Have you ever bought the wrong airtime, or topped up more than you needed, and just accepted the loss because there was nothing you could do about it? If yes, you already understand the exact problem Mubarak Akorede set out to solve.
Mubarak studied Economics Education at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA). While many of his coursemates were focused only on lectures and exams, he was quietly building software on the side — and one of those projects, MubuyWallet, has gone on to process over 70,000 transactions for Nigerians who needed a simple way to recover money they thought was already lost.
This is his story, in his own words, and the lessons behind it.
Where the Idea Came From
Mubarak’s interest wasn’t in starting “another fintech app.” It came from watching a problem repeat itself over and over in everyday Nigerian life.
Millions of people depend on mobile networks for communication, business, and basic transactions. And almost everyone has, at some point, bought the wrong airtime amount or received airtime they couldn’t use. For most people, that money simply disappears — there’s rarely a reliable way to recover it.
“Many Nigerians have experienced buying excess airtime or receiving airtime they didn’t intend to purchase,” Mubarak explained. “Instead of allowing that value to go to waste, we created a solution that enables users to convert eligible airtime into cash quickly and conveniently while also accessing other essential digital services from one platform.”
That single observation became the foundation of MubuyWallet’s Airtime Swap service — a feature that lets users convert eligible airtime into cash through the platform’s website and WhatsApp channel.
Building While Still a Student
Mubarak was 24 when MubuyWallet’s Airtime Swap launched in January 2025, juggling life as an Economics Education student at AAUA alongside his work as a self-taught software developer. He had already built several applications before this one, but MubuyWallet became his most significant project — not because it was technically the hardest, but because of how directly it affected ordinary people.
What started as a small additional feature on MubuyWallet’s existing bill payment platform quickly became one of its fastest-growing services. Today, the platform also allows users to:
- Purchase airtime and data
- Pay electricity bills
- Subscribe to cable television services
- Complete other everyday bill payments
All from one place.
The Real Challenge: Earning Trust, Not Just Building Tech
For a service that deals directly with people’s money, the hardest part was never going to be the code. It was convincing Nigerians — many of whom have been burned by unreliable platforms before — that MubuyWallet would actually deliver what it promised.
Mubarak is direct about this.
“Building trust is just as important as building technology,” he said. “Every successful transaction strengthens our relationship with customers, and that is why we continue investing in better systems, faster processing, and improved customer experience.”
That focus on reliability shows up in the platform’s numbers. As of June 2026, MubuyWallet has processed more than 70,000 Airtime Swap transactions, with most requests completed within 10 minutes.
What This Means for Other Students
Mubarak’s journey offers a few practical lessons for students who are sitting on an idea but unsure whether it’s worth pursuing.
Start with a problem you can clearly describe. MubuyWallet didn’t begin as a grand vision — it began with one specific, common frustration that Mubarak could explain in a single sentence.
You don’t have to choose between school and building something. Mubarak developed and launched MubuyWallet’s Airtime Swap service while still studying at AAUA, showing that consistent, small progress on a side project can grow into something with real impact.
Speed and reliability build reputation faster than marketing does. A 10-minute turnaround time isn’t flashy, but it’s the kind of detail that keeps people coming back — and that’s what allowed MubuyWallet to grow from a side feature into a core service.
Where MubuyWallet Goes From Here
Mubarak sees this as just one stage of a longer journey. As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to grow, he believes platforms that solve genuine, everyday problems — rather than chasing trends — will be the ones that last.
“Entrepreneurship is about creating lasting value through innovation,” he said, adding that he expects platforms like MubuyWallet to play an increasingly important role in making everyday digital transactions simpler and more accessible for Nigerians.
For a student who started out solving one small, specific problem, that’s a future worth building toward.
Got a question for Mubarak, or working on something similar yourself? Drop it in the comment section below — we’d love to hear from you.
