A combined photo of Ezra Olubi and Paystack logo
By Toyin Williams
One of Africa’s most prominent fintech companies, Paystack, has terminated the employment of its co-founder and chief technology officer, Ezra Olubi, following public allegations of sexual misconduct involving a junior employee.
The dismissal, announced by Olubi in a personal blog post on Saturday, November 23, 2025, marks one of the most high-profile governance crises to hit Nigeria’s tech ecosystem in recent years.
The controversy erupted in mid-November after a social media user accused Olubi of abusive behaviour, prompting widespread attention and the resurfacing of several explicit tweets dating back more than a decade.
As online scrutiny intensified, Paystack suspended Olubi and disclosed that it had initiated a formal investigation, including plans to appoint an independent investigator to review the allegations and the company’s internal processes.
However, Olubi said in his Saturday post that he was abruptly fired before the investigation reached any conclusion.
He claimed he was not granted a meeting or an opportunity to respond to the allegations before his termination, a move he argued was inconsistent with both the terms of his suspension and Paystack’s internal policies.
“My legal team is now reviewing the process that led to my purported termination, including its consistency with internal policies,” he wrote, adding that they would take “appropriate” steps.
He declined to comment further.
The resurfaced tweets, many dating from 2009 to 2013, contained sexually explicit humour and remarks that critics said reflected predatory tendencies.
Their circulation fuelled public outrage and raised broader questions about behaviour, culture, and accountability across Africa’s fast-growing technology industry, where a series of misconduct cases in recent years has pushed companies to confront workplace ethics more transparently.
Paystack, acquired by global payments giant Stripe in 2020 in one of Africa’s landmark tech exits, has remained silent since Olubi’s blog post, offering no updated public statement on his removal.
It is also unclear whether Stripe, the company’s parent, will comment on the developing fallout.
Industry observers say any legal challenge brought by Olubi could compel further disclosures, potentially shedding light on the internal processes behind the decision.
The incident has reignited calls for stronger governance frameworks in African startups, particularly around sexual harassment reporting, leadership accountability, and organisational culture.
