Julian Duru, Principal Software Engineer at Moniepoint, officially resigned on Thursday, ending a decade-long career at one of Africa’s top fintech companies.
The Nigerian software engineer revealed his decision in a series of heartfelt posts on X, reflecting on his 10 years of coding, scaling systems, and building products that helped Moniepoint grow into a billion-dollar unicorn.
Julian Duru’s impact on Moniepoint’s engineering and product evolution
Duru joined Moniepoint (then TeamApt) fresh out of the University of Lagos at just 20 years old. He was one of the early engineers who wrote code for co-founder Tosin Eniolorunda’s apartment on Victoria Island, Lagos.
His technical footprint is now embedded in core Moniepoint systems, from payments infrastructure and settlement engines to fraud detection and virtual account products like Monnify.
Over the years, he transitioned between several roles, including software Architect, Product Manager, and Automation Engineer, before landing the position of Principal Software Engineer.
In this capacity, Duru led innovations in financial services for Africa and managed large-scale deployments across banking institutions.
“It’s been 10 years of blood, sweat, tears, and triumph. What a journey it has been! We started this company from nothing, and today Moniepoint is a unicorn,” Duru wrote, crediting the company’s growth to its values of integrity, grit, and empathy.
The journey behind the code: From ALGOL to AI and beyond
Duru’s passion for software started at age 15 when he stumbled upon an ALGOL programming book in the UNILAG library. From then on, he began building everything from mobile apps and educational games to AI systems and diagnostic tools.
“I have written trivial code and momentous code… even built a checkers game in school because I didn’t like the ones available,” he noted. Beyond the tech, Duru spoke of gaining “financial happiness,” the same goal Moniepoint aims to deliver to its customers.
His deep respect for Moniepoint CEO Tosin Eniolorunda and the company’s mission is evident. “Great companies are a reflection of the founder’s convictions. I know Moniepoint will conquer the world,” he said.
What comes next: Exploring AI, Decentralised systems, and purpose
Duru clarified that while he may be stepping away from formal employment, he’s not stepping away from purpose.
He plans to explore frontier tech areas like Decentralised Intelligence, combining cryptography, data privacy, and sustainable design to build systems for peer-to-peer human-machine collaboration.
“This is a resignation from paid employment, but not from ambition,” he declared. “I will continue to support my fellow humans with whatever resources the universe has blessed me with.”
As Nigeria’s tech ecosystem continues to mature, Julian Duru’s journey stands as a shining example of what long-term commitment, curiosity, and value-driven innovation can achieve.
