Connect with us

Brands/Products

Why SMEs Must Develop Risk Strategies for Payment Security—Kemi Okusanya

Published

on

Kemi Okusanya

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The need for businesses to develop risk strategies that promote payment security has been emphasised by the Vice President, Cluster Country Head of Visa, Ms Kemi Okusanya.

In this interview, she explained businesses, especially those in the small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) sector, are very critical of the economy and must make efforts to remain alive at a time the global health crisis is posing a serious threat to them.

Why have you focused on SMEs?

According to a study commissioned and published by PWC, SMEs contribute 48 per cent of national GDP, account for 96 per cent of businesses and 84 per cent of employment in Nigeria.

This means that SMEs are the backbone of our communities. Their significant value in the community positions them as an essential factor, contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Unfortunately, SMEs were most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the change in consumer behaviour took a toll on their revenue.

As a result, providing extraordinary support to help small businesses navigate this extraordinary time became expedient for us at Visa. This is why we decided to support SMEs through our Where You Shop Matters initiative

Tell us more about the Where You Shop Matters Initiative?

The Where You Shop Matters initiative enables entrepreneurs by providing them with the tools and information required to start, run, and grow small businesses online while encouraging consumers to support small businesses.

At its core, the initiative is a movement. A call for merchants to tap into the expertise of thought-leaders to shape their future. A call to the consumer to understand the power of spending and the importance of supporting the local economies. It is also a call to the industry and the ecosystem to do what we can to support these businesses. This is about everyone coming together to support small business owners around the country.

What are the key focus areas for Visa to drive SME growth in Nigeria?

We are focusing on promoting digital commerce and economic growth, with plans to continue to create products and services as the needs of entrepreneurs change over time. We are committed to empowering digital-first businesses.

To see to the realization of this, we have built localized online resource centres, providing tools, partnership offers, and information on how to start, run and grow small digital-first businesses.

Also, we are encouraging digital payments as well as advocating neighbourhood support for local businesses. We want customers to be conscious of the importance of shopping locally.

More online transactions mean more fraud cases. How is Visa ensuring consumers’ security?

We take security very seriously and we continue to provide and improve on solutions necessary to protect both our merchants and consumers. For nearly 20 years, we have been helping online merchants and issuers identify potentially fraudulent transactions.

As e-commerce in Nigeria is growing rapidly, consumers expect always-on connectivity with mobile devices and rely on retailers to provide payment experience, both secure and frictionless.

As a result, we recently introduced Visa Secure (previously known as Verified by Visa), an updated program to help make online payments more secure.

This solution provides rules and policies that merchants and issuing banks have to follow to authenticate e-commerce transactions and verify cardholders’ identity before a transaction can be authorized.

Consumers can benefit from a smoother and consistent user experience across multiple payment channels, including mobile web, in-app and digital wallet payments, without any compromise in security.

What are your key learnings from the impacts of the pandemic and how would you advise SMEs to position for economic recovery?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed an unprecedented acceleration of digital adoption throughout our industry and the broader society at large.

While the near-term response has focused on maintaining business continuity, we think businesses should develop risk strategies that promote payment security and strengthen the trust foundation necessary for long-term recovery and growth.

As more consumers have tilted towards the online method of shopping, we believe that there’s a need for SMEs to embrace digital commerce. We have quality resources available for free on our website – visa.com.ng.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Brands/Products

Truecaller Lite Expands Caller ID, Scam Protection to Nigerian Android Users

Published

on

Truecaller Lite

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new app designed specifically for entry-level Android smartphones to verify contacts and block unwanted communication has been made available to millions of Nigerians by Truecaller.

Known as Truecaller Lite, this platform places fraud protection directly on the devices millions of Nigerians already carry, rather than asking them to find space they do not have.

At just 10 MB, Truecaller Lite is a separate, native Android app designed from the ground up for devices with limited resources. It is a new product, not a reduced version of the main Truecaller app.

The app delivers the protections users rely on most, including caller ID, spam and fraud blocking, default dialer, number search, and contacts, while remaining fast, lightweight, and reliable on entry-level smartphones. The protection is the same as the main app, drawing on the same Truecaller database that identified more than 68 billion spam and fraud calls worldwide in 2025.

In Nigeria, where entry-level Android devices are among the most widely owned smartphones, Truecaller Lite is distributed through both the Google Play Store and Partner OEM channels.

Fraud and unwanted communication continue to rise in Nigeria. In 2025, Nigeria was the most spammed country in Africa, with 51 per cent of all unknown calls received by Nigerian users identified as spam or fraud, more than one in every two. Many of the markets most affected by these trends are also those where entry-level Android devices dominate, which makes accessible protection more important than ever. Nigeria remains a priority market for Truecaller.

“Safe communication should not depend on the phone you have. The next billion users live in markets where entry-level devices are often the norm.

“Truecaller Lite is a new product built specifically for them, and it was important for us to provide the same protection from spam and fraud that users expect from Truecaller around the world,” the chief executive of Truecaller, Mr Rishit Jhunjhunwala, stated.

