From PalmPay POS Agent to Data Professional: How Hakeem Turned Opportunity Into Growth

What started as a PalmPay POS business in Ilorin gave Hakeem an opportunity to earn, build valuable skills and pursue bigger career ambitions.

For Hakeem, like many young Nigerians, the path to building a career does not always begin with a traditional 9-to-5.

According to the 2025 State of The Nigerian Youth Report, with youth unemployment at nearly 80 million young people, entrepreneurship and self-employment are increasingly providing young people with opportunities to earn, gain experience, and build skills for the future.

Five years ago, Hakeem started a business with a simple goal: to earn a living while providing a useful service to people around him. His journey began as a PalmPay POS Agent in Ilorin, Kwara State.

At the time, Hakeem was focused on serving customers and growing his business. But today, he is building a career in data, and his journey to this point did not follow the traditional path.

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How PalmPay became part of Hakeem’s journey

Every day, Hakeem interacted with customers who relied on his POS stand for everyday financial transactions. From cash withdrawals and transfers to bill payments, airtime and data purchases, he became a familiar face in his community.

But beyond processing transactions, the experience helped him develop practical skills that would prove useful beyond his POS business. He learned how to manage cash, attend to different customers, solve problems and, importantly, build trust.

In a LinkedIn post, Hakeem reflected on his five years as a PalmPay agent.

He said:

“Over the years, I've helped customers with cash withdrawals, transfers, bill payments, airtime and data purchases, and countless everyday transactions.”

According to Hakeem, PalmPay became the platform he relied on to serve his customers, while the trust he built with them kept him motivated.

He added:

“When people walk up to my POS stand, they expect transactions to be fast, secure, and reliable. Being able to deliver that consistently has helped me build lasting relationships with customers in my community.

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While building his business, Hakeem was also looking beyond the present. He understood that if he wanted to create more opportunities for himself, he needed to keep learning.

That mindset led him to pursue an HND in Accounting, giving him a stronger foundation in finance, numbers and business management.

Hakeem later completed training in Data Science and AI-powered Business Analysis, adding new skills that could help him explore opportunities in the technology and data space.

PalmPay and the ambitions of Nigerians

Hakeem's story reflects how opportunities can sometimes become the first step towards bigger ambitions.

Through its ecosystem, PalmPay has become part of the entrepreneurial journeys of agents who use its platform to provide everyday financial services within their communities.

For Hakeem, that opportunity became part of a journey that eventually took him beyond the POS stand.

Speaking about the inspiring milestone, Chika Nwosu said:

“At PalmPay, we remain true to our brand promise of supporting ambitions. For us, that means understanding the challenges Nigerians face and providing solutions that enable more people to participate in the economy; whether through access to financial services or offering pathways for growth.”

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He added that PalmPay would continue to create opportunities for people to pursue their ambitions, describing Hakeem's journey as a powerful example of what this can look like in real life.

Learn more about PalmPay here.

Source: Legit.ng