Banking
Moniepoint Launches Nigeria’s First Informal Economy AI Chatbot
By Adedapo Adesanya
African fintech giant, Moniepoint Incorporated, has launched M— Nigeria’s first artificial intelligence-powered chatbot dedicated to demystifying the informal economy.
Speaking at the launch of the second edition of Nigeria’s Informal Economy Report powered by Moniepoint, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole, noted that the informal economy lies at the heart of Nigeria’s story of resilience, creativity, and enterprise, from market traders to artisans, service providers, and young digital entrepreneurs.
“Millions of Nigerians power commerce daily in ways that are unseen yet indispensable to our economy. This report gives an important window into the challenges and opportunities within the sector. It provides a stronger foundation for inclusive, evidence-based policymaking.
“The Tinubu-led administration places high priority on the informal sector, which has remained central to Nigeria’s economic resilience. I commend Moniepoint for its decade-long contribution to financial inclusion, supporting millions of informal businesses across Africa,” she said.
To bring the report’s insights to life, “M,” a friendly, AI-powered guide that helps users explore and understand Nigeria’s informal economy.
Moniepoint said the AI is built on cutting-edge Large Language Model (LLM) technology, M provides conversational and easy-to-understand responses to complex queries.
“It represents Moniepoint’s belief that technology should serve people, especially the everyday entrepreneurs who keep the economy moving. “M” is designed to make data on small businesses and informal trade accessible, useful, and actionable for everyone from policymakers and researchers to journalists and the general public,” it said in a statement.
Mr Babatunde Olofin, Managing Director, Moniepoint MFB, noted that the bank’s focus lies in providing millions of these informal operators with the tools they need to thrive sustainably.
“This year’s report dives deeper into unemployment, taxation, savings behavior, and business operations within the informal economy, and what we’ve found paints a picture of both resilience and fragility. These insights remind us that the informal economy is not just a tool for survival but a living ecosystem of innovation and adaptation.
“We are determined to help shape a more inclusive and sustainable Nigeria, not just for today, but for generations yet unborn. The informal economy is not the shadow of our nation’s progress, it is its pulse. