Fara Ashiru Jituboh Steps Down as CEO of Okra, Joins UK RevOps Startup Kernel as Head of Engineering

Fara Ashiru Jituboh, the co-founder and former CEO/CTO of Nigerian fintech company Okra, has officially stepped down from her leadership position to join Kernel, a UK-based Revenue Operations (RevOps) startup, as Head of Engineering. The transition marks a pivotal new chapter in Jituboh’s career—and signals potential shifts within one of Nigeria’s most influential tech startups.

Her departure follows Okra’s recent strategic pivot from open banking to cloud infrastructure with the launch of Nebula, reflecting broader changes in the fintech landscape and positioning the company for a cloud-first future.

From Frustration to Fintech: Jituboh’s Founding Story

Fara Ashiru Jituboh’s rise is one defined by technical excellence and entrepreneurial vision. Born in Nigeria and raised in the U.S., she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from North Carolina A&T State University. A polyglot in tech, she is proficient in more than 20 programming languages and has worked with international giants including BMW, JP Morgan Chase, Fidelity Investments, and Canva.

Her return to Nigeria was driven by personal frustration: the inability to seamlessly connect bank accounts with digital finance tools. In response, she co-founded Okra in 2019 with David Peterside, envisioning Africa’s first API-driven open finance platform to bridge the gap between banks, fintechs, and consumers in real time.

Okra’s Impact: Pioneering Africa’s Open Banking Movement

Launched in January 2020, Okra rapidly became a trailblazer in Nigeria’s open finance sector, connecting to all major Nigerian banks and maintaining a 99.9% system uptime. The startup empowered over 400 businesses, including prominent partners like Access Bank, Interswitch, and Renmoney, with tools for:

• Account authorisation

• Identity verification

• Payment processing

Okra’s growth was backed by notable investments: a $1 million pre-seed round led by TLcom Capital in 2020, followed by a $3.5 million seed round in 2021 with support from Susa Ventures and others, bringing total funding to over $15 million.

Jituboh earned industry praise for her product-focused leadership, especially her ability to respond to client needs. She spearheaded the development of Okra Lite, a simplified version of the platform tailored for smaller businesses—demonstrating her deep understanding of both technology and customer pain points.

The Strategic Pivot: Enter Nebula

In October 2024, amid rising operational costs tied to Nigeria’s depreciating naira and dollar-based cloud services, Okra made a dramatic pivot with the launch of Nebula, its new cloud infrastructure platform. Designed to compete with global players like AWS and Microsoft Azure, Nebula was built on Tier 3 and Tier 4 data centers, ensuring:

• Low latency

• Local data compliance

• Naira-denominated billing

Jituboh articulated the urgency of local alternatives in a LinkedIn post, stating,

“For too long, Africa has leaned on imported solutions, paying premiums for software and services. Now, there’s a cloud built here for us.”

The launch positioned Okra alongside other Nigerian cloud providers like Nobus, Galaxy, and Layer3, as the country looks to reduce its dependence on foreign infrastructure.

However, reports indicate that Okra’s core open banking business had begun to slow, with at least three original products quietly phased out. The shift to cloud infrastructure was widely interpreted as a strategic move to diversify revenue and remain competitive.

A New Chapter at Kernel

With her move to Kernel, Jituboh returns to her roots in technical leadership. Kernel is a UK-based RevOps startup focused on transforming how businesses manage revenue operations through innovative software and automation tools.

Her new role as Head of Engineering leverages her deep expertise in scaling systems, building robust infrastructure, and leading product innovation—skills honed during Okra’s meteoric rise.

While her departure from Okra signals the end of an era, it also invites speculation about the fintech company’s future direction as it doubles down on its cloud-first approach.

What’s Next for Okra—and African Tech?

As one of the most prominent female tech leaders in Africa, Jituboh’s journey mirrors the evolving nature of the continent’s startup ecosystem, where local innovation is no longer playing catch-up but actively shaping global trends.

Her move to a European tech firm reinforces a growing pattern: African talent is increasingly finding seats at the global tech table, not just as contributors—but as leaders.

As Okra continues to define its post-open-banking identity, and Jituboh embarks on a fresh journey in RevOps, both stories underline a common theme: adaptability, resilience, and a relentless drive to build what’s next.

Stay tuned for further updates on Okra’s leadership transition and Kernel’s expansion under Jituboh’s guidance.