When we think of digital innovation in banking, it’s easy to focus on flashy mobile apps or biometric ATMs. But for Abdulazeez Baruwa, true transformation lies in data-informed decision-making and grassroots experimentation. As Product Manager for Digital Banking at Polaris Bank Limited, Baruwa led the development and national rollout of SurePadi, a fintech solution designed to deepen financial inclusion across Nigeria.
Under Baruwa’s leadership, SurePadi evolved from a concept into a fully operational agent banking platform. His use of A/B testing, user analytics, and behavioral data allowed the team to test and refine core product features—ranging from transaction flows to agent onboarding experiences. These iterative insights didn’t just shape SurePadi’s UX: they significantly reduced user churn by 40% and boosted transaction volume by 45% within just six months of launch.
“Digital financial services must be tested like products in a lab,” Baruwa says. “We can’t improve what we don’t measure and that’s where structured experimentation becomes powerful.” From conversion funnels to customer engagement strategies, Baruwa’s approach emphasized data-backed iteration as the foundation for financial technology innovation.
Beyond the data, Baruwa engineered a go-to-market strategy that leveraged agent networks, targeted outreach, and incentive schemes tailored to underserved communities. By focusing on localized distribution and demand-driven deployment, SurePadi quickly scaled nationwide, contributing Polaris Bank’s bottom line and playing a key role in extending banking services to millions previously outside the financial system.
But the real power of Baruwa’s work came from scalability. His modular product roadmap allowed SurePadi to expand beyond core payments into microloans, card issuance, and value-added services, features that laid the groundwork for future digital banking innovations across West Africa. His team’s framework became a replicable model for other fintech product teams in emerging markets.
Baruwa’s strategy wasn’t just about the technology; it was about impact at scale. By focusing on data experimentation, agile product development, and inclusive design, he created a product that delivered real economic value to users and financial institutions alike. His work at Polaris Bank reflects a broader shift in how fintech products are being built not only to solve banking problems but to solve them sustainably, at scale, and with measurable impact.
In a world where digital banking is often treated as a one-size-fits-all solution, Baruwa’s approach stands out. His blend of technical fluency and human-centered design offers a blueprint for how financial services can reach the last mile not through assumptions, but through continuous experimentation, contextual insight, and relentless iteration. As Nigeria and other emerging economies look to digitize access to finance, Baruwa’s SurePadi story shows exactly what’s possible when innovation meets precision.
