By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The transaction banking capabilities of Stanbic IBTC Bank have been improved with the upgrade of its software to FinnAxia® 9.0.

This was made possible through the collaboration between the financial institution and Nucleus Software, a leading provider of lending and transaction banking solutions.

The milestone reflects more than a decade of collaboration between both organisations in strengthening transaction banking capabilities and delivering enhanced value to corporate and institutional clients.

As customer expectations continue to evolve and businesses increasingly demand seamless, real-time and digitally enabled banking services, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Nucleus Software remain focused on leveraging technology to improve service delivery, enhance operational efficiency and support business growth.

The advancement to FinnAxia® 9.0 enhances Stanbic IBTC Bank’s transaction banking platform, strengthening its ability to deliver integrated payments, collections, liquidity management and cash management solutions.

The upgrade supports greater agility across operations, improves automation and connectivity, enhances digital experiences for customers, and provides a scalable foundation for future growth and innovation.

Across Africa, transaction banking is entering a new phase of transformation as businesses increasingly seek real-time payments, digital trade services, intelligent liquidity management and connected banking experiences.

Financial institutions are therefore investing in modern technology platforms that enable faster innovation while maintaining resilience, security and customer-centric service delivery.

The adoption of FinnAxia® 9.0 aligns with Stanbic IBTC Bank’s broader strategy of leveraging technology to create value for clients and maintain high standards of operational excellence.

“Our relationship with Nucleus Software has spanned a decade and forms part of our broader commitment to continuously strengthening the solutions and services we provide to clients.

“As transaction banking continues to evolve, we remain focused on investing in capabilities that help businesses operate with greater speed, visibility and confidence.

“The advancement to FinnAxia® 9.0 enhances our transaction banking platform and strengthens our ability to deliver innovative, efficient and customer-focused solutions in a rapidly changing environment,” the Executive Director of Corporate and Transaction Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr Eric Fajemisin, stated.

Also speaking on the development, the Head of Transaction Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Jesuseun Fatoyinbo, said, “Transaction banking today is about delivering intelligent, seamless and responsive experiences for customers. This enhancement further strengthens our ability to simplify customer journeys, improve operational efficiency and introduce new capabilities more rapidly. It reflects our continued commitment to supporting clients with solutions that evolve alongside their business needs and growth ambitions.”

Speaking on the milestone, the chief executive of Nucleus Software, Parag Bhise, said, “We value our long-standing relationship with Stanbic IBTC Bank and are pleased to support the Bank’s continued efforts to enhance its transaction banking capabilities.

“FinnAxia® 9.0 has been designed to help financial institutions respond to evolving customer expectations through improved automation, connectivity and operational efficiency.”

The advancement to FinnAxia® 9.0 represents the latest step in the ongoing collaboration between Stanbic IBTC Bank and Nucleus Software to strengthen transaction banking capabilities and deliver innovative solutions that support the evolving needs of businesses.

By combining Stanbic IBTC Bank’s customer-centric approach with Nucleus Software’s technology expertise, the partnership continues to drive greater efficiency, agility and value for corporate and institutional clients.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Standard Chartered has launched its ninth sub-fund under its Variable Capital Company (VCC) platform, partnering with Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) as the sub-manager to provide eligible clients with access to a gold-focused investment strategy.

The new Signature Select Enhanced Gold Income Fund combines exposure to gold with an enhanced income-generation strategy. The fund invests in gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and uses a covered call strategy to seek regular income while allowing investors to participate in the potential long-term appreciation of gold.

Standard Chartered said gold could help diversify investment portfolios because of its relatively low correlation with traditional asset classes and its potential to provide resilience during periods of geopolitical, monetary and market uncertainty.

The fund is available from this month to Accredited and Professional Investors across the Bank’s Priority, Priority Private and Private Banking segments in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Jersey, Kenya and Nigeria. Taiwan is expected to be added later in 2026.

AllianzGI, which has more than 700 investment professionals globally as of March 31, 2026, will provide investment management expertise for the fund.

Its Global Multi Asset Team will be responsible for options selection and the day-to-day management of the portfolio, drawing on its experience in portfolio construction, derivatives implementation, risk management and multi-asset investing across different market cycles.

Mr Sumeet Bhambri, Global Head, Advisory and Managed Investments, Wealth Solutions, Standard Chartered, said the partnership with AllianzGI would strengthen the bank’s latest VCC fund and provide clients with a differentiated investment strategy.

“As clients seek greater diversification amid an increasingly uncertain market environment, the fund provides access to a differentiated strategy that combines gold’s portfolio diversification benefits with enhanced income potential,” Mr Bhambri said.

He added that the launch reflected Standard Chartered’s commitment to expanding its wealth platform through strategic partnerships and delivering innovative investment solutions to clients.

On his part, Mr Marc Gualandi, Head of Global Banks at Allianz Global Investors, said the fund was designed to give investors exposure to gold’s long-term value proposition while generating income through an active options strategy.

“We believe gold can play an important role as a long-term allocation within a well-diversified portfolio,” Mr Gualandi said.

He said AllianzGI would leverage its expertise in income strategies, portfolio construction and risk management to help investors pursue income and long-term portfolio resilience.

Standard Chartered established its VCC platform in June 2024 to combine the expertise of leading fund managers with its global asset-class specialists and provide clients with access to customised investment strategies.

The latest launch brings the total number of sub-funds on the platform to nine and marks Standard Chartered’s fourth fund launch in 2026.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Sewa Capital Investment, an investment banking and financial advisory firm focused on supporting high-growth businesses across Africa, has made a strategic investment in Mathesis Analytics, a Nigerian financial technology company providing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered credit decisioning infrastructure.

The investment is expected to support Mathesis Analytics’ expansion drive for its AI-powered credit infrastructure in Nigeria.

Currently, Nigerian lenders face a critical structural gap: the fragmentation of verifiable consumer data makes it difficult to accurately price risk at scale. Mathesis directly addresses this bottleneck by aggregating disparate transactional and behavioural data into a real-time measure of creditworthiness.

The investment will support product development, institutional integrations, expansion of Mathesis’ lender network, and the strengthening of its data and technology infrastructure, a statement from the fintech firm stated.

By embedding this infrastructure, financial institutions can expand underwriting capacity, support more accurate risk-based lending decisions, and reach new market segments without compromising established risk thresholds.

For Mathesis Analytics, this investment represents an important milestone in its strategy to build Africa’s next-generation credit infrastructure to drive true financial inclusion.

Mathesis has already supported more than 8 million loans for over 2 million unique borrowers in Nigeria, providing a substantial operating base from which to deepen institutional adoption and expand into additional markets.

The company will leverage Sewa Capital’s backing to accelerate the expansion of its institutional footprint.

“At Sewa Capital, we are interested in businesses building the infrastructure that enables African economies to allocate capital more efficiently and inclusively.

“Mathesis Analytics is addressing a fundamental constraint in credit markets: the information gap that limits lenders’ ability to assess risk confidently.

“Its technology has the potential to expand responsible access to credit in Nigeria and, over time, across Africa. We are pleased to support the team through its next phase of growth,” the Managing Director of Sewa Capital, Ms Angela Jide-Jones, commented.

The chief executive of Mathesis Analytics, Mr Winston Osuchukwu, in his reaction, said, “Credit inclusion begins with information visibility.

“Partnering with Sewa Capital accelerates the rollout of our infrastructure; equipping a wider network of lenders with the capabilities required to accurately evaluate risk and ultimately deliver credit services to previously excluded populations across the continent.”