Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, has said the company now holds more than 50 licences globally, describing it as the most licensed non-bank payments entity worldwide.

Agboola spoke at the company’s 10th anniversary gala held at The Delborough Lagos, where political leaders, regulators and industry executives gathered to mark a decade of operations.

Reflecting on the company’s early years, the CEO said inefficiencies in Africa’s payment infrastructure inspired its founding in 2016. He recalled a period when sending funds from Lagos to Accra often required routing transactions through financial hubs outside the continent, a process that slowed transfers and complicated cross-border trade.

“That was the reality of payment infrastructure at the time,” he said, noting that Flutterwave was established to simplify cross-border transactions and improve access for businesses.

Since launch, Flutterwave has expanded across more than 35 countries and processed over one billion transactions valued at more than $50 billion, according to the company.

Agboola said the firm’s long-term objective has been to build a payment infrastructure that connects commerce and financial systems across markets. He added that the company has extended its footprint to the United States, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe through partnerships and regulatory approvals.

He reiterated that Nigeria remains the company’s operational base, describing its global expansion as an extension of Nigerian-led innovation.

The event drew prominent figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma, and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Also present were the Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Ernest Ndukwe, and the founder of Stanel Group, Dr Stanley Uzochukwu.

Agboola acknowledged stakeholders who have supported the company’s growth, describing the anniversary as a moment of reflection rather than celebration alone.

According to the CEO, Flutterwave’s model is built around payment interoperability and market access for businesses of varying sizes.

“Our goal has been to enable businesses and consumers to transact seamlessly,” he said.

He concluded by encouraging entrepreneurs to leverage digital infrastructure to scale beyond domestic markets, stating that the company intends to deepen its regulatory compliance framework while expanding services.