Mitchell Elegbe

Pioneered digital payment solutions across Africa through Interswitch

Mitchell Elegbe, a Nigerian entrepreneur, revolutionized financial technology in Africa by founding Interswitch in 2002. At a time when cash transactions dominated the continent, Elegbe envisioned a digital payment ecosystem that would later process over 500 million transactions monthly.

His company introduced the first switching infrastructure connecting Nigerian banks, enabling ATM interoperability. This breakthrough reduced fraud risks by 60% according to Central Bank of Nigeria reports. By 2019, Interswitch became Africa's first fintech unicorn valued at $1 billion.

Beyond business success, Elegbe launched Quickteller Paypoint in 2011 - an agency banking solution providing financial access to 60 million unbanked Nigerians. The platform's USSD technology proved vital during COVID-19 lockdowns, facilitating social welfare distributions to rural communities.