Across Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face an ongoing struggle to access critical financial services and business tools. This gap often restricts their ability to grow, innovate, and remain competitive in challenging economic conditions. For many of these businesses, limited access to affordable credit, efficient payment systems, and management solutions has become a significant barrier to long-term sustainability.
Emeka Okemadu, a seasoned product manager with over six years of experience, is among those working to tackle this issue. Having contributed to a range of sectors, from digital banking to financial technology, Emeka has established himself as someone focused on delivering tech-driven solutions tailored to the African context. His career spans key roles in banking, digital lending, payments, and SaaS, all aimed at addressing some of the most pressing problems faced by users.
“Many African SMEs struggle with meeting business goals not because they lack ideas or hard work, but because they don’t have the right tools to efficiently manage their businesses,” Emeka says. “They need solutions that are designed for their specific realities, which include limited access to traditional financial services, especially credit.”
His track record includes work at Access Bank PLC, where he collaborated with industry leaders like Nirdesh Malik of Montra and Chinedu Onuoha of Kashia, to develop products aimed at addressing Africa’s lending challenges. Among his achievements is managing the PayDay Loan (*901*11#), a digital product that offers instant access to credit for users with minimal barriers. He is credited with incrementing on the cutting-edge lending solution with other variants and scaling the product into new markets. This innovation, along with others like QuickBucks and device finance, made significant strides toward addressing the continent’s credit access gap.
Beyond his work in digital lending, Emeka played a pivotal role in managing Quickteller, one of Nigeria’s leading financial platforms. His efforts were instrumental in launching the Verve OnCredit BNPL solution and expanding Quickteller’s service offerings into sectors like housing and transportation with Quickteller Homes and Quickteller Transport.
Now, at Oze, a mobile-first SME toolkit, Emeka’s focus is on creating accessible, user-friendly business management tools that help African enterprises remain profitable. The platform provides essential resources to small businesses, allowing them to manage their operations more efficiently. “What we’re doing at Oze is providing businesses with tools that can genuinely help them manage everything from finances to operations,” he explains. “It’s not just about offering financial products but about helping businesses grow sustainably.”
Emeka’s work reflects a broader trend in Africa’s tech ecosystem, where digital solutions are being developed to address local challenges. However, his approach remains grounded in the user experience, ensuring that the products he helps create are practical and relevant to the needs of the people they serve.
“Africa’s business environment is unique,” he notes. “The tech solutions that succeed here are the ones that solve real problems for everyday users. That’s what drives me—the opportunity to use technology to make people’s lives easier and their businesses more resilient.”
“In a continent where access to financial services can make or break a business, Emeka’s contributions are helping to reshape the environment, offering SMEs a pathway to growth and sustainability. His work highlights the crucial role of technology in bridging the gap between potential and prosperity for African businesses.”
