hosting the event.
A Decade of Growth and Global Reach
Agboola highlighted Flutterwave’s growth, noting that it has become the most licensed non-bank entity in the world, operating across more than 35 countries with over 50 licences globally. Over ten years, the company has processed more than one billion transactions valued at over $50 billion, maintaining a reputation for reliability and integrity.
“Our goal has always been to build a payment-agnostic platform that connects commerce, logistics, and payments seamlessly,” Agboola said. “We want businesses and consumers to transact easily and create value everywhere.”
Flutterwave’s operations now extend beyond Nigeria into the U.S., U.K., and Europe, enabling businesses to scale internationally through partnerships and banking infrastructure.
Agboola concluded by reaffirming the company’s commitment to Nigeria, stressing that Flutterwave’s success reflects the potential of Nigerian innovation globally. “The Nigerian name, our heritage, should be associated with excellence, growth, and enterprise that scales,” he said, encouraging entrepreneurs to leverage Flutterwave’s platform to expand their businesses worldwide.
Flutterwave, Africa’s largest fintech enterprise, received high praise from former President Olusegun ObasanjoOlusegun Obasanjo, who commended the company’s founder, Olugbenga Agboola, popularly known as GB, for his exceptional ability to identify and capitalise on economic opportunities.
Speaking at Flutterwave’s 10th anniversary gala, held at the upscale The Delborough LagosThe Delborough Lagos, Obasanjo highlighted how strategic foresight and innovation have propelled the company from solving basic cross‑border payment inefficiencies to becoming a global fintech powerhouse.
The inaugural Gala Night brought together leading political figures, business executives, and cultural icons to celebrate a decade of excellence in digital financial services. Obasanjo’s address underscored the transformative impact of leveraging economic opportunities, linking Flutterwave’s growth to broader structural changes in Nigeria’s economy.
He specifically pointed to reforms in the telecommunications sector during his presidency, including the auction of GSM licences, as laying the groundwork for technology-driven ventures that have now blossomed into the continent’s thriving fintech ecosystem. “Many people don’t get that type of opportunity,” Obasanjo remarked, noting that recognising and acting on emerging prospects is often what separates global success from obscurity.
Concluding his remarks, Obasanjo applauded Agboola’s entrepreneurial vision and Flutterwave’s journey over the past decade, praising its pivotal role in modernising payment systems and strengthening Africa’s position in the global digital economy.