Speakers

MOONSHOT 2025

We’re bringing together some of the most audacious thinkers and doers in African tech, working on everything from fintech to commerce, energy, Web3 and AI, telco, cloud and more.

Emmanuel Peter

Head of Roqqu Academy

ENTERING TECH

Emmanuel Peter is a dynamic growth strategist and an institutional sales consultant with a strong focus on scaling blockchain solutions and driving Web3 penetration across Africa. With a proven track record, he continues to champion the adoption of blockchain technology across diverse markets in Africa through education, driving growth, and meaningful impact.
Passionate about the transformative potential of decentralized systems, Emmanuel has worked at the intersection of technology, strategy, and sales. Emmanuel serves as the Head of Web3 markets at Roqqu, where he majors in identifying opportunities and building scalable models to achieve sustainable growth.

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Emmanuel Peter

Head of Roqqu Academy
Fola Fagbule

Deputy Director and Head of Financial Advisory, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)

FUEL: THE INVESTOR CONFERENCE

Fola Fagbule is a banker and investment professional focused on infrastructure in Africa. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President and Head of Financial Advisory with overall responsibility for mergers, acquisitions, capital raising and other technical advisory assignments at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). His work revolves around large infrastructure projects, companies and investments across sub-Saharan Africa. AFC is a US$4.0bn infrastructure financier working across nearly 30 countries in Africa. Fola has worked at AFC in various roles for nearly a decade and is currently focused mainly on leading the delivery of advice to various clients, including governments, private funds, large corporates, private developers, state-owned entities and central banks. Prior to AFC, Fola worked as an investment banker at Afrinvest, a London and Lagos-based securities firm. At Afrinvest, he focused originally on mergers, acquisitions and capital raising; then subsequently led the investment research department.

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Fola Fagbule

Deputy Director and Head of Financial Advisory, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)
Eyram Tawia

CEO, LetiArts

CREATIVE ECONOMY

Eyram Tawia is a pioneering figure in the African game development ecosystem, co-founder and CEO of Leti Arts, and a doctoral researcher at Loughborough University. His work blends academic rigor with high-impact entrepreneurial ventures in digital storytelling, gamification, and technological innovation. His PhD focuses on gamification, civic participation, and political engagement in Ghana and the wider Global South. This nomination outlines Eyram’s outstanding achievements and future-facing contributions across academic research, societal impact, training, public engagement, and thought leadership.

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Eyram Tawia

CEO, LetiArts
Seun Lanlege

Co-founder, Polytope Labs

EMERGING TECH

Seun Lanlege is the Co-founder of Polytope Labs. He previously worked as a core developer at Parity Technologies, where he contributed to projects such as parity-ethereum, Substrate, and Polkadot. After leaving Parity, he joined Composable Finance, where he led the research and development efforts that successfully bridged Polkadot to Cosmos using the IBC framework. Currently, Seun leads research and development at Polytope Labs, focusing on interoperability, privacy, and scalability.

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Seun Lanlege

Co-founder, Polytope Labs
Samora Kariuki

Founder and CEO, Frontier Fintech

FUTURE OF COMMERCE

Samora Kariuki leads Frontier Fintech, Africa’s premier fintech insights and advisory platform. He works with banks, fintechs, and investors to align strategy with real market dynamics. Through deep research, a widely read weekly newsletter, and the F Squared podcast, Samora equips executive teams with clear guidance on payments, core banking, digital identity, stablecoins, and the wider fintech stack. His advisory work supports product strategy, market entry, and partnerships for leading names in the industry across multiple markets. A former finance and banking operator turned researcher and advisor, he focuses on market insights, growth, risk, and execution that leaders can act on.

