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Former President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone joined former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday evening to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Flutterwave, the African fintech company founded by Nigerian entrepreneur Olugbenga Agboola.
The inaugural gala night, held at The Delborough Hotel on Victoria Island, brought together a constellation of political, business and entertainment figures from across the continent in what organisers described as “a total shutdown of activities” at the prestigious venue.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Koroma commended Mr. Agboola’s “effort and resilience” and praised the young Nigerian for making Africans proud on the global stage. He joined other dignitaries in hailing the entrepreneur’s discipline and commitment to excellence.
The former Sierra Leonean leader, who governed from 2007 to 2018, was among several former heads of state attending the event. Mr. Obasanjo, who served as Nigeria’s president from 1999 to 2007, also delivered remarks drawing parallels between his administration’s telecommunications reforms and Agboola’s achievements in financial technology.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, business leaders Dr. Cosmas Maduka of the Coscharis Group, MTN Nigeria Board Chairman Ernest Ndukwe, and Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, founder of Stanel Group and owner of The Delborough Lagos, were also present.
Entertainment figures including singer Tiwa Savage, actress Omotola Jalade, and former Big Brother Naija housemates Dorathy and Erica added glamour to the evening.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Agboola reflected on the challenges that drove him to establish Flutterwave in 2016. He described the company as “a breaking light in payments in Africa” and recalled that before its launch, transferring money electronically between African countries was so cumbersome that physically transporting cash by air from Lagos to Accra was often faster. Wired payments, he explained, frequently routed through New York before reaching Ghana .
The event celebrated a decade of Flutterwave’s growth into one of Africa’s most valuable fintech firms, operating across more than 30 countries and processing payments for major global partners. Dignitaries described the evening as both a corporate milestone and a testament to African enterprise.
