Tayo Oviosu

**Eyitayo David "Tayo" Oviosu: Nigerian Entrepreneur and FinTech Pioneer** Eyitayo David Oviosu (born September 10, 1977, in Lagos State, Nigeria) is a prominent Nigerian entrepreneur recognized as the Founder and Group CEO of Paga, one of Africa's leading mobile payment and financial services platforms. Oviosu is considered a significant figure in the African financial technology (fintech) sector due to his work in digitizing cash and expanding financial access across Nigeria. He is originally from Ora, Edo State, and his mother is from Kogi State. **Education and Early Career** Oviosu is highly educated, holding a Bachelor of Science degree, *cum laude*, in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC). He furthered his studies by earning a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University in 2005. Prior to founding Paga, Oviosu gained substantial experience in technology and finance. He served as a Manager of Corporate Development at Cisco Systems in San Jose, California, where he was involved in executing mergers and acquisitions. In 2008, he returned to Nigeria and took on the role of Vice President at Travant Capital Partners, a Lagos-based private equity firm, where he worked on investment strategies in West Africa. **Career Progression and Paga** Oviosu’s entrepreneurial focus shifted in 2009 when he founded Paga (Pagatech Limited). His vision for Paga was to create an ecosystem that enables Africans to send, pay, and bank digitally, directly addressing the prevalent use of cash and the need for greater financial inclusion across the continent. Under his leadership, Paga has grown into a major mobile money service. A notable achievement includes the platform processing 460 million transactions valued at approximately ₦23 trillion (around US$44 billion) over 16 years. Oviosu is also a co-founder of Kairos Angels, an angel investment club dedicated to funding early-stage technology startups in Nigeria. **Current Status and Personal Life** Tayo Oviosu currently serves as the Founder and Group CEO of Paga. He continues to actively promote entrepreneurship and financial literacy in Africa. He is also recognized as an Endeavor Entrepreneur. He married Affiong Williams, an Efik woman from Cross River State, Nigeria, in 2014.