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Samora Kariuki

Founder and CEO, Frontier Fintech
Dr Olubayo Adekanmbi

Founder and CEO, DSN

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi is the CEO of Data Scientists Network (formerly Data Science Nigeria), a non-profit building a world-class AI knowledge, research, and innovation ecosystem delivering high-impact research, business applications, AI-first startups, employability, and social good use cases. He is also the Co-Founder of EqualyzAI, focused on advancing inclusive and context-driven AI for emerging markets. With over 24 years of executive and technical experience, Dr. Adekanmbi is widely recognized as one of Africa’s foremost leaders in AI for development. His pioneering work on inclusive innovation earned the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Grand Challenge Award for developing large language models that expand financial inclusion. A published scholar and highly ranked data scientist, he is dedicated to building Africa’s AI talent pipeline, advancing innovation, and shaping the continent’s digital future.

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Dr Olubayo Adekanmbi

Founder and CEO, DSN
Lukman Bello

Technical Solutions Lead, Paystack

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Lukman Bello is a payments infrastructure expert and Technical Solutions Lead at Paystack, where he has spent more than six years guiding businesses through the intricate world of African fintech. He has overseen integrations for hundreds of notable local and global brands, turning regulatory complexity into clear product strategies and robust code.

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Lukman Bello

Technical Solutions Lead, Paystack
Chukwuemeka Oti

Head of Product, Renmoney

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Chukwuemeka Oti is Head of Product at Renmoney, where he is leading the company’s evolution from a lending-focused microfinance bank into a full digital bank and ecosystem. With over 18 years of experience across fintech, telecommunications, and banking, he has consistently driven innovation at the intersection of product, data, and partnerships.
At Renmoney, he has introduced inclusive savings and lending products, strengthened digital customer experiences, and built ecosystem partnerships with leading payment and technology platforms.
Chukwuemeka is passionate about building scalable financial solutions that empower individuals, expand access, and accelerate Africa’s digital financial future.

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Chukwuemeka Oti

Head of Product, Renmoney
Ayodeji Alaran

Founder and CEO of PBR Life Sciences

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Ayodeji Alaran is the Founder and CEO of PBR Life Sciences, a TechStars-backed startup transforming healthcare in emerging markets through big data and AI. With a career spanning GSK, Pfizer, IQVIA, and AstraZeneca across Africa, Asia, and Europe, he brings deep expertise at the intersection of technology and life sciences. Ayodeji holds a pharmacy degree from the University of Lagos and an MBA from London Business School. At PBR Life Sciences, he is building inclusive, impact-driven data-as-a-service platforms that help life sciences companies mitigate losses and improve patient outcomes, with operations in both the UK and Nigeria.

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Ayodeji Alaran

Founder and CEO of PBR Life Sciences
Oluwadara Openiyi

Product Manager, Busha

FUTURE OF COMMERCE

Oluwadara Openiyi is a Product Manager with over 2 years of experience driving customer-centric innovation, particularly in the fintech industry. Naomi is passionate about building seamless, user-friendly products that not only solve real problems but also enhance customer experiences. Her legal background gives her an edge in ensuring products are innovative, compliant, and secure, while her work in fintech reflects her belief in technology’s power to transform financial services.

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Oluwadara Openiyi

Product Manager, Busha
Benjamin Dada

Founder, Condia

FUEL: THE INVESTOR CONFERENCE

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Benjamin Dada

Founder, Condia
Ogechi Nelson

Assistant Editor, Mariblock

Ogechi Nelson is a Web3 journalist and currently the Associate Editor at Mariblock. She spotlights African innovators in the blockchain and digital assets space and is passionate about capturing the stories behind how they’re shaping the future of blockchain and digital assets in Africa.

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Ogechi Nelson

Assistant Editor, Mariblock
Ololade Israel

Chief Product Officer, Roqqu

ENTERING TECH

Ololade Israel is a seasoned engineer with over 7 years of experience leading software development teams and delivering high-performing software solutions. He has a proven track record of aligning engineering strategies with business objectives, fostering innovation, and ensuring the timely execution of projects. His expertise spans quality management systems, inventory tracking software, customer relationship management and system optimization. In his current role as Chief Product Officer, Ololade oversees a team of over 20 engineers and designers, driving productivity, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and mitigating project risks. He has also played a key role in API integration, application performance enhancement, and high-availability solutions. Ololade holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Economics from the University of Port Harcourt and is deeply committed to leveraging technology to enhance business growth and operational eﬃciency.

