A Nigerian fintech executive has emerged as the only African on TIME’s 2026 list of rising stars in business, technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Tosin Eniolorunda, Co-founder and group chief executive officer of Moniepoint Inc., was named to the TIME100 Next 2026, which recognizes emerging global leaders shaping the future.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Moniepoint on Saturday.
Eniolorunda is the only African among the business, technology and artificial intelligence leaders featured on this year’s list.
TIME Chief Executive Officer Jessica Sibley, said the 2026 honourees are “pushing boundaries, creating new possibilities, and advancing their fields and communities around the world.”
According to TIME, the annual list celebrates 100 influential rising stars across business, technology, politics, science, sports and culture.
TIME said its editorial team spent months identifying individuals whose work represents developments shaping the world.
The 2026 selection included themes around education access, artificial intelligence, immigration and emerging models of political leadership.
The recognition highlights Eniolorunda’s role in building financial infrastructure that has expanded access to financial services for businesses and individuals in Nigeria.
Founded in 2015, Moniepoint became a unicorn in 2024 and says it now serves more than 20 million businesses and individuals.
The company also says its agency banking network covers all 774 local government areas, while its Point of Sale terminals facilitate a significant share of in-person digital payments in Nigeria.
Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, wrote Eniolorunda’s citation for the TIME100 Next recognition.
Elumelu, a 2020 TIME100 honoree, described Eniolorunda as a young African who “grew up without a silver spoon but still had the audacity to dream.”
He said Eniolorunda’s success could demonstrate to other young Africans that they could also achieve significant success.
Eniolorunda said the recognition belonged primarily to the Moniepoint team and millions of businesses and individuals using its services.
He said the honour would renew the company’s commitment to building financial infrastructure with greater rigour and attention to its customers.
Eniolorunda also thanked Elumelu for his support for African enterprise, saying both shared a belief that Africans could transform the continent with access to appropriate tools and opportunities.
The recognition comes less than two weeks after Moniepoint’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Felix Ike, was named on TIME’s inaugural Executives of the Year list for Tech and Data.
In 2025, Moniepoint was also named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies.
Other TIME100 Next 2026 honourees include actor Joey King, NBA player Tyrese Maxey and Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala.
Kenyan Wawira Njiru, founder of Food4Education, is also among the African honourees on the list.
TIME is scheduled to celebrate the 2026 honourees at its TIME100 Next event in New York on Oct. 29.
