YOUTH IN TECH: How Julian Duru Rose Without Fraud and Retired at 28 from Moniepoint with Over ₦1.3 Billion
TEC News | Lagos, Nigeria
In an era where tech-savvy youth are often lured by fast money and internet fraud, the story of Julian Duru, a 28-year-old Nigerian software engineer who just retired from Moniepoint, is both refreshing and inspiring.
Julian, a graduate of the University of Lagos and alumnus of the International School Lagos (ISL), joined Moniepoint—then known as TeamApt—at the age of 18 and worked his way up over a decade, earning national recognition as one of the brains behind the virtual account systems now adopted across African fintechs.
Ranked 8th nationwide in the 2009 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Duru began coding at age 14 through freelance projects. His big break came in 2015 when a friend recommended him to Tosin Eniolorunda, Co-founder and CEO of Moniepoint. Despite an overwhelming start and initial thoughts of leaving after just three months, Julian stayed on—choosing growth over comfort.
His decision to stay, he said, was not merely for the paycheck.
“I remained because they treated me as a person, not just as a worker,”
Duru noted, citing the company’s human-centered culture as a key factor.
From Software Engineer to Automation Lead, then Product Manager and later Software Architect, Duru climbed through the ranks, eventually serving as Principal Software Engineer. His decade-long contribution coincided with Moniepoint’s explosive growth—including a $110 million raise in 2023 that helped push the company to unicorn status with a $1 billion valuation. For his role and early equity, Duru is reportedly exiting with over $850,000 (₦1.3 billion).
But even with financial security, Duru’s focus remains on purpose. He has announced plans to take a short break before launching an AI startup, aiming to build something meaningful rather than chasing wealth.
His story offers a counter-narrative to the rising trend of cybercrime among young Nigerians. It also projects a powerful message about the importance of ethics, long-term vision, and the impact of healthy employer-employee relationships in retaining top talent.
As Moniepoint trends and tributes pour in across social media, many are calling Julian Duru a national inspiration. In a time when moral values often seem to wane, his story stands as a testimony that integrity and excellence can still go hand-in-hand.
TEC News Quote of the week.
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”
– Albert Einstein
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