The United States Chamber of Commerce’s U.S-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) has appointed Olugbenga Agboola, founder and CEO of Flutterwave as its Vice Chair.
The organisation made the announcement in New York City at the U.S-Nigeria Executive Dialogue, which earned endorsement and commendation from President Bola Tinubu, and the USAfBC board chair company, Pepsico.
USAfBC, since its establishment in 2009, has advocated for increased trade between the U.S and Africa to deepen engagement with Africa’s regional economic communities, the established African private sector, and SMEs from Africa and the U.S.
The organisation believes the partnership with Agboola and his fintech will build on these goals.
“Flutterwave is at the forefront of the digital revolution in Africa. Their leadership and vision in the digital economy sector exemplify why Africa is a key player in the global economic narrative. We are eager to explore Africa’s digital transformation and to advance the U.S-Nigeria Business initiative announced at UNGA,” USAfBC wrote.
“We resonate with their commitment to fostering U.S.-Africa relations, championing emerging technologies, and nurturing the ever-evolving business ties between these two countries,” they added.
Agboola, 39, resumed his new role immediately, marking attendance at the U.S-Nigeria Executive Business roundtable alongside Olayemi Cardoso, the governor of the CBN, where he gave the final remarks.
In his acceptance message, he expressed delight at the opportunity to contribute to an established partnership between Africa and the global economy.
“Joining the US Chamber of Commerce’s US-Africa Business Centre’s board as the new Vice Chair is both a personal achievement and a fulfilment of our commitment to connecting Africa to the global economy,” he wrote.
“Africa is a key player in the global economic narrative, and we are eager to explore and advance the digital transformation on the continent” he added.
Flutterwave at the forefront
Agboola’s Flutterwave has established itself as one of Nigeria’s most successful technology companies, and is moving towards dominating the African remittance market. The company is one of the top 5 tech unicorns in Africa with a valuation of over $1 billion. In 2022, Flutterwave raised a $250 million Series D funding round at over $3 billion valuation.
Flutterwave has processed over 550 million transactions earning more than $32 billion and served over two million businesses, across 34 African countries, making it a strong partner for the USAfBC.
The fintech company boasts of acquiring payment licences for 13 states in the U.S.