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Ololade Israel

Chief Product Officer, Roqqu
Toni Akinmolayan

Senior Software Engineer, Busha

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Toni Akinmolayan is a Senior software engineer with a focus on backend systems and financial infrastructure across emerging markets. At Busha and Yousend, he builds and maintains high-performance remittance and crypto-fiat platforms, ensuring reliability and scalability for large user bases and complex financial operations. His expertise spans cloud-native architecture, real-time transaction processing, and building resilient systems that support global money movement. Toni began his engineering career in 2019, developing backend solutions for telecom and enterprise clients across Nigeria and Canada. He is passionate about designing systems that are not just functional but built to scale, combining clean architecture with practical problem-solving.

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Toni Akinmolayan

Senior Software Engineer, Busha
OluwaMayowa Idowu

Co-founder and Editor in Chief, Culture Custodian

CREATIVE ECONOMY

OluwaMayowa Idowu is an experienced editorial leader and legal professional with a robust background in media and law. As Editor-in-Chief at The Culture Custodian since March 2014, OluwaMayowa has been instrumental in developing a leading publication aimed at the Nigerian youth through diverse content formats. Prior experience includes working as an Associate at Probitas Partners LLP, where responsibilities involved drafting and reviewing complex agreements across multiple industries and overseeing the firm’s journal publication. Additionally, OluwaMayowa served as a Student Volunteer at Kent Law Clinic, contributing to community legal services while enhancing the education of law students. OluwaMayowa’s educational credentials include an LL.B. in Law from the University of Kent, completion of the Nigerian Law School, and a focused study on International Journalism at The London School of Economics.

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OluwaMayowa Idowu

Co-founder and Editor in Chief, Culture Custodian
Lanre Masha

Director, West Africa, The Orchard

CREATIVE ECONOMY

Lanre Masha describes himself as a “cultural architect,” dedicated to building an ecosystem that elevates creativity in Africa and beyond. With over a decade of cross-industry experience, he has become a leading figure in the continent’s creative and music industries.

Masha began his career in the United States with Fortune 500 companies PepsiCo and Enterprise before returning to Nigeria in 2014 to join the country’s growing creative economy. He rose to prominence as Head of Marketing and later General Manager of Music at TRACE Urban, where he built strong relationships with artists and shaped West Africa’s music landscape. Today, he serves as Director for West Africa at The Orchard, where he also co-founded MARS (Mother Africa Reigns Supreme), a sub-label dedicated to signing and developing emerging African talent.

Beyond music, his marketing expertise has informed projects with ART X, Nike, Heineken, Hennessy, and Microsoft, cementing his role as a connector between global brands and African creativity. For Masha, his work is about legacy, service, and amplifying African stories on the world stage.

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Lanre Masha

Director, West Africa, The Orchard
Adonijah Ndege

Senior Reporter, East Africa, TechCabal

CLEAN/CLIMATE TECH

Adonijah Ndege is a journalist and analyst covering the intersection of finance, technology, and policy in Africa. His work explores how innovation is reshaping banking, payments, and investment across the continent. He brings sharp insights and real-world examples to conversations with regulators, founders, and investors on Africa’s economic future.

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Adonijah Ndege

Senior Reporter, East Africa, TechCabal
Dami Olawoye

CEO, Rivy

CREATIVE ECONOMY

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Dami Olawoye

CEO, Rivy
Damilare Dosunmu

Reporter, Rest of World

EMERGING TECH

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Damilare Dosunmu

Reporter, Rest of World
Mr. Osa Odiase

CEO, 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB)

STARTUP FESTIVAL

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Mr. Osa Odiase

CEO, 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB)