Yes! We Connected!

"My name is Kofi, and I'm here to see the Head of Mobile Money."

That single sentence began what turned into an almost 7-hour wait at MTN.

I woke up that day with one goal: make a connection at MTN Mobile Money. No appointment, no name – just sheer determination. It was a roller coaster of emotions watching others get ushered into meetings, and the day waning away.

Around 3PM, a business executive, let’s call him CO, came and led me into a meeting room. I explained that Nsano was a fintech integrated with bank partners who wanted to connect to MTN Mobile Money. CO said nobody was doing that and asked why we wanted to.

The need for direct connection wasn't sentimental. It was technical (better control over connectivity and uptime) and commercial (direct connection meant cheaper charges).

Continued engagement with CO deepened my understanding of the mobile money ecosystem, but the direct connection remained a no. When CO mentioned speaking with IT Consortium (ITC), I heard echoes of Kwame's voice again: "There's no way MTN will give you a direct connection." It felt like the dream was dying.

Solace, Akosua and I met Ebo and Franklin at ITC and began integration conversations. Remarkably, even though Nsano was essentially direct competition, ITC was very open, generous with insight, and incredibly helpful.

When we got back, Solace and Akosua raved about the beauty of ITC’s space. They had gotten a glimpse of what our future could be and couldn’t wait to be as big as ITC someday.

While I was happy with the positive feedback and motivation my team brought from ITC, I remained unsettled because deep down I didn't want a workaround. I wanted the real deal.

The integration process with ITC started, and we were nearly done when CO called and asked: "Kofi, are your engineers available?"

"24/7," I said.

"There's a small window of opportunity. One integration slot before the year ends."

The pressure was intense, but we got the direct connection and the rest is history.

When we got our first OVA (Online Vendor Account), I put in all the money I had, 1,000 cedis. After the transaction, I asked my team where my money was and how I would get it back. They laughed at my clear lack of understanding of an OVA.

Then CO called. Laughing, he asked: "Kofi, you've funded your OVA with 1,000 cedis? Are you an agent or an aggregator?"

For context, an OVA is where you hold funds to process transactions, and serious players typically hold millions.

Our laughable initial deposit shows how small we were.

Connecting to MTN wasn't just a technical win. It was validation and a quiet personal triumph.

I learned that the persistence that gets you results isn’t always epic. For me, it was sitting patiently through hunger and tiredness in the MTN reception, long after everyone else would've walked out.

Sometimes the breakthrough you need is sitting quietly on the other side of an uncomfortable wait.

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