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Flutterwave gains Nigerian banking licence to run microfinance services

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Africa’s payments giant Flutterwave has received regulatory approval in Nigeria, where its operational headquarters are located, to operate a microfinance unit.

The move will enable it to branch out into lending and holding deposits on behalf of customers.

Those services were previously outside the domain of the fintech powerhouse, which has built a reputation in payments, cross-border money transfers, switching, and card processing over 10 years of operation.

“This milestone allows us to make our infrastructure more efficient and deliver faster, more reliable financial services,” Olugbenga Agboola, founder and CEO, said in a statement on Thursday.

“By operating directly within the financial system, we can streamline money movement, accelerate settlement for merchants, and build products that support sustainable long-term growth,” he stated further.

The permit opens the door for Flutterwave to directly access national clearing and settlement systems and streamline transaction processing without relying on commercial banks, as was the case before.

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It now has greater flexibility to oversee the flow of funds across its platform and to earn more value by handling transactions independently.

Flutterwave, Africa’s most valuable startup, will face immediate rivalry from Moniepoint, which attained unicorn status in October 2024, and PalmPay, named by the Financial Times as Africa’s second fastest-growing company in 2025.

Moniepoint only days ago acquired Nairobi-based cloud-based restaurant management platform Orda Africa and a 78 per cent stake in Kenya’s Sumac Microfinance Bank.

Neobank revolution

Traditional banks in Africa’s most populous country, still held back by legacy banking bottlenecks, are fast losing the consumer banking space to digital banks, which are leveraging technological edge and innovation to disrupt banking operations while winning over millions of underserved Nigerians without access to financial services.

Moniepoint, for instance, processes 26 million payments daily with 10 million plus users on its clientele, while PalmPay, as of last July, was already handling 15 million transactions every day with 35 million users signed on to its platform, according to both companies’ websites.

Competition has grown even fiercer in recent years after big telcos like MTN Nigeria and Airtel set up payments units, MoMo PSB and SmartCash, respectively, to gain a slice of the multi-trillion naira market.

Unlike in the past, when cash drove communal nightlife across the country, digital transactions now power that segment of Nigeria’s informal economy.

READ ALSO; Users raise concerns over shorter usage time on Claude AI

A report by Moniepoint released in February and titled, “A Case Study on the Business of Community Nightlife in Nigeria”, revealed that over 27,000 clubs, bars and lounges processed three transactions per second across its network.

Flutterwave’s planned initial public offering, in the works for years now, received a boost this January after the firm bought Mono Technologies Nigeria Limited, a pioneer in open banking infrastructure in Africa.

The company expects Mono’s “Plaid-like” infrastructure to strengthen its prospects of transitioning into a full-stack financial data and infrastructure company, a precondition to listing on the Nigerian Exchange and NASDAQ.

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Mutual Benefits Assurance Reaffirms Commitment to Workforce Wellbeing with “Sweat It Out!” Event

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Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc in partnership with Hallmark Health Services Limited (Hallmark HMO), has reaffirmed its commitment to employee wellbeing by hosting the Retail Aerobic Dance & Wellness Day 2026, a vibrant initiative designed to promote healthy living, preventive healthcare and workplace wellness among its Retail Team.

Held under the theme “Sweat It Out!”, the event brought together Retail Managers across Mutual Benefits for an engaging day of fitness, health education and preventive medical screening.

The programme featured an enlightening health talk on Cardiovascular Health delivered by medical professionals from Hallmark HMO, alongside complimentary health screenings, including blood pressure and other vital health checks. Participants also took part in an energetic aerobic dance session aimed at encouraging active lifestyles while fostering teamwork, camaraderie, and employee engagement.

Speaking at the event, Alexander Lawal, Chief Retail Officer, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, emphasised that employee wellbeing remains fundamental to the company’s long-term success.

“Our people are our greatest asset. As an organisation that exists to provide security and peace of mind to millions of Nigerians, we recognise that this responsibility begins with caring for our own employees. The Retail Aerobic Dance & Wellness Day reflects our commitment to creating a workplace where our people are healthy, motivated, resilient and equipped to deliver exceptional service to our customers.”

Lawal added that promoting healthy lifestyles among employees contributes to higher productivity, stronger collaboration and a culture of excellence across the organisation.

Also speaking on the significance of the event, Dr. (Mrs.) Dotun Adeogun, Chief Executive Officer of Hallmark HMO, noted that preventive healthcare and daily healthy habits are essential for avoiding lifestyle-related illnesses like heart disease. Mutual Benefits is commended for leading by example in prioritizing employee well-being and building a healthier workplace culture.

The event concluded with an exciting aerobic fitness session, interactive wellness activities and prize presentations, reinforcing the message that healthy employees are happier, more engaged and better positioned to drive organisational success.

The Retail Aerobic Dance & Wellness Day forms part of Mutual Benefits’ broader employee engagement and wellness initiatives aimed at fostering a high-performing workforce, while encouraging healthier lifestyles across the organisation.

Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc is one of Nigeria’s leading insurance companies, with over 30 years of experience in providing reliable and innovative Life and General Insurance solutions to individuals, families and businesses. With a customer-centric approach built on trust, reliability and service excellence, the company remains committed to protecting lives, preserving assets and creating lasting value for its stakeholders through accessible insurance solutions and responsible corporate citizenship.

The post Mutual Benefits Assurance Reaffirms Commitment to Workforce Wellbeing with “Sweat It Out!” Event appeared first on Business Today NG.

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Elon Musk Says AI Could End Traditional Jobs, Predicts Era of ‘Universal High Income’

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Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has predicted that artificial intelligence and humanoid robots will eventually perform most jobs currently done by humans, ushering in an era where governments may have to provide citizens with a universal income.

Speaking during a discussion with XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis at the Abundance Summit, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said the rapid advancement of AI and robotics would dramatically increase global productivity, making goods and services more abundant than ever before.

According to Musk, technological progress will reach a point where machines become capable of meeting nearly all human needs, leaving fewer employment opportunities for people.

“AI and robots are going to make so much stuff and provide so many services that they will actually run out of things to do for humans,” he said.

Musk explained that once artificial intelligence begins producing goods and services on a massive scale, economic output could expand far beyond current levels while human demand remains relatively limited.

He argued that such a shift would require a new approach to wealth distribution, suggesting that governments may eventually adopt what he described as a “universal high income” model.

“We’re basically just issuing money to people,” Musk said, adding that future economies could sustain such a system because the supply of goods and services would grow much faster than the money supply.

The tech billionaire maintained that this imbalance would create deflationary pressures, making products and services cheaper over time rather than triggering inflation.

Musk’s latest comments come amid growing global discussions about the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, with experts divided over whether AI will replace existing jobs or create new economic opportunities.

His remarks add to the broader debate over how governments, businesses and workers should prepare for a future increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.

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