Banking
How 60k Changed My Life
Payday was August 30th and from 12 am, I wasn’t able to take my eyes or ears off my phone. At the sound of every notification, I’d rush to my phone, expecting a credit alert only to realize it was an end-of-the-month Whatsapp BC. Finally, when I was brushing my teeth, I got the holy grail of notifications. With foamy mouth and nearly slipping on the bathroom floor, I rushed out, picked up my phone, and there it was – my salary.
I quickly set aside the usual 20k for transportation, 30k for feeding, 20k for bill payments (Electricity bill, water bill, and enjoyment bill because I cannot come and kill myself) and I was left with 60k. Each time I take out my expenses, I’m always left with 60k and truth be told, I never know what to do with it.
With 60k, I can finally buy that gorgeous human hair I’ve had my eyes on, give myself a much needed weekend getaway, or even buy myself 5 buckets of chicken and ice cream. However, since I started earning money, I’ve started to see things differently. I like to think of everything I spend as an investment and honestly, nothing that came to my mind really sounded like an investment.
I mean, I could buy that wig and flex but will I gain financially from that purchase? I could treat myself but then I’d be losing money, and let’s face it, is it even healthy to consume that much chicken and ice cream? So I decided to surf the net for the best way to spend my 60k.
The internet tells me to invest. I already knew that but in what? Now, I’m usually skeptical of investments because there could be losses here and there and everyone keeps saying their company is the safest one to invest in. That’s exactly what an unsafe company would say. So, I give up, and just as I’m about to log off, I see an ad for Crowdyvest. They use the word “sponsor” instead of “invest.” That gets my attention and I click.
I find out that with Crowdyvest, not only do I sponsor units and earn returns like I want to, my own money is also insured so no story. I also get to impact the lives of people such as farmers, bus drivers and also become a key player in the achievement of the SDGs. Now, I didn’t wake up this morning thinking that I wanted to invest in solving world problems but as soon as I logged on to that website, I immediately wanted to make the world a better place. I clicked on the available sponsorship and realized units were going for as low as 60k.
At first, I was a bit skeptical. One year seems like a long time to get my money back but here’s the thing. Whether or not, I make that sponsorship, a year is still going to pass. It’s up to me to decide if I want to make an effort to secure my financial future or not.
In summary, with my options, 60k could get me a nice hair, a relaxing weekend, or possibly excess sugar and fats but with Crowdyvest, here’s what 60k can do for me:
- Get me 22% returns – Extra 13k just like that!
- Impact the lives of bus drivers by:
- Covering vehicle purchase
- Covering fuelling for 12 months
- Covering remuneration for Drivers and Vehicle Assistant.
- Comprehensive Vehicle Insurance
- Vehicle registration fees.
- Vehicle maintenance costs.
Since my 60k can only buy one unit, let me start with that abeg. At least I know my money will have increased.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative known as Nigeria Lightning Rounds, designed to expand funding opportunities for Nigerian startups and small businesses by connecting founders with local and international investors, has been launched by ProvidusUnity Bank, in partnership with US-based global venture firm and accelerator, gener8tor.
Scheduled to be held on July 15, 2026, Nigeria Lightning Rounds will feature carefully selected startups engaging with targeted investors who have expressed interest in supporting Nigerian innovation.
Participating founders will have the opportunity to pitch their businesses through focused 15-minute virtual sessions facilitated by gener8tor and ProvidusUnity Bank’s networks.
The program will focus on high-growth sectors including fintech, healthtech, manufacturing, sustainability, and AI, but welcomes SMEs from all industries, with intending participants urged to apply via https://www.gener8tor.com/lightning-rounds/nigeria.
“We recognise that access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Through our partnership with gener8tor, we are creating a platform that connects promising Nigerian founders with investors who can provide the support required to scale their businesses,” the Head of Business Development at ProvidusUnity Bank, Mr Ernest Elue, stated.
“The partnership reinforces ProvidusUnity Bank’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting innovation, enabling access to opportunities, and creating pathways for businesses with high-growth potential,” he added.
Also commenting, the Director of Lightning Rounds at gener8tor, Ms Elizabeth Larios, said, “gener8tor is thrilled to partner with ProvidusUnity Bank to extend the Lightning Rounds model into Nigeria.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to building equitable ecosystems and driving capital to the most promising and underrepresented entrepreneurs.”
Lightning Rounds are a signature initiative of gener8tor’s investment platform, which has facilitated thousands of investor-startup meetings globally. The format is optimised to eliminate friction, reduce bias in early-stage fundraising, and help founders secure capital from investors aligned with their mission and stage. gener8tor’s previous Lightning Rounds for Nigerian Founders in 2025 featured 18 participating Investors and led to 50 investment meetings facilitated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The verification of the depositors of the 46 microfinance banks, whose operating licenses were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over a week ago, has commenced.
The exercise, aimed at refunding those whose funds were trapped in the small lenders, is being conducted by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said its staff members have been positioned at the offices of the affected banks across the country to attend to depositors.
It was disclosed that depositors of the defunct banks, who had their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to their accounts in the failed banks, will be paid through their alternative accounts in existing banks.
However, depositors whose BVNs were not linked to their accounts in the failed banks have been encouraged to visit the affected banks’ offices with proof of account ownership, a passport photograph, verifiable means of identification (Driver’s Licence, Permanent Voter’s Card, International Passport or National ID Card) and BVN.
NDIC also stated that depositors can alternatively file their claims online through its website: www.ndic.gov.ng, to complete the Pre-Verification Claims Form by clicking on the Search Bar, and typing Pre-Verification Claims Form; opening the Form and filling in their details. They can also do so by clicking the link: https://ndic.gov.ng/ndic-pre-verification-claims-form/ or by visiting any of the NDIC offices closest to them to file their claims.
For further enquiries, the corporation can be reached on any of the following lines: 09037273810, 09038197064, 08104220807, 09064657140.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolment has slowed significantly in 2026 following the introduction of a stricter regulatory framework by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with the latest data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showing that registrations are on course to fall well below last year’s record.
The BVN database stood at 69.55 million as of July 5, 2026, up from 69.32 million in June, indicating that only 228,947 new registrations were recorded over the period. Since the end of 2025, when the database stood at 67.8 million, total enrolments have increased by 1.75 million.
At the current pace, however, BVN registrations are unlikely to match the 4.3 million new enrolments recorded in 2025, suggesting a sharp deceleration in growth this year.
The slowdown comes after the CBN introduced a revised BVN regulatory framework in March, with the new rules taking effect on May 1, 2026. The framework tightened controls around enrolment, identity verification and fraud monitoring as part of efforts to strengthen the integrity of the banking system.
Among the key changes was the introduction of a minimum enrolment age of 18 years, effectively preventing minors from registering for a BVN.
The new framework also limits customers to a one-time change of the phone number linked to their BVN and requires financial institutions to place BVNs linked to suspected fraudulent transactions on a temporary watch-list for up to 24 hours while investigations are carried out.
The stricter rules contrast with last year’s surge in registrations, which was largely driven by the introduction of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative that enabled Nigerians in the diaspora to complete BVN enrolment remotely, removing physical barriers and expanding access to the financial system.
Launched on February 14, 2014, the BVN scheme was introduced by the CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, NIBSS and German technology firm Dermalog to assign every bank customer a unique biometric identity that can be verified across Nigeria’s banking industry.
