Sparkle CEO, Uzoma Dozie Believes the Future is Mobile

Business Elites Africa recently caught up with Uzoma Dozie, the former GMD of defunct Diamond Bank Plc and current CEO of Sparkle -a fintech firm. Dozie has long been an advocate of the digitalisation of financial services, particularly the adoption of mobile technology aimed at encouraging financial inclusion across Africa.

In this interview, he gives specific examples of how Sparkle is using mobile technology and fintech to boost Africa’s low levels of financial inclusion. Enjoy the read.

Q: Please tell us about yourself.

A: I’m Uzoma Dozie, founder of Sparkle. Before that, I worked in the finance sector for 25 years, and was the former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank until 2019, when we merged with Access Bank.

Q: How did you discover your vision? How did you also get started- business plan, capital sourcing, prior experience, mentorships, etc.?

A: I have always been fascinated by how technology can be used to scale reach and increase access to financial inclusion for millions of people who are, and have traditionally been, excluded from the financial system. When I left Diamond Bank, I felt it was my opportunity to build on my decades-long experience in and understanding of retail banking in particular.

Q: Describe your company- name, services/ products, other information you would like to provide.

A: Sparkle is a lifestyle and financial ecosystem. We focus on three fundamentals – mobile, simple, personalised. We’ve built a platform that gives our digital-first community the freedom and transparency that their money deserves. What do I mean by this? They can see the breakdown of how they spend money, save towards particular goals, pay, or split bills or access a personal advisor through our AI-powered chatbot. For businesses, they can collaborate with merchants, and use Sparkle for invoicing, tax calculations and inventory management. Sparkle allows for freedom to do what you want…

Read the rest of this interview on page 52 of Business Elites Africa Magazine’s Fintech Edition. Click here.