How Flutterwave Founder and CEO Olugbenga Agboola Personifies African Optimism

When the e-payments platform Flutterwave launched in 2016, it brought with it a long-term plan to change the future of young Africans, thanks to the vision of Flutterwavefounder and CEO Olugbenga “GB” Agboola.

A Nigerian who worked in some of the biggest financial technology companies in Europe and the United States before starting his own venture, Agboola is no stranger to defying expectations. The vision he articulated at the outset led Flutterwave to become one of Africa’s most valuable startups, with a valuation of more than $3 billion at its last fundraise.

Agboola’s sincere belief is that a solid work ethic — and the right opportunities — can give the next generation of Africans the chance to shape their own destinies.

Through both his company’s fintech services and its overarching mission, Agboola has created new avenues for budding African entrepreneurs to learn, grow, and network.

“At Flutterwave, we believe that the youth of today hold the key to unlocking Africa’s future potential. Their innovative spirit, coupled with the right opportunities, can drive unparalleled growth and transformation,” he said. “This belief underpins everything we do. It’s why we’ve made it our priority to be a champion for young Africans, creating pathways for them to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

The Challenges Facing Youth

More than 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, making it the youngest continent by a wide margin. While this stands in stark contrast to many places across the globe that face an aging crisis, Africa’s baby boom brings its own share of challenges.

For example, many economists worry the continent won’t produce enough jobs for the current generation of young Africans. If the current generation of graduates are unable to find work, it could lead to severe social unrest in addition to a sagging economy.

But Agboola has a different plan.

He launched Flutterwave with the goal of connecting all of Africa to the rest of the world. He believes that by tying the economies of Africa closer to the economies of other nations, a new generation of Africans will have greater opportunities to work with international companies both in their home countries and abroad.

“Many young Africans still face barriers — whether it’s limited access to technology, outdated educational systems, or a general lack of opportunity and mentorship,” he said. “This is where we see the role of technology not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for change.”

Toward that end, Flutterwave has launched several initiatives that make use of its modern technology to help empower young Africans.

Consider Flutterwave’s graduate trainee program, which it launched in 2022. The initiative acts as a finishing school for Nigerian graduates by helping them to acquire in-demand technical and soft skills with the aim of preparing them for the global tech industry. Participants gained hands-on experience at Flutterwave, learning from a global organization while building the skills needed for long-term careers in technology.

For many of the most recent class of the graduate trainee program, the benefits lasted beyond its one-year term. The company hired 85% of the class, taking them on as Flutterwave employees.

“We believe in [African youths] potential, and we are dedicated to providing the opportunities, support, and mentorship they need to succeed,” Agboola said. “As we continue to grow, our focus will remain on empowering the next generation — because we know that the future of Africa is bright, and it starts with them.”

A Boost From Technology

Beyond its myriad activities to train and educate youth, Flutterwave’s biggest commitment to creating a better future comes from the paradigm-shifting technology it has brought to the continent.

The Flutterwave payments solution was originally conceived to help enterprise businesses operate in the complex regulatory environment of Africa. Before the company launched, multinational companies faced extreme challenges while moving money into, out of, and across Africa.

Agboola founded Flutterwave to solve this problem, and now helps corporations like Uber operate within the continent, bringing jobs and opportunities to African populations.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Through Flutterwave’s services, new kinds of programs have arisen to help fight some of the most entrenched problems that plague the African landscape, from education to poverty.

“We are an enabler,” Agboola said. “We may not go directly to help reduce poverty, but we are going to enable businesses that help to reduce poverty. There’s this merchant, Hervest. It does crowdfunding for community farmers, women-led smallholder farmers. So now, the company has this platform where anybody can invest there and then it takes the money from those investors and then gives it to women as loans. And those women, what they now do with the money is that they farm and they make profit and pay back the loans … So it’s creating value and reducing poverty, but in the middle of this business is Flutterwave. We are there enabling the company to reduce poverty and we are also there enabling it to create value for its investors.”