Blessing Kusimo

A Nigerian fintech pioneer revolutionizing rural financial inclusion through mobile banking

Blessing Kusimo is a visionary entrepreneur who co-founded Moneypal, a groundbreaking mobile banking platform that has brought financial services to over 2 million unbanked Nigerians since 2021. Through her innovative approach, Blessing developed a biometric authentication system that allows users to open accounts using only their fingerprints, bypassing traditional ID requirements. This technology has been particularly transformative in rural areas where 68% of the population lacked access to formal banking services before 2020.

Her work has received recognition from the African Development Bank, which provided $5 million in seed funding for Moneypal's expansion into neighboring countries. Blessing's 2022 TEDx talk "Fingers Pointing Toward Financial Freedom" has been viewed over 2 million times, inspiring similar initiatives across West Africa. In 2023, she launched the AgriWallet project, integrating crop price data and micro-insurance into the platform to support smallholder farmers.

What makes Blessing's work truly impactful is her focus on gender equality - 72% of Moneypal users are women, and her company maintains a 55% female leadership ratio. Her partnership with UN Women in 2024 created the first blockchain-based microloan system for female entrepreneurs, now operating in 12 African countries. Recent Forbes Africa reports estimate her innovations have generated $140 million in new economic activity across rural communities.