When Uthman Olagoke talks about Agentpesa, his excitement is unmistakable. The young startup, which recently launched, is attempting something bold: redesigning digital banking so it works for everyone, whether you speak English, Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa; whether you’re comfortable with traditional apps or not; whether you’re Gen Z or running a roadside store with no formal education.
In Nigeria’s banking ecosystem, most banking apps are built with complex menus and English-only interfaces. Agentpesa, by contrast, arrives with a promise of inclusion.
“We believe that banking should be made for everyone regardless of whether you are educated or uneducated or if you understand English or not, Olagoke, Digital and Brand Strategist for Agentpesa, tells Techpoint Africa.
Agentpesa’s goal is beyond access to financial services; it’s a test of how artificial intelligence (AI) in fintech can help close the gap in Nigeria’s financial system.
What Agentpesa does
At its core, Agentpesa is a mobile banking application powered by artificial intelligence, designed to make payments as easy as chatting.
“It’s an app powered by AI that allows people to send money, receive money, and pay bills,” Olagoke explains.
The app replaces traditional menus with simple conversational prompts. Users can type what they want to do — send money, check balance, pay a bill — and the AI handles the rest.
“It’s like chatting on WhatsApp,” he says.
One of Agentpesa’s standout features is its support for voice-based banking in multiple Nigerian languages. It recognises local languages such as English, Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa, making it easier for users to navigate the app.
This kind of multilingual AI capability is still uncommon in financial apps, as consumer banking tools rarely support local dialects. Olagoke notes that this was a difficult project to build.
“It was really difficult for the AI to recognise local languages, and it gave us a tough time. For example, the Yoruba people have different dialects, and it was quite difficult for the AI to recognise them, which was a setback. So, we had to combine all these dialects into one language.”
Another unique feature allows users to take a photo of any bank account details, for example, on a shop counter, invoice, or handwritten note, and the app instantly extracts the information.
With the built-in camera feature, users can capture details, and the AI extracts the relevant data for the transaction they want to complete.
How the tool works internally
Agentpesa relies on a third-party partner to power its banking infrastructure, specifically for account creation and settlement.
“We use Providus bank account numbers. They collect and process money on our behalf.”
User onboarding is intentionally fast. Olagoke says the onboarding takes less than a minute to get personalised account details.
Users start at Tier 1 with limited balances and can upgrade to higher KYC levels by adding utility bills or government-issued IDs.
Like most digital banks in Nigeria, Agentpesa expects to earn from transaction fees. He adds that future revenue plans include offering their API to companies wishing to integrate conversational or voice-based financial services.
“As a pioneer startup, we are open to companies, especially in the financial sector, using our APIs as we grow. It will serve as a revenue-generating source.”
Digital banks such as Kuda and Moniepoint rely heavily on interchange and transaction fees, which align with industry norms.
Agentpesa’s market
Agentpesa is designed for a broad user base, with an immediate focus on Nigeria’s rapidly growing Gen Z population.
“Mainly, we are targeting the Gen Zs in Nigeria because they use AI a lot and they love innovations,” Olagoke says.
However, the underlying mission is more inclusive: making digital finance accessible to people who have never been fully served.
The road ahead
Looking ahead, the founders plan to raise funding and expand the product’s features and reach.
For a product built in just six months, Agentpesa already reflects an ambitious vision that challenges assumptions about how banking apps should look, sound, or operate.
Whether through voice commands in Yoruba or snapping a quick photo of account details, the team wants to prove that financial services can be both AI-driven and culturally attuned.
