The first time Miracle Nwankwo really used a computer was in secondary school when the ICT lab was completed. He learned basic practical skills but that opened his eyes to what technology could achieve.
Mark Zuckerberg, however, inspired Nwankwo to enter the tech world fully. Fascinated by Zuckerberg’s creations that shaped the world and made him a young billionaire, Nwankwo began to “attempt building things too”, he told TechPoint Africa.
He first tried to create a social media platform, but that didn’t work out. Unfazed, he tried creating other things with technology. “I kept having ideas, trying things out, and making attempts at building solutions. That curiosity and ambition became the foundation for everything I do now,” he said.
While in secondary school, Nwanko was determined to study Computer Science, having been moved by what he called the possibilities of technology. His goal was to build tech solutions that would be used by millions of people and would ultimately make him a billionaire.
When he entered the university, he didn’t have any coding experience and had no laptop until his first year. But once he began flirting with technology, he said he pushed himself very hard, relying on self-learning through online platforms like YouTube and freeCodeCamp. He also participated in some hackathons and online tutorials. These activities, in addition to his schoolwork, helped him build apps, create a GitHub portfolio, and eventually launch his own startup.
Ahead of unveiling his startup, he got into freelancing at the university. “My first job was a coding gig in 2022, and I think I was paid ₦60,000 ($41) at the time. It just gave me reason to continue in tech.”
Nwankwo was just 19 when he built his first startup, BookClinic, a health-tech platform that connected patients to medical diagnostics.
“BookClinic worked like an Uber but for healthcare,” he said. “Instead of walking into a diagnostic centre and waiting hours for an X-ray, CT scan, blood test or any medical service, users could book ahead through our platform. The app showed nearby partner health facilities, their availability, pricing, and appointment times. Users booked online and simply walked in with a booking ID to get faster service.”
BookClinic partnered with about 80 healthcare centres across Lagos, Nigeria, and was operational in about 18 locations at the time. It gained traction and secured investments but Nwankwo put the platform on hold after about a year due to “some founder mistakes and other challenges,” he said.
Still, BookClinic helped him earn a role he never imagined he could get that early — leading the African expansion of Veefin, a global fintech headquartered in India.
“An investor from BookClinic had a conversation with a business associate from India, and that was how the founders of Veefin, a global fintech company, got introduced to me. They were looking to expand into Nigeria and Africa,” the Babcock University graduate explained.
“We were invited for discussions, and eventually they trusted me to lead their Nigerian and West African expansion. So the same founding team and staff from BookClinic transitioned into Veefin Nigeria, although I am the active CEO of Veefin Solutions Nigeria.”
The 22-year-old began his new role in February 2025, and his outfit officially launched in August 2025.
Veefin, he said, is a massive company processing over $40 billion annually with over 500 partner banks and financial institutions globally, including HSBC, the Central Bank of India, Bank of Kigali, IndusIand Bank, and others.
The company provides end-to-end technology infrastructure for banks, NBFCs, and corporates, he went on. “Simply, if a bank needs a lending platform, we provide the complete system; web, mobile, analytics, fraud monitoring, risk tools, customer service layers, everything. Instead of using separate tools for HR, order management, customer service, and payments, our solutions consolidate everything into a single platform,” the Nigerian tech CEO explained.
“Our group has 11 product lines including supply chain finance, fraud and risk analytics, digital lending, trade finance and cash management, AI solutions, and securitisation solutions. In Nigeria, our primary offering is the supply chain finance platform,” said Nwankwo.
Nwankwo’s new role includes meeting bank executives and pitching his platform to them while demonstrating how it can help them scale and operate more efficiently.
Before Veefin, Nwankwo had no formal fintech background, as he was coming from health-tech. So, he had to learn how banks operate internally, understand the lending ecosystem and business banking structures, understand compliance, risk, and regulatory requirements, and understand how to sell tech to enterprise-level clients, he stated.
“Being in this role has been a beautiful experience,” said the 22-year-old CEO.
