Meet the COOs Driving Nigeria’s Fintech Growth in 2025

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) plays a pivotal role in shaping the growth, efficiency, and sustainability of fintech companies.

Tasked with overseeing day-to-day operations, the COO ensures seamless coordination across critical departments such as product development, customer service, compliance, and technology.

Their leadership transforms strategic vision into operational execution, enabling companies to thrive in competitive markets.

In fintech, the COO is often described as the operational heartbeat of the organization. This is because they balance the dual challenges of innovation and regulation, driving disruptive technology while ensuring adherence to strict financial oversight. Their ability to harmonize creativity with compliance is what makes them indispensable in such a dynamic industry.

Fintechs have continued to grow in Nigeria and Africa, attracting more investments. According to data compiled by Nairametrics Research, 80 African fintech startups raised over $661 million between January and June 2025.

The top 10 fintech fundraisers alone accounted for more than $470 million, up from $431 million in the same period last year.

Senegal, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana dominated the leaderboard, while the “Big Four” of Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa maintained their multi-year grip on the continent’s fintech capital flows, jointly securing 69.19% of total funding.

West Africa emerged as the top-performing region, pulling in $298.5 million (45.1% of total fintech funding). This was driven largely by Senegal’s record-breaking $137 million debt deal and Nigeria’s $112 million haul—more than double its H1 2024 figure.

Although some fintech firms have eliminated the COO role, particularly when not filled by a co-founder, many leading companies continue to retain it, underscoring the strategic importance of operational leadership in scaling businesses, navigating regulatory complexities, and sustaining long-term growth.

Here are the COOs driving Nigeria’s fintech revolution in 2025.

8. Daniel Hegarty – Kuda 

Daniel Hegarty joined Kuda as Chief Operating Officer in September 2024, bringing over a decade of experience in technology-driven financial systems. Based in London, he oversees Kuda’s global operations and plays a critical role in shaping the company’s future direction.

Beyond his role at Kuda, Hegarty is the founder of Communion, a platform designed to help individuals build financial resilience and improve their relationship with money. His entrepreneurial background complements his operational expertise, positioning him as a versatile leader in fintech.

Founded in 2019 by Babs Ogundeyi and Musty Mustapha, Kuda has grown into a full-service digital bank operating in Nigeria and the UK. With offerings such as zero maintenance fees, free transfers, and automated savings, Kuda continues to redefine digital banking under Hegarty’s operational guidance.

7. Marco Silva – FairMoney

Marco Silva has served as Head of Global Operations at FairMoney since June 2022, bringing extensive expertise in consumer finance and international operations. With over three years in the role, he has successfully optimized and centralized operations across multiple regions.

Prior to FairMoney, Silva spent four years at ID Finance, rising from Collections and Recoveries Head to Chief Operating Officer. His career also includes a 15-year tenure at Citi, where he advanced to become EMEA Regional Credit & Collections COE Director. He holds an MBA from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Spain.

FairMoney has established itself as a leading digital bank and instant loan provider, disbursing over 10,000 loans daily. Offering personal loans up to N3 million and SME loans up to N5 million within minutes and without collateral, FairMoney continues to expand its reach under Silva’s operational leadership.

6. Pawel Swiatek – Moniepoint 

Pawel Swiatek is the Chief Operating Officer of Moniepoint Inc., overseeing global operations and driving efficiency, strategy, and market expansion across Africa, Europe, and North America. Since joining in February 2023, he has played a central role in strengthening Moniepoint’s business structure.

His leadership was instrumental in Moniepoint’s $110 million Series C funding round in October 2024, which elevated the company’s valuation beyond $1 billion. This milestone cemented Moniepoint’s status as one of Africa’s fintech unicorns, with strong backing from investors including Google’s Africa Investment Fund and QED Investors.

Swiatek’s career spans senior roles at Capital One and Bridgewater Associates, where he contributed to global expansion and innovation. A Harvard Business School alumnus, he also advises startups and venture firms, further amplifying his influence in the fintech ecosystem.

5. Odunayo Eweniyi – PiggyVest 

Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-Founder and COO of PiggyVest, has become one of Nigeria’s most celebrated fintech leaders. After graduating from Covenant University, she co-founded PushCV before launching Piggybank—now PiggyVest—in 2016 alongside Somto Ifezue and Joshua Chibueze.

Eweniyi’s impact extends beyond fintech. She has been recognized on the World Women in FinTech Power List, Forbes Africa, Time’s Next 100, and Bloomberg 50. Her activism during the #EndSARS protests further highlighted her commitment to social change and leadership.

PiggyVest has revolutionized personal finance in Nigeria, offering secure savings and investment options protected by 256-bit SSL encryption. Under Eweniyi’s leadership, the platform continues to empower millions of Nigerians to take control of their financial futures.

4. Babafemi Ogungbamila – Interswitch

Babafemi Ogungbamila serves as Operations and Technology Leader at Interswitch Group, where he drives digital transformation and operational excellence. Appointed in October 2023, he oversees technology operations and ensures scalability across Africa’s payments infrastructure.

With over two decades at Interswitch, Ogungbamila has held several leadership roles, including Chief Information Officer from 2013 to 2019. During this period, he spearheaded the company’s migration to cloud-native microservices and championed data-driven architecture.

Interswitch became a unicorn in 2019 after raising $200 million in a Visa-led funding round, achieving a $1 billion valuation. Ogungbamila’s leadership continues to strengthen the company’s position as a pioneer in Africa’s fintech industry.

3. Yanmo Omorogbe – Bamboo 

Yanmo Omorogbe is the Co-Founder and COO of Bamboo, a fintech platform that democratizes access to global and local stock markets for Nigerians.

Her background as an Investment Associate at AIIM shaped her expertise in finance and policy.

A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Omorogbe co-founded Bamboo in 2019 after facing personal challenges accessing foreign stocks. Her vision was to simplify investing and make it accessible to everyday Nigerians.

Bamboo has raised over $17.5 million across three funding rounds, including a $15 million Series A led by Greycroft and Tiger Global in 2022. Under Omorogbe’s leadership, Bamboo continues to empower Nigerians with smart, affordable investment opportunities.

2. Dotun Daniel Adekunle – OPay 

Dotun Daniel Adekunle was appointed COO and CTO of OPay in July 2024, bringing over 18 years of experience in payments and enterprise systems. In his dual role, he oversees operations, product innovation, and technology strategy.

Adekunle’s leadership comes at a critical time for OPay, following its $2 billion valuation milestone in 2021. His focus on deepening financial inclusion across emerging markets has positioned OPay as one of Africa’s leading fintech unicorns.

Before rejoining OPay, Adekunle served as Senior Vice President of Offline Payments at Flutterwave, where he expanded physical payment solutions across Africa. He holds an MBA from the University of Roehampton and advanced training in artificial intelligence from Texas McCombs School of Business.

1. Ray Lee – PalmPay 

Ray Lee serves as the Global Chief Operating Officer of PalmPay, operating from Hong Kong.

With a Master of Laws degree from Peking University, Lee brings a global perspective to PalmPay’s operations, though limited public information is available about his career background.

Since its launch in 2018, PalmPay has rapidly evolved into one of Africa’s leading digital payment platforms. In 2024 alone, the company paid out over N4 billion in savings returns to more than 10 million users, highlighting its significant impact on financial inclusion.

PalmPay continues to stand out in Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem by offering free transfers, high-yield savings, and user-friendly digital banking services. Under Lee’s leadership, the company has strengthened its operational backbone, ensuring scalability and efficiency across multiple markets.