Onome Amuge
MonieWorld, the remittance and cross-border financial platform from Moniepoint Inc., has announced a partnership with Nollywood star Funke Akindele, as the Nigerian diaspora market increasingly draws attention from fintech innovators.
MonieWorld was designed to meet the unique financial needs of the diaspora, who often manage responsibilities across continents while maintaining ties to families, businesses, and communities in Nigeria. The platform allows users to send money home instantly, support family members, pay for school fees, and manage cross-border financial obligations with competitive rates and security guarantees. Moniepoint, the parent company, has built a reputation as Nigeria’s most reliable and widely-used payment provider, moving billions of naira annually across individuals, small businesses, and enterprise clients.
The partnership leverages Akindele’s global cultural influence alongside MonieWorld’s technological infrastructure. “Progress doesn’t start until it moves with ambition, with people, and with purpose. Funke Akindele embodies this principle. Her career reflects the same values we’ve built MonieWorld on: consistency, credibility, and an unwavering connection to the communities that shaped her journey. From dominating the Nigerian box office to breaking records in the UK and Ireland, her excellence travels. We built MonieWorld for people exactly like her and others who are building lives across borders, navigating new systems, but staying deeply connected to home,” said Ravi Jakhodia, chief executive officer of MonieWorld.
Funke Akindele’s influence extends well beyond the Nigerian market. She is the most decorated individual in African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) history, with 10 wins, and has pushed the commercial scale of Nollywood to new heights. Her 2025 film, Behind the Scenes, became the first Nollywood production to surpass the N2 billion mark at the West African box office, while simultaneously becoming the highest-grossing Nollywood title in the UK and Ireland. With cumulative career earnings exceeding N4.7 billion, she has been recognised by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the “Most Influential Women in International Film,” solidifying her status as the “Queen of the Box Office.”
“I am excited to join the MonieWorld family. I’ve always believed in growth that is rooted in hard work and reliability. MonieWorld reflects those same values by making sure that distance isn’t a barrier to progress. What makes this partnership meaningful is our shared understanding of what it means to build something that serves people, making a positive impact in the lives of Nigerians in the diaspora. It’s all about the freedom to build your life, wherever you are, and this aspiration resonates with my own journey and the stories I tell,” Akindele said.
African fintech companies are increasingly turning to cultural figures to bridge the trust gap with diaspora customers. In 2025, Nigerians abroad sent over $30 billion home, yet many continued to use conventional or informal channels. MonieWorld combines speed and low-cost cross-border transfers with the cultural credibility of Funke Akindele, addressing a key barrier to wider adoption.
According to Dolapo Omotoso, head of growth at MonieWorld, the platform is tailored to support Nigerians building lives abroad. “We recognize that our customers are building new lives far away from home with ambition and dreams. MonieWorld exists to ensure that their financial happiness isn’t impacted and they are able to make progress as they move across borders—whether it’s school fees, medical expenses, business support, or everyday living. Funke’s story is their story, and together, we’re championing the message that wherever life takes you, progress moves with you,” Omotoso noted.
Since its April 2025 launch, MonieWorld has received positive market feedback for transaction speed, reliability, and user experience. Analysts highlight the platform’s potential to capture a significant share of the diaspora remittance market, which remains underpenetrated by digital-first solutions. By combining fintech infrastructure with cultural influence, MonieWorld is attempting to position itself not just as a payments provider, but as a lifestyle enabler for Nigerians living abroad.
