As Edo-born entrepreneur, fintech star, and ECOWAS Youth Ambassador, Comrade Ehis Daniel Omuokhonlen (Dr. GoldenFX, Coin Doctor) celebrates his 25th birthday; it is fitting to pause and reflect on a quarter-century marked by unyielding vision, tireless service, and transformative leadership. From the corridors of student activism to the frontlines of fintech innovation, Ehis has charted a course defined by compassion, ingenuity, and an unshakeable commitment to uplifting his community. As he turns 25, we celebrate not only his personal milestone but also a lifetime’s worth of achievements that continue to inspire and galvanize countless young Nigerians.
A Rising Star in Student Leadership
In July 2023, a fresh-faced Ehis Daniel Omuokhonlen emerged as Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Council (JCC), Edo State. During the elections in Benin City, he pledged to ensure that “the welfare of all students will receive priority attention” and to be “the voice for the voiceless.” True to his words, upon inauguration, Ehis moved with purpose—assembling a competent and dedicated team of ten young minds, providing monthly stipends/salaries as a moral booster, to uphold ethical standards, disavow violent affiliations, and advance the interests of students under the Office of the Chairman and NANS as a body.
As NANS Chairman, Ehis selflessly served the students’ community with unwavering dedication and passion, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of countless students. His tenure saw the total revamping and transformation of the NANS Secretariat at the University of Benin, which had hitherto been an eyesore—a project he undertook single-handedly using his personal resources. Ehis became a beacon of hope, inspiring many to strive for excellence and fight for their rights. His door was always open, listening to students’ concerns and providing guidance and support whenever needed. As his Personal Consultant and Head of Administration, I had the honour of working closely with him alongside a wonderful team of colleagues; I witnessed firsthand his tireless efforts, ability to bring people together, and unwavering commitment to genuine causes.
Championing Student Rights and Safety
Under Amb. Ehis Daniel’s stewardship, the NANS Edo JCC forged a landmark partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in February 2024. Amb. Ehis led the JCC delegation to the Benin Zonal Command, where he articulated a visionary framework for “Students’ Rights Protection.” He emphasized that by collaborating with EFCC, Nigerian students in Edo State would not only remain safeguarded against wrongful arrests but also gain access to career opportunities within the anti-graft ecosystem—thereby transforming a narrative of vulnerability into one of empowerment and resilience. The partnership yielded results in no time, as there was a reduction in arbitrary arrests of students by the EFCC during his tenure. Often, a phone call or a visit to the EFCC was enough to secure the release of innocently arrested students. Even his peers outside the state, such as those at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State, benefited from the partnership. Last year, several of their students were arrested, but they were soon released after the NANS Chairman swung into action upon learning they were detained at the EFCC zonal command in Benin, together with other stakeholders. A similar collaboration was extended to the police—the State CID/headquarters and Zone 5—in Edo State, which drastically reduced police harassment and arbitrary arrests of students.
Mobilizing 10,000 Voices Against Electoral Violence
In August 2024, as Edo prepared for the crucial September 21 gubernatorial election, Amb. Ehis Daniel galvanized 10,000 students in a peace march against electoral violence. Under the banner “Marching for the Survival of Nigerian Students in Edo State,” he demanded safe passage for student ad-hoc officers serving as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and urged that the incoming administration never lose sight of the student community’s needs. Beyond the rally itself, Ehis expended his personal resources, using the mobilization as an avenue to award scholarships (school-fee grants) to several students, distribute power banks, provide NANS ambassadorial roles (with monthly pay), and share airtime—tangible investments in his fellow students’ welfare that underscored his holistic approach to leadership.
A Legacy of Policies for Student Welfare, Empowerment
Throughout his tenure, Amb. Ehis instituted a series of programs aimed at fortifying the student voice within Edo State’s governance. He tirelessly lobbied for bursary schemes, distributed essential learning materials, and forged alliances with local and national stakeholders to streamline educational grants. He challenged campus bodies across Edo State to prioritize unity and collective progress—declaring firmly that “education is the right for every Nigerian, not a privilege.” He never hesitated to intervene for his fellow students, even when he himself was an active student studying a professional course and preparing for finals. All that mattered to him was the students, regardless of whether his own studies were on the line.
When the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) increased tariffs for Band A and B consumers nationwide by 340 percent in 2024—greatly affecting higher institutions, including the University of Benin (the NANS Chairman’s primary constituency)—Ehis actively appeared on several media platforms, advocating that the federal government exclude the nation’s ivory towers from such hikes or grant them special electricity subsidies. When there was a fire incident in one of the female hostels at the University of Benin, Ehis, in his usual display of love for students and concern for their safety, undertook an on-the-spot inspection of the affected room. He did not stop there: he visited and hosted the affected students and then donated generously to the eight legal occupants of the hostel room, giving each N20,000 and other essential foodstuffs such as rice, beans, oil, tomatoes, spaghetti, and more. Additionally, Ehis intervened to halt management’s attempts to victimize the affected students following the fire incident.
