7 Most Powerful Chief Operating Officers Powering Nigeria’s Digital Economy

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) plays a defining role in shaping the growth, efficiency, and long-term sustainability of companies in Nigeria’s digital and fintech ecosystem.

Responsible for day-to-day execution, COOs coordinate critical functions spanning product development, customer experience, compliance, and technology. Their leadership converts strategy into scalable operations—often determining whether ambitious ideas succeed or stall.

In fintech especially, the COO is widely regarded as the operational heartbeat of the organisation. They balance rapid innovation with strict regulatory demands, harmonising creativity and compliance in one of the most tightly regulated sectors of the economy.

Nigeria’s fintech sector continues to attract strong investor interest. According to Nairametrics Research, 80 African fintech startups raised over $661 million between January and June 2025, with Nigeria accounting for $112 million, more than double its H1 2024 total. While some startups have scrapped the COO role, leading firms continue to retain it—underscoring its strategic value in scaling, risk management, and sustainable growth.

Here are seven COOs shaping Nigeria’s fintech and digital economy in 2025.

1. Ray Lee – PalmPay

Ray Lee is the Global Chief Operating Officer of PalmPay, overseeing operations from Hong Kong, while local execution in Nigeria is led by Adeyemi Tosin Oluwaseun. A Master of Laws graduate of Peking University, Lee brings global operational oversight to one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital banks.

Since launching in 2018, PalmPay has grown into a major player in financial inclusion, paying over ₦4 billion in savings returns to more than 10 million users in 2024 alone. Under Lee’s leadership, PalmPay has strengthened its operational scale across multiple markets.

2. Dotun Daniel Adekunle – OPay

Appointed COO and CTO in July 2024, Dotun Adekunle brings over 18 years of experience in payments and enterprise systems to OPay. He oversees operations, technology, and product innovation at one of Africa’s most valuable fintech unicorns.

Previously Senior Vice President of Offline Payments at Flutterwave, Adekunle has played a critical role in expanding digital and physical payment infrastructure across Africa. He holds an MBA from the University of Roehampton and advanced AI training from Texas McCombs School of Business.

3. Yanmo Omorogbe – Bamboo

Yanmo Omorogbe is the Co-Founder and COO of Bamboo, the investment platform enabling Nigerians to access local and global stock markets. A CFA charterholder and former Investment Associate at AIIM, she co-founded Bamboo in 2019 to simplify investing for everyday Nigerians.

Bamboo has raised over $17.5 million in funding, including a $15 million Series A led by Greycroft and Tiger Global. Omorogbe continues to drive Bamboo’s mission of accessible, technology-driven wealth creation.

4. Babafemi Ogungbamila – Interswitch

Babafemi Ogungbamila serves as Operations and Technology Leader at Interswitch Group, where he drives digital transformation and operational scalability across Africa’s payments infrastructure.

With more than two decades at Interswitch, including a tenure as Chief Information Officer, Ogungbamila played a key role in the company’s cloud migration and microservices architecture. His leadership remains central to Interswitch’s status as a pioneer of Africa’s fintech industry.

5. Odunayo Eweniyi – PiggyVest

Odunayo Eweniyi is Co-Founder and COO of PiggyVest, Nigeria’s leading digital savings and investment platform. She co-founded the company in 2016 after earlier launching PushCV.

Recognised by Forbes Africa, Bloomberg 50, TIME Next 100, and the World Women in FinTech Power List, Eweniyi has become one of Nigeria’s most influential fintech leaders. Under her operational leadership, PiggyVest continues to help millions of Nigerians build disciplined savings and investment habits.

6. Pawel Swiatek – Moniepoint

Pawel Swiatek is the Chief Operating Officer of Moniepoint Inc., overseeing global operations across Africa, Europe, and North America. Since joining in 2023, he has been instrumental in strengthening Moniepoint’s organisational structure and expansion strategy.

His leadership contributed to Moniepoint’s $110 million Series C raise in 2024, pushing its valuation beyond $1 billion. A Harvard Business School alumnus, Swiatek previously held senior roles at Capital One and Bridgewater Associates.

7. Marco Silva – FairMoney

Marco Silva has led Global Operations at FairMoney since 2022, centralising and optimising operations across multiple regions. His career spans senior roles at Citi and ID Finance, where he rose to COO.

FairMoney is now one of Nigeria’s leading digital banks and instant loan providers, disbursing over 10,000 loans daily. Silva’s operational expertise continues to support FairMoney’s rapid expansion in consumer and SME finance.