Winner of the first edition of MTN MoMo Hackathon in Nigeria, Oluwapelumi Yusuf, has revealed that that his inspiration for creating ‘Rova Pay’ solution came from visiting rural communities in Nigeria where he observed the challenges imposed by the necessity for internet access to use essential applications, especially for making payments.
Yusuf, who expressed his excitement while receiving his grand prize of $5,000, maintained that his visit to rural communities made him recognise the need to bridge the gap and support financial inclusion.
Rova Pay, invented by Yusuf incorporates MoMo Application Programming Interface (APIs) with features that transcend payment processing. It offers customers the convenience of making transactions anytime and anywhere using automated USSD, which eliminates the need for internet services and manual code dialling.
Also, MoMo Cash developed by Marvis Igbokwe in partnership with Favour Ajie Divine emerged second, winning USD3,000 cash prize; Isaac Odinaka Franklin’s solution, Clique Plus Pay, won the third position with a cash prize of USD2,000 while the top 12 participants received gifts and an invitation to the Pan African grand finale to represent Nigeria in the MoMo Hackathon.
Commenting on the importance of the MoMo Hackathon in the Nigerian fintech industry, Chief Commercial Officer, MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB), Elsa Muzzolini submits that innovation thrives within the collective of stakeholders.
“That is why we are equipping developers with the tools and resources necessary to expedite reaching individuals who are excluded from financial access or believe that financial services are not tailored to their needs.
Our commitment to fostering financial inclusion is a collaborative effort. By making MoMo accessible to innovators across Nigeria, we enable them to leverage its full potential in developing applications that hold the power to transform lives,” Muzzolini said.
The hackathon provided an opportunity for developers across 14 African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Rwanda, Eswatini, Congo Brazzaville, Guinea Conakry, Zambia, Benin, Liberia, South Africa, and South Sudan to further shape the future of digital finance and empower millions of people with access to comprehensive and life-changing financial services.
