OPay has raised a total of $570 million in funding over three main rounds as of 2026, reaching a $2 billion valuation to become a major African fintech unicorn. The largest investment was a $400 million Series C round in August 2021, led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
OPay in Nigeria is owned by Zhou Yahui, a Chinese billionaire and the chairman of Opera Software, which is OPay's parent company. He is also the founder of Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., another of his companies.
In less than three years, OPay has gone from a curious startup known for its motorcycles in Lagos, Nigeria, to a financial services company worth $2 billion.
For every transaction carried out on the platform, OPay charges a small percentage as a service fee. This applies to payments, fund transfers, ride services, food delivery, and other services offered on the platform. Furthermore, OPay earns revenue from interest on investments made through its platform.
Nigeria's top 5 banks (Access Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, FBN Holdings, and GTCO) dominate the sector with combined assets worth over ₦146 trillion. The banking sector performed remarkably in 2023, accounting for 4.6% of the country's GDP through a year-over-year improvement of 28.86%.
Below is a comprehensive list of the top 10 highest- paid employees/CEOs in Nigeria. 1. Ebenezer Onyeagwu / Zenith Bank Ebenezer Onyeagwu of Zenith Bank emerged as the highest-paid CEO with a basic salary of ₦2.17bn. In 2022, he was earning ₦258m and his salary took a 660% leap to the present amount.
A clash of vision between the former banker and the rest of the company's leadership led to Akanmu's departure, one person with knowledge of Opay's business told TechCabal. “The Chinese cared about numbers much more than the brand's perception,” that person told TechCabal.
Nigeria's richest woman Folorunsho Alakija has donated a Skills Acquisition Center to Yaba College of Technology, a higher educational institution located in Lagos.
Meet the Owner of OPay in Nigeria OPay, one of Nigeria's leading fintech platforms, is owned by Chinese billionaire Zhou Yahui. He is the chairman of Opera Software, the parent company of OPay. Originally founded as Paycom Nigeria Limited in 2013, OPay was rebranded after Opera acquired it.
Otedola currently owns 17.01 percent of First Bank — its single largest shareholder since it was established in 1894. His first big break as a businessman was in the energy sector when he set up Zenon Oil, a diesel marketing company, in 2003.
About us. OPay is a leading and fast growing fintech company focused in the Middle East and Africa region. Currently, OPay is operating in Egypt, Nigeria and Pakistan, processing tens of millions of transactions daily.
MEET THE OWNER OF OPAY IN NIGERIA 🇳🇬💼 Did you know that OPay, one of Nigeria's top fintech platforms, is owned by a Chinese billionaire? 🤯 His name is Zhou Yahui, the chairman of Opera Software—the same company behind the Opera browser. Opera is the parent company of OPay. No wonder the app is so smooth and reliable!
OPay and Moniepoint use modern, wallet-based closed systems that allow for direct payment switching. This means they can process transactions quickly and efficiently, without relying on the traditional banking infrastructure. 💻 The Power of Settlement Banks.
Meet Zhou Yahui, the Chinese billionaire who owns OPay, one of the most used online banks and fintech platforms in Nigeria. He is also the chairman of Opera Software, OPay's parent company.
Our journey in Nigeria started in 2018 and we are strictly licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
PalmPay remains majority-owned by Transsion and thus effectively Chinese-controlled. It has also attracted funding from other Chinese venture firms – for example, a $100 million Series A in 2021 (led by Transsion with participation from Chinese VC GSR Ventures) brought PalmPay's total disclosed funding to $140 million.
Aliko Dangote is the wealthiest person in Africa, with an estimated net worth of US$30.6 billion as of 9 January 2026, according to the Bossip Africa Billionaires Index and $26.2 billion according to Forbes, primarily from his oil refinery, cement and sugar business.
MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola, reportedly earns ₦8.5 million daily, making him the highest-paid employee in the country 💰📈 #Instablog9jaVibes #MoneyMoves #MTN.
HSBC Holdings Plc, Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Barclays Plc, Standard Chartered Plc, and NatWest Group Plc are the top 5 UK-based Banks in 2021 by revenue.
South Africa's Standard Bank remains the continent's biggest bank by some distance, with its $13.2bn Tier 1 capital up from $12.5bn last year. This is well ahead of National Bank of Egypt in second place with $7.3bn, down slightly from $7.5bn in 2024.
