Olu Akanmu Resigns as CEO of OPay Nigeria, Calls for Deeper Financial Inclusion

Olu Akanmu, the Chief Executive Officer of OPay Nigeria, has resigned from his position in the company after two years.

Akanmu, who announced his exit via a Twitter post today, thanked his supporters and urged Nigerians to deepen financial inclusion.

He said “Starting with gratitude to all who had supported him while he was the CEO of OPay, Akanmu said:

“My Gratitude to all my colleagues at Opay for the good work we did together in deepening financial inclusion in Nigeria, ensuring that fewer and fewer number of our people are left behind in partaking out of the opportunities of the digital financial system.

“Many thanks also to all our ecosystem partners and enablers who complimented us, without which we would not have been able to deliver on the lofty mission of OPay which is to “deepen financial inclusion through technology.

“Yet there is still so much to be done collectively by us as all to ensure that no one is left behind by the modern digital financial system.

“The lesson of the cashless or limited Cash period earlier in the year is that millions are not yet included despite the progress we have made collectively as an ecosystem.

“For the Nigeria Fintech community, the imperative of ensuring that we serve not only the banked and underserved, but also the completely excluded which still represents at least 45% of our people should be our collective and greater patriotic mission, complementing the historic efforts of traditional players.

“Collaborations, public-private partnerships, and more deliberate coordination at the digital public infrastructure (#dpi) ecosystem layers would be critical to ensure we succeed in doing the next heavy lifting to extend the digital financial rail to the next 20 million.”

Akanmu, an esteemed industry veteran and former executive director at FCMB, made a pivotal move in November 2021 by joining the Nigerian arm of the Chinese-backed fintech company.

During his tenure, Opay witnessed remarkable growth amid Nigeria’s cash crunch, all credits to its ingenious distribution strategies and robust infrastructure.

Celebrating its 5th anniversary and a remarkable journey of progress, OPay Nigeria unveiled a fresh logo as part of its rebranding efforts. The new emblem not only symbolizes the company’s immense growth and impact over the years but also reflects its commitment to stepping into a new era marked by enhanced services, cutting-edge technology, and an unwavering determination to consolidate its position as Nigeria’s most dependable financial platform