With 50 Licences, Flutterwave ‘Most Licensed’ Non-bank Entity Globally — CEO Agboola

Flutterwave Chief Executive Officer, Olugbenga Agboola, has marked a decade of the company’s operations by reflecting on its journey from solving inefficient payment systems in Africa to building a globally recognised fintech infrastructure.

Speaking at the firm’s 10th anniversary Gala Night held at the luxury ‘The Delborough Lagos’, Agboola, fondly called ‘GB’, described the event as a celebration of shared prosperity, innovation, and the role Nigeria plays in driving fintech across the continent.

Recalling the challenges of 2015 and 2016, Agboola noted that sending money from Lagos to Accra often required routing funds through New York, a process slower than physically carrying cash on a plane.

“That was the reality of payment infrastructure in Africa and Nigeria at that time,” he said.

Flutterwave was founded in 2016 with a clear mission: to expand market access for small businesses, enable seamless cross-border payments, and create opportunities for Nigerians at home and abroad.

GB acknowledged the presence of key dignitaries, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, MTN Nigeria Board Chairman Ernest Ndukwe, and other business and industry leaders.

He also paid tribute to figures, including Dr Stanley Uzochukwu, founder of Stanel Group and The Delborough Lagos, for providing the venue (The Delborough) and support that made the event possible.

Highlighting Flutterwave’s growth, Agboola stated that the company has become the most licensed non-bank entity in the world, operating across more than 35 countries and holding over 50 licences globally.

Over the last decade, Flutterwave has processed more than one billion transactions, totalling over $50 billion, all while maintaining a reputation for integrity and reliability in financial dealings.

“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.”

He emphasised that Flutterwave was not only investing deeper in Nigeria but also enabling businesses to scale internationally, with operations now extending to the U.S., U.K., and European markets through partnerships and banking infrastructure.

Agboola concluded by reaffirming Flutterwave’s commitment to Nigeria as its home and base of operations, emphasising that the company’s success reflects the potential of Nigerian innovation on the global stage.

“The Nigerian name, our heritage, should be associated with excellence, growth, and enterprise that scales,” he said, encouraging attendees and entrepreneurs to leverage Flutterwave’s platform to expand their businesses worldwide.