Former Paystack Executive Obinna Ukwuani Becomes Chief Digital Officer at the Bank of Kigali

Former Paystack executive, Obinna Ukwuani has been appointed as the Chief Digital Officer of the Bank of Kigali. According to the announcement, he is replacing Regis Rugemanshuro at the new role.

Obinna will be heading the Digital Factory division for product innovation and development in digital banking at the country’s apex bank. Part of the fintech products from the division, there is also a digital wallet called Ikofi.

Through the wallet, the Bank of Kigali offers financial services that target Rwandan farmers, agro-dealers, Agri-businesses and other stakeholders in the country’s agricultural ecosystem.

Obinna’s educational background includes a degree in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and consistent interest in Robotics. He is the founder of Exposure Robotics Academy where STEM programs were taught to secondary school pupils. The academy existed between 2011 and 2014.

He founded NESA by Makers in 2016 with a focus to teach web development and other soft skills to youths with the end goal of making them valuable to employers. NESA is still in operation in Lagos.

In the agricultural sector, Obinna has gathered experience both firsthand as a founder, and as an employee of an agri-focused NGO in Nigeria.

He joined Harambe Nigeria in 2010 as Creative Director and Vice President. He coordinated the teams and led design projects that worked at increasing youth awareness and interest in agribusiness and the entire agriculture sector. He left Harambe in 2012.

In 2017, he started his own agribusiness with a focus on processing palm kernel for the manufacture of crude palm kernel oil.

Diversifying his experience, he joined Paystack in 2019. He worked in the Business Operations and Product Management division of the fintech company.

Altogether, Obinna has founded or co-founded 5 companies, with two of them still functioning.

Before his latest role with the Bank of Kigali, he had previously worked with the bank in a partnership that taught robotics to 40 students from the country. The Bootcamp, which was facilitated by students from the MIT, saw all 40 students display agritech innovations that were developed during the program.

Suggested read: From Farmcrowdy to Thrive Agric, Here are 6 Agric Investment Platforms With Healthy Risk and RoI Levels

The bootcamp was organized in 2018 by Obinna’s company, Makers Robotics Academy, in Rwanda in 2018.

For his new role as Chief Digital Officer, his passion for and experience in agriculture and technology will be invaluable at the Digital Factory division.