Esther Agbaje

Nigerian fintech pioneer empowering women through digital financial inclusion

Esther Agbaje (b. 1989) revolutionized financial access for African women through her fintech startup Sakhi Africa. Launched in 2015, her mobile banking platform eliminated gender barriers by offering no-minimum accounts, microloans, and business training modules specifically designed for female entrepreneurs. By 2020, Sakhi had facilitated $120M in loans for 500,000 women across 14 countries, with a 97% repayment rate. Her 2018 initiative Women's Blockchain Collective created Africa's first cryptocurrency wallet tailored for informal sector workers, now used by 800,000 users. Agbaje's 2021 collaboration with the Gates Foundation produced the MamaPay app, which integrated with 19 national health systems to provide maternal care subsidies. Her viral Forbes article "Closing the Gender Gap with Blockchain" sparked global policy changes, influencing Kenya's 2022 financial inclusion act. Agbaje's TEDx talk "How Fintech is Freeing Women" has over 1.8M views, and she advises the African Development Bank's digital economy committee.