Africa’s fintech sector is growing fast. Nigeria alone processed over 108 billion transactions worth $1.68 trillion in 2024, claiming 44% of the continent’s fintech investments.
Yet beneath this momentum lie major structural issues: 36% of Nigerian adults remain unbanked, only 12% have reliable internet, and 71% of businesses report ransomware exposure.
For startups and SMEs, cross-border expansion is crippled by fragmented regulations, foreign exchange limits, and slow settlements. Outdated compliance systems and rigid onboarding keep many trapped in local markets. This makes them unable to scale or operate globally—highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure-focused solutions built for African realities.
The Architect of Fintech Infrastructure in Africa
Obinna Chukwujioke is a powerhouse in Africa’s fintech ecosystem, a national major media recognised digital innovator known for building the infrastructure others depend on to scale.
A first-class engineering graduate of FUTO with over 14 years of experience, Obinna is also a certified ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, reflecting deep expertise in security, compliance, and enterprise-grade infrastructure.
He began his career in oil and gas maintenance, transitioned into IT, and went on to co-found fintech ventures in both the US and UK. Yet, rather than remain abroad, he chose to return to Nigeria—committed to solving the continent’s structural barriers to financial inclusion.
His innovation journey began at Lara.ng, where he helped build a smart transit-routing system that used real-time data to solve urban mobility issues, which has been integrated into Google Maps. He then co-founded Wirepay, a cross-border payments platform that reduced remittance friction across Africa. Seeing the need for scalable infrastructure, Obinna pivoted from front-end apps to architecture—co-founding Maplerad, where he now serves as COO.
Under his leadership, Maplerad powers over 3,000 businesses, has processed more than $100 million in transactions, and enables rapid product deployment, multi-currency flows, and AI-driven compliance—simplifying how African fintechs build and scale.
Obinna’s leadership is agile, democratic, and values-driven—centred on Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Accountability. While others chase market share, he builds systems that power ecosystems. With each platform, he is laying the digital foundation for Africa’s financial future—quietly, strategically, and boldly.
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Obinna’s Digital Innovations
This legacy didn’t happen by chance. For over a decade, Obinna Chukwujioke has been solving the deep, often overlooked frictions that hold Africa’s digital economy back with scalable, systems-driven innovation.
His journey spans multiple sectors and milestones:
Lara.ng — Engineering Smarter Cities
Obinna Chukwujioke’s first major digital breakthrough came at Lara.ng, a smart mobility startup tackling Nigeria’s notoriously chaotic public transport system. After transitioning from oil & gas and IT roles, he joined Lara.ng to address one of the country’s most pressing urban challenges: inefficient commuting. He led the development of a real-time transit-routing platform that used data and algorithms to help commuters navigate faster, cheaper, and more predictably.
What Obinna built wasn’t just a tool—it was a solution rooted in local insight which later became integrated into Google Maps. By enabling access to live travel updates through a chatbot interface, he combined technical innovation with a deep understanding of everyday problems. Lara.ng set the tone for Obinna’s approach to innovation: thoughtful, scalable, and deeply human.
It wasn’t just about moving people; it was about building systems that solved real friction. That philosophy would become the blueprint for his fintech journey across Africa.
Wirepay — Building Borderless Finance
In 2020, Obinna Chukwujioke took his insight from transit logistics and launched Wirepay, a cross-border payments platform designed to overcome the challenges African users faced when transferring money abroad. At a time when international remittances were plagued by delays, hidden charges, and poor transparency, Wirepay enabled fiat and crypto transactions with ease, growing to over 50,000 users within its first year without any form of marketing. Obinna captured the platform’s impact succinctly on Brassbranking.medium.com in 2021.
“With Wirepay, we have reduced the cost, increased speed, and made it easier to send money across borders.”
Wirepay revealed a deeper truth: African fintech didn’t just need consumer apps—it needed robust, compliant infrastructure to sustain them. The surge in business interest around the over 300,000 users Wirepay’s underlying banking stack prompted Obinna to pivot, laying the foundation for Maplerad. This strategic shift underscores his talent for turning market insight into impactful innovation.
Maplerad — Infrastructure for the New Fintech Era
Later in 2021, Obinna Chukwujioke and his co-founders quietly reengineered Wirepay’s backend into Maplerad, a full-scale Banking‑as‑a‑Service (BaaS) platform built to eliminate the infrastructural roadblocks most African fintechs face. Under Obinna’s strategic leadership, Maplerad rapidly earned global attention—in 2022, it closed a $6 million seed round led by Valar Ventures (Peter Thiel) at a $30 million valuation, signalling strong investor belief in its mission.
Even in stealth mode, Maplerad was already powering over 100 startups and banks, processing millions of dollars monthly. Today, it supports 3,000+ businesses, enables multi-currency transactions, and has processed $100 million+ in volume.
Startups like Cleva, Payourse, CredPal, Prospa, Cashbuddy, and Chipper Cash rely on Maplerad’s embedded APIs to launch financial services with speed and regulatory confidence .
What makes Maplerad revolutionary is its infrastructure-first design: a modular API suite, AI-driven compliance, and smart fraud protection embedded into every layer. Obinna saw complexity where others saw obstacles, turning regulatory risk into opportunity—and establishing Maplerad as the invisible engine powering Africa’s fintech future.
Why Obinna Stands out
While many chase user growth, Obinna focuses on foundational challenges that unlock true scale. His career trajectory is defined by a singular vision: building the digital infrastructure others depend on to innovate. At Lara.ng, he addressed Nigeria’s chaotic public transport system using real-time data and smart-routing technology.
He applied the same thinking to Wirepay, a cross-border payments platform that simplified fiat and crypto transactions across Africa. Wirepay resolved costly delays and opaque remittance processes, but it also exposed a deeper issue: Africa lacked the infrastructure needed to support scalable, modern fintech solutions. This realization led to Maplerad, Obinna’s boldest innovation yet.
As Co-founder and COO, Obinna transformed Wirepay’s backend into Maplerad, a full-fledged Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform.
Obinna stands apart from other global fintech leaders like Shola Akinlade (Paystack), Tosin Eniolorunda (Moniepoint), and Olugbega Agboola (Flutterwave) for focusing on the invisible infrastructure—the rails that power entire ecosystems. He’s not building for the spotlight; he’s enabling others to succeed.
Obinna mentors early-stage founders at Alchemist Accelerator, backed by Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, and contributes to leadership networks like Fintech Crew, OnDeck, and JCI. He shares insights at high-impact forums such as the Nigeria Fintech Forum and Metropolitan Business Garage, drawing from over 14 years across oil & gas, IT, and fintech.
He remains open to invitations to speak, collaborate, or mentor—driven by a mission that extends beyond fintech to a personal cause: expanding access to education for children across underserved communities. At the heart of his work lies a deep passion for empowerment. What Obinna values most about the platform he’s building is simple yet profound: giving businesses the tools and access to markets they never dreamed possible, unlocking their full potential.
Conclusion
With every product launched and every founder mentored, Obinna Chukwujioke reaffirms his identity as a renowned digital innovator, committed to redefining fintech across Africa—and scaling that impact globally.
His message to Africa’s next generation is one of purpose and possibility:
“As you rise, lift others with you. Empower your communities, mentor those coming after you, and always remember: greatness is not just about personal success, but about making a difference. The future is yours to shape. Be bold and never stop believing in the power of your dreams. The world is waiting for your light to shine.”
To connect, reach out via obinna@maplerad.com | 🔗 LinkedIn
