Nigerian technology entrepreneur and Treepz founder, Onyeka Akumah, has announced a new phase in his career, revealing plans to focus on solving financial technology challenges that facilitate cross-border trade between Africa and North America.
Akumah, who has built businesses across the agriculture, real estate, transportation and travel sectors, said his entrepreneurial journey has shown that financial technology remains the underlying engine powering business transactions across industries.
Reflecting on his experience, he noted that investors often described his ventures as “fintech for mobility,” “fintech for agriculture,” or “fintech for real estate,” reinforcing his belief that digital payment infrastructure is fundamental to the growth of modern businesses.
While confirming that Treepz will continue to expand with new developments expected in the coming weeks, Akumah said he intends to dedicate a significant part of his efforts to addressing financial friction at scale.
According to him, his recent experience supporting a fintech company from Canada over the past year provided valuable insight into the enormous opportunities in cross-border financial services. The startup, he disclosed, processed more than $1.1 billion in transaction volume between Africa and the Global North, highlighting both the successes and the challenges of facilitating international payments.
He said the experience exposed a significant gap in financial services connecting Africa with North America, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) seeking to participate in global trade.
Akumah also pointed to the growing economic relationship between Africa and Canada, noting that recent trade discussions demonstrate strong policy interest, with more than $15 billion in trade taking place between the two markets. He added that trade between the United States and Africa exceeded $70 billion in the past year, underscoring the scale of opportunities for financial service providers operating across the continent.
As part of his new direction, Akumah said he will spend the next month engaging with fintech operators, regulators, policymakers, investors and ecosystem partners to better understand the future of cross-border financial services, particularly within the Canada–Africa corridor.
He invited stakeholders working in international payments, cross-border trade and financial services to connect with him, expressing his desire to learn from industry experts and explore opportunities that could help remove barriers to global commerce.
His announcement reflects the growing interest among African technology entrepreneurs in building fintech infrastructure that enables seamless international trade, supports business growth and strengthens economic ties between Africa and global markets.
