From Lazerpay, Paystack to Blockradar: Abdulfatai’s Revolutionising Financial Inclusion in Africa and Beyond

By Rebecca Ejifoma

With cross-border digital payments projected to exceed $250 trillion by 2027, the demand for secure, seamless, and scalable financial infrastructure has never been higher. As businesses expand beyond borders and economies become increasingly digital, one challenge remains: creating an inclusive payment system that works for everyone, everywhere. For Abdulfatai Suleiman, this isn’t just a challenge, it’s a mission. From Lazerpay to Paystack through to Blockradar, his career has been defined by a relentless pursuit of financial inclusion on a global scale. By breaking down barriers in digital transactions, he’s building solutions that empower businesses to thrive in a borderless economy.

When Suleiman co-founded Lazerpay, his mission was clear: to empower African businesses with seamless access to digital payments. Under his leadership, Lazerpay became one of Africa’s most recognised blockchain-powered payment platforms, enabling businesses to accept digital payments effortlessly. The platform’s rapid growth and adoption underscored the rising demand for efficient, alternative payment systems, particularly for merchants looking to expand globally. In recognition of its potential, Lazerpay secured $1.1 million in funding, further validating its innovative financial model. However, introducing a new payment paradigm came with challenges. Many businesses were hesitant and familiar with the possibilities of digital transactions beyond traditional banking systems. Rather than retreating, Suleiman and his team doubled down on education, product simplicity, and trust-building, ensuring that businesses understood and embraced the new financial landscape. The impact was undeniable. Lazerpay facilitated thousands of transactions and gained international recognition. Despite its success, Lazerpay faced funding constraints and, in 2022, was forced to shut down. While the closure marked the end of a chapter, it also set the stage for Abdulfatai’s next innovations in financial technology.

After Lazerpay, Suleiman joined Paystack, one of the largest fintech companies in Africa, providing businesses with seamless digital payment solutions that power millions of transactions monthly.

Recognised as a pioneer in Africa’s digital payments revolution, Paystack was the first Nigerian startup accepted into Y Combinator, which Stripe later acquired for $200M+ in 2020. It is one of the largest fintech acquisitions in Africa. Here, he contributed to building scalable financial products. Working within Paystack’s robust ecosystem, he played a role in enabling seamless online transactions for thousands of businesses. While still deeply involved in building financial solutions, he remained committed to solving the gaps in global payments. His experience at Paystack reinforced his understanding of the infrastructure challenges businesses face when navigating cross-border transactions. He saw the limitations of existing systems and how fragmented payment networks continued to exclude businesses from participating fully in the global economy.

This realisation led to his next venture, Blockradar. Now, the founder of Blockradar, Abdulfatai, is tackling one of Africa’s biggest financial challenges: secure and transparent cross-border transactions. Blockradar is more than just another fintech company; it is an infrastructure provider ensuring that financial transactions are safe, seamless, and regulatory-compliant. With Blockradar, Suleiman is taking his vision to a global scale, building a payment infrastructure that eliminates inefficiencies, enhances financial accessibility, and empowers businesses to operate without geographical constraints. His work continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in digital payments, redefining financial inclusion for the next generation of entrepreneurs and enterprises. From launching a payments solution that empowered businesses to work at a fintech giant and now building infrastructure for the future, his career reflects a rare ability to solve problems at scale.

His work has been instrumental in shaping Africa’s financial future, making digital transactions more accessible, efficient, and secure. Yet, this is just the beginning. Suleiman continues to push boundaries, proving that Africa is not just participating in global fintech but actively redefining it.