If Moniepoint were a movie, Abdulquadri Yusuf, our Head of Business Operations, wouldn’t be the star in front of the camera. Instead, he'd be behind it, with headset on, script in hand, and quietly orchestrating the magic.

“I’d be the director,” he says with a grin, “making sure the actors hit their marks, the shots align with the vision, and the final cut delivers the right message.”

That’s how Abdulquadri, Moniepoint’s Head of Business Operations, defines his role with the unmistakable energy of someone who lives and breathes the process of getting things right. And like any great director, he's had to work with chaos, late nights, missed cues, and sudden rewrites. But in the end? He’s built something worth watching.

Here’s a look behind the scenes with the man who keeps the Moniepoint’s business operations moving — scene by scene, frame by frame.

Scene one: starting from scratch

In 2019, Abdulquadri walked onto the Moniepoint (then TeamApt) set with a background in mass communication and a dream of one day working in radio.

“I actually started out as a freelance broadcaster at a radio station,” he shares. “I wanted to go into advertising. Thank God I didn’t!”

Instead, he joined Moniepoint at a time when nothing was scripted. There were no neat departments or SOPs,  just passion, vision, and a handful of people doing it all.

“We were using phones to call customers, collect data, and dispatch POS terminals ourselves… everything,” he recalls. “If a customer said, ‘I’m in the market, people are asking for POS,’ we’d profile them ourselves and make it happen.”

No one waited for instructions. Everyone played multiple roles. And Abdulquadri? He was quickly learning the entire set — lighting, sound, production, logistics,  all of it!

Scene two: plot twist and system crash

Every compelling movie needs conflict. Abdulquadri’s chaos came just one month into the role.

“A system error led to an incident, and people couldn’t access their money. There were threats and chaos. People were calling us MMM,” he says, referencing an infamous Ponzi scheme in Nigeria. “I had just received my first salary and was wondering if I’d made the wrong move.”

WhatsApp groups exploded. Customers were angry. The team was under siege both online and offline.

“But we didn’t quit. We tracked every kobo, responded to every customer, even when we were afraid. Today, some of those customers who once called us fraudsters now work at Moniepoint.”

It wasn’t a failure. It was a turning point. The kind of intense second act that gives the final scene real weight.

Scene three: lights, camera... loyalty

Then came December. The year was ending, tensions were high, and Abdulquadri was preparing for Christmas. That’s when Tosin, Moniepoint’s CEO, called.

“You’ve worked hard,” Tosin said. “You need a break. We’re flying you to Dubai. Company-paid. All expenses.”

Abdulquadri was stunned. “It was my first international trip. I didn’t even have a passport. Moniepoint didn’t just give me the trip, they gave me my first flight. Ever.”

And that wasn’t the only time. His very first domestic flight was to launch POS products in the northern region, and it  was also booked by Moniepoint.

“I used to see planes in textbooks. I’d never imagined being inside one. That’s what Moniepoint did for me.”

It wasn’t just about rewards,  it was about trust. “To me, it was about feeling seen”.

“That trip lit something in me. I told myself, ‘This company deserves my energy, consistency and my loyalty.’”

Scene four: the 2am director

Directing a fintech operation isn’t glamorous. It’s gritty. Grit-fueled, actually.

“There’s no such thing as a quiet day,” Abdulquadri says. “There’s always a compliance issue, a flagged account, a risk we need to manage. You don’t wake up and just ‘check in.’ You wake up to 2AM messages, customer pings, Slack tags, emails. It never stops.”

He laughs and adds, “Sometimes you reply to someone at midnight, and they’re still responding. I wonder if some customers work night shifts  or if they ever sleep!”

He’s not exaggerating. There are days his phone never leaves the charger. Leave days aren’t real unless you broadcast your absence company-wide. Otherwise? You’ll still get calls.

“That’s the job. You’re overseeing the entire script — product, engineering, legal, field operations, compliance. You can’t go off-grid.”

Scene five: directing across departments

Ask Abdulquadri what operations means, and he won’t give you a tidy dictionary definition. He’ll show you the set.

The product team is the writer, Legal is the producer, Compliance is the censor board, and the field agents are the actors. And Abdulquadri? He’s the one making sure the storyline works for everyone.

“Sometimes a product looks great in theory, but I know from experience that it won’t land well with the customers in Sokoto or Onitsha,” he explains. “So I offer feedback not just from an operations angle, but from a user, regulatory, and cultural lens.”

He’s worked in almost every unit: customer service, fraud, payments, onboarding, etc. He even helped translate the Hausa version of the Moniepoint website. That 360° view is what allows him to spot flaws in the script before they hit the big screen.

“We’re not just solving problems. We’re protecting the story, making sure it makes sense, connects, and delivers results.”

Final scene: directing with grit and candour

When asked what values define his leadership, Abdulquadri doesn't flinch to mention Candour and Grit.

“I don’t believe in pretending. I believe in openness, transparency, and encouraging people to speak freely. If I’m doing something wrong, my team should feel safe telling me.”

He doesn’t lead  like a boss, but like a guide—a director who respects the cast.

“Even as leaders, we’re learning every day. Sometimes, even from the newest person on the team. And if we’re not consistent, why should they be?”

He also often speaks about grit, that unwavering passion, and the perseverance that Moniepoint was built on.

“I’ve seen tough days here. I’ve seen us fall and rise. But every time, we come back stronger. Because the passion is real. From Tosin down to the last hire, everyone wants this to work.”

Fade to black: but the story’s not over

From calling customers with a basic phone in 2019 to leading operations for a fintech giant, Abdulquadri’s journey reads like a film script. It’s raw. It’s human. And it’s proof that the best directors aren’t the loudest voices. Instead, they’re the ones holding everything together behind the scenes.

Moniepoint’s story is still being written. But thanks to people like Abdulquadri, it’s being told with intention — scene by scene, challenge by challenge, win by win.

You too can be a part of this movie set by heading to our careers page now!