"I would get out of the way and create the conditions for business to thrive by reducing all the policy/multiple taxation/infrastructure deficits burdening the business space."

"What got me here is a formula that consists of Vision – who am I in the grand story of mankind that God is writing? Purpose – a clear idea of what I should be doing to make a difference at every stage of life; and finally passion – a strong emotional connection to the rest of society that I am a world changer."

"Listening to people has helped me identify problems as well as given me ideas on how to fix those problems – which has helped me professionally."

"This year’s summit theme hints at Nigeria’s potential for sustainable development, leveraging innovative policies, robust institutions, strategic infrastructural investments and human capital development."

"Unlike many entrepreneurs who, after reaching global platforms, lose touch with their origins, I have chosen a different path. Innovation should not be an exclusive privilege for urban elites but a tool that penetrates rural landscapes, empowers local entrepreneurs, and creates lasting social change"

"“These challenges are worsened by an uneven allocation of resources, macroeconomic instability and institutional deficiencies."

"“True progress comes when we invest in people, equip them with opportunities, and ensure they have the tools to thrive.”"

"“Purpose drives me having a purpose to see the Africa we dream of being realised.”"

"“When I saw how mobile technology was being made in Shenzhen, I realised there was a way to bridge that innovation back home.”"

"”Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2022 revealed that approximately 62.9% of the population live in multidimensional poverty, threatening the development of a vibrant middle class."

"As a farmer, you need to get money for your produce. So, we would give you the platform to pay and exchange money. And I also see that you have crops to sell and give you a platform to do that. That end of the market that people seemed to be ignoring, the underserved financially, that market became the Tingo market."

"Over time, we saw the big picture and where we fit in. The phones I was selling, what were people using them for? That was how we got to the farmers."

"We initially did it as a USSD only platform, not an online platform because users are rural people, they are minimizing the use of data. The Web platform has only recently gone live."

"We would produce and get our content to M-Tech. But it wasn’t really viable because it’s either the telecom networks were not paying on time, or the sharing formula was just ridiculous. I couldn’t even make my wage bills!"

"So, I took a loan and started importing mobile phones. That became an instant hit. We had a ready market, selling feature phones and smartphones to dealers, from Alaba to Onitsha to Kano."

"I’ll Always Be An Entrepreneur"

"My ventures consistently bridge the gap between global innovation and local realities, proving that true progress must be inclusive, sustainable, and culturally relevant."

"”With population growth outpacing poverty reduction, Nigeria’s current trajectory highlights the critical need to prioritise long-term development and shared prosperity,"

"Technological advancements and their increasing adoption offer glimpses of what can be achieved with the proper mechanisms."

"”The change in political leadership also brings the opportunity for fresh ideas and the rectification of economic policies that have weakened the fiscal system.”"

"Globally, my leadership has been recognized and celebrated."

"I strongly believe that we can increase the number of women in leadership roles if we can plug their exit post-motherhood. In order to do this, we need to have a more enabling ecosystem that comprises the workplace, the home, and society at large. Good childcare infrastructure at the workplace and a strong family support system can help in a big way. As corporates, we can contribute by providing flexible human-resources policies that allow women to transition back to their jobs post-maternity in a smooth manner"

"My life’s work has been focused on building a new model of innovation that adds the condition of affordability to ensure accessibility. I have successfully challenged the Western world’s existing model of pharmaceutical innovation, which leads to the creation of monopolistic markets for novel, life-saving drugs that deliver high margins at low volumes"

"I really believe that entrepreneurship is about being able to face failure, manage failure, and succeed after failing"

"Innovation and commerce are as powerful tools for creating social progress as they are for driving technological advancement"

"My big idea is to marry affordability and access to ensure that we leverage innovation to develop affordable, cutting-edge therapies for chronic diseases. I am on a mission to make a global impact by ensuring affordable access to healthcare"

"We are seeing heightened awareness and discussions in India around facilitating women at work and addressing the issue of gender diversity. Recently we have seen the passage of the maternity bill in India, which has extended the maternity-leave period for women to 26 weeks. More recently, the Indian parliament is debating a proposal of awarding two days of paid menstrual leave every month to women at work in public and private sectors"

"We have a huge opportunity to build a very large business"

"Even in the U.S. now, the adoption of biosimilars is becoming far greater because health care costs are spiraling out of control, and anything you can do to rein in costs is going to be very important"

"Just because we cannot afford human insulin, we are having to use animal insulin, so let me do something about it"

"I have always believed that successful businesses thrive on great human relationships, which are formed through collaborations and extend out into personal and professional networks. Very often, strong personal networks lead to robust professional relationships"

"I was totally unprepared for the gender bias that a young woman had to face for daring to start a business in the male-dominated society of India of the 1970s. But, actually, my experience did not make me change my belief that knowledge doesn’t discriminate on the basis of gender, and a woman can achieve anything if she puts her mind to it"

"I call myself an accidental entrepreneur"

"That is what then gave me the raison d’être to focus on biopharmaceuticals"

"I believe we are in a humanitarian business, she says, and I think we are doing our bit for affordable access, which is what we want"

"Human resources mean everything when it comes to building a successful technology company, and we are lucky that Nigeria has an expansive pool of talent to support our operations."

"At the end of the day, it’s about creating opportunities and making a difference. That’s what drives us, and that’s what will continue to guide us as we grow."

"Trust is the business we’re in. We’ve been working tirelessly to regain that trust"

"You have to build the people. You have to build the opportunity. You have to build everything alongside you."

"Leadership can’t be stagnant. You have to evolve. A company can need a different kind of leadership at different times."

"It wasn’t just about building a company. We were driven by a mission to create something greater than ourselves—a platform that could fundamentally change how financial transactions happen in Africa and beyond."

"We believe in the digital future of Africa. So we have to build for long-term sustainability. We have to build with patience, build for scale, and at the same time build for the myriad, multiple, fragmented, permanent types. That’s what we have to do and that’s what we’ve done."

"We have worked on our corporate governance, infrastructure, compliance system and that’s what we are going to keep doing as a company and part of that is why we brought Mitesh in."

"If you were to ask me what my goal is, it is to build the largest private tech company from Africa that is profitable and sustainable."

"As it is, M-Pesa works amazingly well in Kenya but it cannot work in Nigeria. Our goal is to make it easy for you in Lagos to sell to somebody in Kenya, they pay with M-Pesa and it comes to your account in Nigeria here or you send money to your supplier in Kenya and they receive it seamlessly. That’s our goal, to make it simple to accept payments globally."

"I personally believe in just doubling down and getting the work done which is why I’ve been busy building the infrastructure, the technology, building the company."

"When we started the company, our goal was to build a superhighway infrastructure for payments in Africa; our goal has not changed. We believe very strongly in enterprise payments, in ensuring that you build best-in-class technology and infrastructure for top-range merchants across Africa – both local and global."

"As a founder, you have to learn to operate like a firefighter and an architect, sometimes both in the same day."

"Our acquisition of Stabus, one of Ghana’s leading mobility startups, is a step to further our ambition of building the largest shared mobility platform in Africa. Over the next two years, we have a Pan-African growth plan which has started, and we plan to expand into 6 African countries in that time."

"Isidore is a brilliant entrepreneur who I have been keeping tabs on for a while. The conversations leading to this were entirely organic as Treepz and Stabus innovated public transportation using technology. Our combined expertise would make a greater impact and help us discover new consumer insights."