Dr. Markie Idowu has spent much of her professional life championing gender equality and broadening opportunities for women, especially within the Fintech space. She serves on the advisory board of Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), a group committed to helping girls pursue careers in science and technology. Her belief is simple but firm: empowering women is vital, particularly across Africa where many still face entrenched barriers.
As the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Xpress Payment Solutions Ltd., Dr. Idowu has translated this belief into action. Through the company’s Agency Banking network, she has led initiatives that bring women onto the platform and equip them with free POS terminals, collateral support, and targeted training. These tools enable them to run agency banking operations and build sustainable income streams. According to the company, this is only the beginning of a larger plan to expand economic empowerment programs.
Early Career Path
Dr. Idowu began her career in 1989 at Continental Merchant Bank, formerly Chase Manhattan. She later held important roles at Guaranty Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank, and Skye Bank (now Polaris). Her time at Skye Bank spanned more than a decade, where she served in roles including Executive Director of Retail and Lagos Commercial Banking. She also served as Executive Director for Technology and Service Delivery Channels, overseeing IT, e-channels, business process optimization, international operations, and the operations of more than 400 branches across the country.
One of her most notable achievements came during Polaris Bank’s IT transformation project. The work drew recognition from Dell, and her team was invited to present at the Dell IT Conference in Austin, Texas. She recalls being invited to a private dinner at the home of Michael S. Dell, an experience she notes proudly as she was the only West African invited.
Xpress Payment Solutions Limited
Founded in 2016, Xpress Payment Solutions Ltd. is a fully Nigerian-owned private company with an authorised share capital of N5 billion. The company focuses on creating and distributing electronic payment systems, collections solutions, bill payment platforms, and disbursement tools. Its offerings support shared infrastructure for switching and processing transactions.
The Central Bank of Nigeria licenses the company as a Payment Solution Service Provider, Payment Terminal Service Provider, Transaction Switching Provider, Third-Party Processor, and Super-Agent. With partnerships across 19 Nigerian banks and NIBSS, the company serves federal and state government agencies, private businesses, and customers across all Nigerian states. The company has also established operations in Ghana.
Staying Focused on Purpose
Dr. Idowu draws motivation from the belief that she can accomplish whatever she sets out to do. This conviction made joining Xpress Payments an easy decision. She believed strongly in the organization’s mission to make payments simpler and more reliable. Moving from banking to Fintech was a smooth transition, helped by her background, which includes two degrees in IT.
She defines success in two ways: surpassing the goals assigned to her and watching the people she leads grow in both their professional targets and personal aspirations.
Lessons Learned Through Challenges
Reflecting on a career that spans more than three decades, Dr. Idowu acknowledges the many challenges she has encountered. Her most valuable lesson is the power of teamwork. She emphasizes that leaning on the knowledge and experience of others strengthens the collective ability to achieve shared goals. As MD/CEO, that understanding has become even more pronounced. She notes that success depends on the collective efforts of everyone in the company, from senior executives to support staff, including drivers and cleaners.
The COVID-19 pandemic tested this belief in extraordinary ways. Dr. Idowu lost close friends and colleagues, and the company faced significant uncertainty. Yet the team held firmly together and refused to let the situation derail them. Remarkably, Xpress Payments recorded its first significant profit during that difficult year—a result she attributes to the unity and collective determination of the team.
Leadership Through Openness
At Xpress Payments, Dr. Idowu practices an open-door policy. Her contact details are easily accessible to all employees, and she encourages team members to reach out to her whenever needed. Senior staff are also urged to adopt the same approach. This culture of openness has strengthened relationships within the company and supports innovation. The organization hosts internal innovation challenges, rewarding staff whose ideas are selected for implementation. Dr. Idowu maintains a strong stance on integrity and expects the same from her team.
Leading for Sustainable Success
As MD/CEO, Dr. Idowu oversees all strategic, operational, and organizational matters. Her role includes guiding the company’s overall direction, evaluating the performance of senior management, and staying ahead of industry developments, market shifts, and competitive trends.
Her typical day involves meeting clients, closing deals, and reviewing new business opportunities. She also spends time engaging with employees and internal partners, both physically and through virtual platforms. Despite a demanding schedule, she makes room for short exercise sessions in her office. If she had to choose one word to describe herself, she says it would be “dynamic.”
Encouraging a Balanced Work Life
Work-life balance is a priority for Dr. Idowu. She completes her tasks within set timelines and expects her staff to do the same so they can spend quality time with their families. She supports regular vacations, believing employees return more motivated and productive when they take time to reset.
One of her key initiatives at Xpress Payments is the introduction of a crèche. This benefit, designed for young parents, helps employees focus on work knowing their children are in a safe environment. She notes that this has had a positive impact on morale and performance.
Xpress Payments also organizes annual anniversary celebrations and hosts the AWA Cup, a sports tournament held every October involving the company and its sister organizations. This event fosters fun, wellness, and teamwork.
Goals for the Future
Looking ahead, Dr. Idowu wants Xpress Payments to be recognized as a major force in improving financial literacy across the country. She believes the company is making progress through its Agency Banking platform, Xpress Agent, which brings essential financial services to remote communities.
She also aims to expand the company’s footprint across Africa. With the growing need for seamless payments and remittances on the continent, she believes Xpress Payments can play a meaningful role in transforming financial access by maintaining integrity and building trusted relationships with clients and partners.