The narrative of Abdulazeez’s journey demonstrates the story of skill path development and substantial contributions to the fintech industry. He initiated this path with a primordial desire to study and rapidly advanced as a key player in financial technology.
Specifically, upon entering Stanbic IBTC Bank in 2017, he defined the root of his career with his skill set and gathered great savoir-faire in financial systems. Subsequently, Kuda recognised his competencies and sustained Abdulazeez on a voyage that transformed the Nigerian banking industry. His position as an Engineering leader at Kuda was aimed at striving for novel solutions and progressing the influence of technology in banking.
Abdulazeez joined Kuda as a founding engineer in 2019, and he worked with the early team to build out the bank’s core infrastructures. He helped develop Nerve, Kuda’s core banking application which was a major revolution in the Nigerian banking industry.
With the abandonment of a third-party platform that did not meet the functionality and scale of the bank and with the development of its core banking application, Kuda increased operational efficiency and consumer satisfaction. Nerve was built over several months by the engineering team, which consisted entirely of Nigerian talent at the time. Thebank decided to replace a third-party software that had been in use since August 2019.
The reason for this change was that the existing software could no longer keep up with the bank’s rapidly expanding requirements. Nerve was specifically developed to empower Kuda to create more innovative products, resulting in enhanced customer experience.
Since the inception of Nerve, kuda has scaled up, serving over 7 million customers by 2024 and has processed over 55 trillion naira.
Moreover, Abdulazeez was responsible for the implementation of the Visa issuing and card processing infrastructure in Kuda and building the partnership with Visa.
This infrastructure helped Kuda launch its own Visa card issuing which was a game changer as Kuda was formerly issuing Mastercards via a third-party bank which has numerous limitations. The card issuing system was carefully built with security in mind passing several audits such as PCI-DSS, and many more.
In collaboration with Visa, Abdulazeez helped Kuda to obtain more freedom in the card issuance process, which critically contributed to the bank’s further development.
Abdulazeez’s pivotal role in Kuda’s remarkable journey cannot be overstated. Since the inception of the bank, his strategic vision and relentless efforts have been instrumental in securing substantial funding, totalling at least $91.6 million.
In addition, Abdulazeez led the technical team that facilitated the bank’s expansion to the global market. In particular, he played a crucial role in launching Kuda’s operations in the UK and developing the infrastructure for further expansion to other territories.
Abdulazeez’s far-sighted strategy and excellent technical skills contributed to Kuda’s global ambition.
Currently, Abdulazeez is the Technical Lead at Kuda, and in this capacity, he plays a central role in driving the retail product strategy and Expansion. His leadership inengineering maintains the transformative innovation and growth of Kuda’s products, maintaining the institution as a leader in fintech innovation.
Ultimately, Abdulazeez’s experience demonstrates the critical role that lifelong learning, innovation, and strategic vision can play in transforming the financial technology space.
His dedication and expertise have been pivotal in navigating the complexities of the fintech landscape, fostering innovation, and expanding Kuda’s footprint in the industry.
With continued efforts to build new possibilities, Abdulazeez continues to epitomize engineering excellence and innovation.
