Felix Ike, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Nigerian fintech company Moniepoint, has been named to TIME's inaugural Tech and Data list, making him the only African executive on the 50-person list. The list, unveiled on September 22, 2026, celebrates Chief Information Officers, Chief Technology Officers, Chief Data Officers, and Chief Product Officers whose decisions shape how large organizations adopt and deploy technology and data. Ike is recognized alongside executives from global technology companies like Netflix, CrowdStrike, and Dell.
Moniepoint, co-founded by Ike and Tosin Eniolorunda in 2015, is the only African company represented on the list. TIME noted that Ike has helped establish Moniepoint as one of Africa's leading financial platforms. This recognition follows Moniepoint's inclusion on TIME's 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies, marking a second consecutive year that the Lagos-founded firm has earned distinction from the American magazine.
Ike, a first-class graduate in Computer Science from the University of Lagos, has overseen the architecture of the infrastructure that powers financial services for millions of businesses and individuals across Africa since Moniepoint's founding. Under his watch, the company has grown from a back-end payments provider for banks into a full business banking platform that attained unicorn status in 2024.
Moniepoint now powers about 8 in 10 in-person digital payment transactions in Nigeria, according to the company. Ike's recognition is seen as a marker of what African-built technology is capable of, and he expressed gratitude for the honour, emphasizing that it shows Nigerian engineering can stand on the same stage as Silicon Valley and Wall Street.
TIME's Executive Editor and Chief Strategy Officer, Dan Macsai, said the new franchise aims to spotlight executives responsible for how companies adopt emerging technology, secure their systems, and put their data to productive use. The recognition adds to a growing roll of distinctions for Moniepoint, which has featured for three consecutive years on the Financial Times' list of Africa's Fastest-Growing Companies.
Moniepoint Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Tosin Eniolorunda, described Ike's recognition as a proud moment for the company and Nigeria, highlighting his significant contribution to building infrastructure that now carries the weight of millions of livelihoods. The company presently serves over ten million businesses and individuals across Nigeria and beyond.
Ike's achievement reflects well not only on Moniepoint but also on Nigeria and the wider African technology community. The company remains committed to building systems that serve, with integrity and resilience, the millions of businesses and individuals who place their trust in it daily.
Key points
- Felix Ike is the only African executive on TIME's inaugural Tech and Data list.
- Moniepoint is the only African company represented on the list.
- Ike's recognition highlights the growing influence of African-built technology globally.