From Campus to Corporate: The Birth of a Fintech Visionary
While many know him as “Comrade Ehis” from his NANS days, just as many respect him today as Amb. Ehis Daniel—the dynamic CEO who, in 2020, founded GoldenPay to “Refine the Digital World and make a difference.” Under his leadership, GoldenPay has grown into a bona fide fintech powerhouse, offering seamless gift-card and e-currency trading to users across 100+ countries. What began as a modest platform to trade e-currencies and gift cards evolved—within months—into a full-suite app where customers buy airtime, purchase data bundles, pay cable subscriptions, settle electricity bills, and even fund betting wallets, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Disrupting Digital Payments with Human-Centered Innovation
At the heart of GoldenPay is Ehis’s unwavering commitment to security, speed, and user empowerment. He personally oversaw the integration of advanced encryption protocols, ensuring that every transaction—from converting excess airtime to receiving Naira credits—is executed “the Golden way”: fast, intuitive, and above all, reliable. By relentlessly expanding the platform’s service suite, GoldenPay has not only captured market share but also fostered financial inclusion—enabling unbanked or underbanked Nigerians to gain immediate access to formal digital financial services.
Nurturing Future Traders: Golden FX Academy
Convinced that true economic liberation begins with financial literacy, Amb. Ehis extended his fintech footprint by launching Golden FX Academy in Benin City, the Edo State capital. Under his stewardship, the Academy has become a premier hub for aspiring forex traders—offering mentorship programs, live market-analysis sessions, and proprietary buy/sell indicators that demystify the complexities of currency trading. By recruiting seasoned traders as instructors, Golden FX Academy equips members with practical price-action skills, risk-management frameworks, and the mental discipline required to navigate volatile markets. Through weekly live classes, one-on-one coaching options, and an ever-evolving curriculum, the Academy embodies Ehis’s belief that “any Nigerian—with the right guidance—can rise to global financial prominence.”
Bridging Activism and Entrepreneurship
What sets Amb. Ehis apart is how he bridges his activist roots with his entrepreneurial pursuits. The same empathy that drove him to secure student safety now compels him to democratize access to wealth-building tools. By channeling earnings from GoldenPay into scholarship funds and funneling profit from Golden FX Academy into community development projects, he ensures that corporate success never loses sight of social obligation. In doing so, he exemplifies a new paradigm of leadership—where boardroom decisions and street-level advocacy coalesce for maximum societal impact.
Awards and Recognitions
Amb. Ehis Daniel is a recipient of several awards and recognitions both locally and internationally. In 2022, Ehis was listed as one of the 100 most influential young leaders in Nigeria by the Pan African Youths Leadership Foundation (PAYLEF). The young businessman was recognized alongside others in their field of entrepreneurship for their tenacious leadership and remarkable contribution to Africa’s economic growth. Ehis Daniel’s company, GoldenPay, is incomparable and unique, redefining e-commerce in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Ehis was listed alongside several other African leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs such as Hannah Temitope Adeboga (CEO of Lush Global 07 Signature), Doctor Adefemi Komiyo Lawrence (CEO of Fekomi Global), Honorable Seun Fakorede (politician), Jemima Osunde (Nollywood actress), Aisha Auge (politician), Destiny Etiko (Nollywood actress), Simi (singer), and DJ Switch (activist and entertainer), among others.
As Amb. Ehis Daniel Omuokhonlen turns 25, those who have worked alongside him marvel at his blend of charisma and humility. He does not see his achievements as trophies but as stepping-stones toward a grander mission: forging a future where every Edo student can dream without limitations and every Nigerian can transact, learn, and invest with dignity. His gift to his community is not merely the programs he has initiated but the enduring mindset he cultivates: that age is no barrier to leadership, and youth is no impediment to global ambition.
On this momentous birthday, we raise our voices—not simply to sing his praises, but to affirm that in Amb. Ehis Daniel, Nigeria has found a rare beacon of service-driven innovation. May his next 25 years be even more luminous than the first, and may his example continue to galvanize a generation determined to remake Africa’s narrative on its own terms. Happy birthday, Mr. Chairman Emeritus!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
•Isioma was the Personal Consultant to Comrade Amb. Ehis Daniel as NANS Chairman, Edo State, from 2023 to 2024
