In a major endorsement of Nigerian innovation, Felix Ike, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Moniepoint, has been named to TIME’s inaugural Executives of the Year: Tech and Data list.
The global ranking highlights top technology leaders driving transformation worldwide, placing Ike alongside executives from global powerhouses including OpenAI, Anthropic, Netflix, and Shopify. Notably, Ike stands out as the sole executive representing an African business on the 50-person list.
Powering Nigeria’s Payment Engine
Since co-founding Moniepoint alongside Group CEO Tosin Eniolorunda in 2015, Ike has been the engineering brains behind the company’s core infrastructure. His technical leadership shaped the platform that currently powers roughly 80% of all in-person digital payments across Nigeria—a scale that anchored the fintech’s rise to unicorn status in 2024.
Reacting to the honor, Ike underscored the broader significance of the achievement for the local tech ecosystem, noting that the recognition proves Nigerian-engineered technology can compete directly with solutions coming out of traditional hubs like Silicon Valley.
A Second Consecutive Global Nod
The distinction adds to a growing list of international accolades for the fintech company. It marks the second consecutive year Moniepoint has featured prominently in TIME’s global rankings, following its inclusion in TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies list in 2025.
Moniepoint’s management described the milestone as a validation of years spent building reliable financial infrastructure for millions of businesses and individuals, placing the engineering vision behind Africa’s growing digital economy firmly on the world map.
