Kofi Owusu-Nhyira

Shaping Policy, Technology & Innovation

About Me

I'm a Ghanaian entrepreneur, innovation strategist, and policy thinker working to shape the future of Africa's digital economy.

In 2013, I founded Nsano, a fintech solutions provider now operating in more than 30 African countries, enabling millions of payment transactions and advancing financial inclusion. In 2020, I founded Eight Geeks At Law, a legal tech firm created to bridge the gap between African startups and the legal expertise they need to scale.

My work spans building companies, designing digital policy frameworks, and fostering collaboration between governments, industry, and communities. I was recognised as a Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst, and I try to blend entrepreneurial insight with policy thinking to make complex ideas accessible and actionable.

Through my work, I'm focused on making knowledge about policy, technology, and investment more accessible, empowering Africa's next generation of innovators and leaders.

Latest Insights

The Danger of Living for the Applause

(In memory of Dave Norval, who taught me that silence is where real builders breathe.) In 2018, years after the eTranzact lesson, Nsano received its first major award. A partner we respected chose to recognize our work. It was a proud moment for the entire team, as this was one of our first and hardest-won partnerships. Cameras flashed, speeches flowed, and Nsano’s name carried through the hall. But that same night, after the applause faded, I checked my phone and noticed tha

2 min read

When Marketing Almost Destroyed Us

In the early days of eTranzact, I was the marketing guy. Fresh. Ambitious. Ready to prove myself. We were operating fine. One major client—UBA. Heritage Tower, third floor. Everything running smoothly. But I couldn't understand why we weren't making “noise”. So, I did what any ambitious marketing person would do: I placed an ad in the newspaper. Then, I organized a press conference in our conference room to explain what we were about. The story was published the next day. Wit

2 min read

Building Culture Beyond Pink Ribbons

"Is your CEO a woman?" Back when I was still leading Nsano, that question came up more than once. People looked at Solace leading operations, Priscilla running business development, Linda in customer service, Akosua managing integrations, Jessica as executive assistant—and assumed the CEO must be a woman too. I never did media interviews. I stayed behind the scenes. The women I'd hired became the visible face of Nsano. The question was evidence that we'd built something diffe

2 min read

2 3 4 5