Mitchell Elegbe Rejoins EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Global Jury for Third Consecutive Year

Mitchell Elegbe Rejoins EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Global Jury for Third Consecutive Year

Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Interswitch Group⁠�, has been reappointed to the global jury of the prestigious EY World Entrepreneur of the Year (WEOY) Awards for the third consecutive year, reinforcing his standing as one of Africa’s most influential entrepreneurs and business leaders.

LAGOS – Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Interswitch Group, has once again been selected to serve on the global jury of the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year (WEOY) Awards, marking his third consecutive appointment to the prestigious panel.

Elegbe will join eight other distinguished entrepreneurs from across the world to evaluate finalists for the 2026 edition of the global awards, scheduled to hold in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in June. His continued inclusion on the jury makes him the only entrepreneur from Africa serving on the panel.

The EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost recognitions of entrepreneurial excellence. Since its inception in 1986, the programme has celebrated visionary business leaders who have demonstrated innovation, resilience, leadership and significant impact in their industries and communities.

Elegbe first gained global recognition through the programme in 2023 when he was inducted into the World Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame alongside 48 entrepreneurs from 45 countries. He was the only African and Black entrepreneur among the global finalists and inductees that year.

His achievements in the competition remain historic. He is recognised as the first and only entrepreneur in the programme’s four-decade history to have won both the Emerging and Master Entrepreneur categories within his region, West Africa.

According to EY, the World Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame comprises exceptional entrepreneurs whose businesses and innovations have transformed industries, influenced the way people live and work, and contributed to economic growth globally.

The 2026 global jury consists of former regional winners from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong and China, Nigeria, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Widely regarded as one of the architects of Nigeria’s payment technology revolution, Elegbe founded Interswitch in 2002 to address challenges associated with electronic payments in the country. Under his leadership, the company has grown into one of Africa’s leading payment and digital commerce firms, providing technology-driven solutions to individuals, financial institutions and governments across the continent.

Beyond his entrepreneurial accomplishments, Elegbe has received numerous local and international recognitions for his contributions to business, technology and economic development. These include the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria Leadership Award, the African Banker Icon Award, the CNBC/Forbes All African Business Leaders Award for West Africa, and several fintech industry honours.

He is also a Bishop Desmond Tutu Fellow of the African Leadership Institute, an Endeavor Entrepreneur and serves on the Board of Endeavor Nigeria.

His reappointment to the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year global jury further underscores the growing recognition of African entrepreneurship on the global stage and highlights Nigeria’s expanding influence in technology and innovation-driven enterprise.