TECH-YOUTH-OF-THE-FUTURE: Software Whizkid Julian Duru Who Retired at Age-28 from Moniepoint

By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com | posted 13th July, 2025

In what can easily pass for story with meaning and impact, youthful Julian Duru, Nigerian software engineering egghead, currently trending on social media, announced early retirement at 28 years old, officially stepping down from his role at Moniepoint after a decade of impactful work and innovation.

Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com

The University of Lagos graduate of Computer Science, is widely credited with pioneering the idea of virtual accounts — a now-standard feature across fintech platforms in Africa. His contributions have not shaped Moniepoint’s fintech engineering success during his 10-year tenure but also, Nigeria’s financial ecosystem in ways few others have.

Duru announced his resignation from Moniepoint on his official X handle @durutheguru, stating; “Today is my last day as a software engineer at Moniepoint.

“It’s been 10 years since I started my career at this great company. 10 years of blood, sweat, tears, and triumph. What a journey it has been!! We started this company from nothing, and today Moniepoint is a unicorn, supporting millions of people and businesses across Nigeria and overseas.”

Julian is a proud alumnus of the International School, University of Lagos (ISL UNILAG), and stood out early, finishing 8th nationally in the 2009 WAEC examination. He began coding at just 14, sharpening his skills through freelance opportunities.

The software guru went on to state that he will never forget how his big break came in 2015 when a friend introduced him to Tosin Eniolorunda, Co-founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint (then TeamApt).

Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com

“Barely a dozen of us, me and the guys writing code in Tosin’s apartment in 1004, Victoria Island; cracking jokes, throwing banter while working late into the night.

Julian almost quit after just three months — overwhelmed by the intensity of a major Fidelity Bank project. But instead of walking away, he chose to pivot, taking a step back from core coding and diving deep into DevOps. That decision would define his career.

“I was just a kid, barely 20 years old, fresh out of school. All I had going for me was that I was obsessed with building great products,” he emphasised.

Duru, a principal software engineer at Moniepoint Group, before his departure, where his responsibilities include building innovative financial service solutions for Africa and managing the deployment of digital banking systems across various banks.

With previous roles as a Software Architect, Product Manager, and Test Automation Engineer, Duru developed automated testing frameworks and business intelligence solutions while implementing systems for internal banking processes.

Speaking on leaving Moniepoint, he emphasised the importance of growth, stepping out, and trusting the road ahead, suggesting a continued focus on purpose and personal development.

Reflecting on his trajectory into software engineering, he said; “I started writing code when I was 15 years old. I remember I started out with ALGOL. For me it was about experimenting with an activity I found oddly satisfying.

Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com

“I stood on the aisle in the UNILAG’s library, looking for something fun to read. Then I stumbled upon a book that caught my attention; I can’t even remember the name of the book. The book was about constructing solutions and algorithms to different forms of mathematical problems. So, I dived in out of curiosity, wondering what ALGOL was all about.

Speaking in general terms about his career trajectory, the innovative engineer expressed his desire to live a dream rooted in a clear vision to make impact.

“My time as a software developer has spanned roughly seven years. I have written trivial code and momentous code and have built mobile apps for education and entertainment; I have built games; written software for medical diagnostics.

Besides, I have built various forms of artificial intelligence; heck, once wrote a checkers game in school because I did not like the ones I found on the app store at the time, though, they weren’t bad, I just wanted a checkers game with my customised set of rules. Currently I’m working with a team of smart people to build systems powering some of the biggest banks in Nigeria, and I haven’t even scratched the surface regarding what I hope to accomplish as I progress through my career.”

His early career experiences include internships at Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas and a role as a software developer at Traclist, focusing on mobile application development.

Duru expressed admiration for individuals such as Tosin Eniolorunda, the chief executive officer at Moniepoint, and Brooklyn Zelenka, indicating a mentorship and inspirational dynamic in his professional life.

He sees Moniepoint conquering the world in the near future. “I know this because I know Tosin Eniolorunda, the CEO, holds core values that are reflected in the entire essence of the company,” he said.

The timeline of his impactful career is:

Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com

His journey at Moniepoint saw a steady rise:

2015 – Joined as Lead Software Engineer

2017 – Transitioned to Automation Engineer

2018 – Became Product Manager

2023 – Moved to Abuja as Software Architect

2024 – Promoted to Principal Software Engineer

Under his watch, Moniepoint grew exponentially. As of October 2024, the platform had over 10 million active users. The same year, the company raised $110 million in funding — including from Google — pushing its valuation past $1 billion and earning unicorn status. This came after a prior raise of $55 million.

Thanks to stock options and equity, Julian is walking away with an estimated $850,000 (₦1.3 billion). It’s a big reason he now says he’s shifting gears to “work for passion.” For now, he’s taking a short break, with plans to launch his own AI startup soon.

Despite multiple poaching attempts from tech companies home and abroad, Julian remained loyal to Moniepoint. Why? “They saw me as a human being, not just a resource,” he said.

Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com

Nigerians are celebrating him as a national tech treasure — with some drawing comparisons to the enigmatic “Mr. Unbelievably Liquid.” But while Julian may not be in that league yet, he’s definitely liquid — and believably so.

As Duru step down at Moniepoint, he looks forward to devoting himself to exploring his interests, pursuing my curiosity, and just living my best life.

“This is a resignation from paid employment, but not from purpose; I will continue to do everything I can to support my fellow humans with whatever resources the universe has blessed me with,” he said.