Truecaller Lite is now expanding to Kenya, Ghana, Algeria, Chile, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, with additional launches planned across emerging markets.

Continue Reading

Brands/Products

Subscribers to Enjoy Free Upgrades on Select DStv, GOtv Packages

Published

on

DStv and GOtv

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

MultiChoice Nigeria has commenced a one-month campaign tagged Open Time, offering new and existing subscribers free package upgrades.

A statement from the company disclosed that the promotion runs from June 1 to 30, 2026, and gives eligible DStv and GOtv customers access to higher subscription packages at no additional cost in the month of June.

However, these upgrades are on select DStv or GOtv packages. Subscribers will automatically be upgraded to a higher package at the price of their current subscription for the duration of the offer.

MultiChoice said the upgrade is intended to give subscribers a broader viewing experience for the month, spanning drama, sport, action and children’s programming available on the higher-tier packages.

Customers who pay for DStv Compact Plus or DStv Compact bouquets will be upgraded to DStv Premium, while DStv Confam customers will be upgraded to DStv Compact. DStv Yanga customers will receive access to DStv Confam.

Similarly, GOtv Supa and GOtv Max subscribers will receive access to the GOtv Supa Plus package, while GOtv Jolli subscribers will be upgraded to GOtv Max.

The upgrades will remain active for as long as the customer’s account is fully paid during the campaign period. At the end of the promotion on June 30, subscriptions will revert to their original packages.

Subscribers can renew or activate their accounts via the DStv and GOtv websites, the MyDStv and MyGOtv apps, USSD, banking channels or at payment points nationwide.

Continue Reading

Brands/Products

Fringe Wigs Now Available at Twinkles Beauty

Published

on

Twinkles Beauty

Twinkles Beauty has added fringe wigs to its catalogue, bringing one of the most directional styles in contemporary hair fashion to its growing international customer base. The launch positions the brand to meet demand for a look that has moved steadily from editorial runways into everyday wardrobes, earning a permanent place among the styles modern women return to consistently.

The fringe wig delivers something that most other wig styles do not: an instant change to the entire aura of the face. A well-constructed fringe alters the visual proportion of the forehead, draws attention to the eyes, and produces a finish that reads as intentional and precise. Unlike the bone straight wig, which leads with length and sleekness, or the body wave unit, which leads with movement and texture, the fringe wig leads with structure at the very front of the style. It is a design decision that changes everything about how a look is perceived, and it is why the fringe has maintained its relevance across decades of changing fashion without ever feeling dated.

Twinkles Beauty was founded with a clear commercial mandate: make premium human hair accessible to women who have historically been underserved by international pricing structures and inconsistent quality standards. The brand has built its operational foundation across Nigeria & Ghana before extending its delivery network to customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and multiple additional international markets.

Every product in the Twinkles Beauty catalogue, from its frontal wigs to its precision-cut bob units and glueless options designed for everyday wear, is held to the same sourcing and construction standard regardless of the length or style category it falls under.

The fringe wig collection enters that catalogue with the same expectation. Units are constructed from premium human hair, with lace options that blend against a range of skin tones and cap architecture built for secure, comfortable wear. The collection covers multiple length options, meaning a customer who prefers the clean, above-the-shoulder finish of a shorter fringe unit and one who wants the same style at a longer, more dramatic length are both accommodated within the same launch. The fringe detail is consistent across lengths, delivering the defining characteristic of the style at every size available.

The addition reflects a pattern that has defined how Twinkles Beauty has grown its catalogue over time. New collections are introduced in direct response to what the brand’s customer base is purchasing and requesting, not simply in response to broad market trends. This intentional design means the store covers the full range of what a woman shopping for premium human hair actually wants. The collection spans from the ultra-sleek finishes that bone straight and HD lace units provide, to the textured, high-volume options that deep wave and curly units deliver, and now to the sharp, face-framing precision that the fringe collection brings.

Fringe Wigs

Shopping on Twinkles Beauty

The full fringe wig collection is available now at Twinkles Beauty. Placing an order is a straightforward process:

  1. Visit twinklesbeauty.co and click the Shop tab in the navigation menu.
  2. Browse the Wigs category and select Fringe Wigs from the available options.
  3. Choose your preferred unit and review the product specifications, including length, density, lace type, and colour.
  4. Add your selected unit to the cart and proceed to checkout.
  5. Complete payment using any of the secure payment methods displayed at the checkout stage. Pricing is finalised on the product page and does not change at checkout.
  6. Receive your order confirmation and use the Track Order feature on the website to monitor your delivery.

Customers with questions before or after purchase can reach the Twinkles Beauty support team directly through the Contact Us page. The brand also maintains an active presence on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for customers who want to see products styled before making a selection.

International customers in the US, Canada, and the UK move through the same checkout process and receive the same delivery standards as customers ordering from within West Africa. Transparent pricing, reliable logistics, and consistent product quality apply across every market Twinkles Beauty serves.

Continue Reading

Trending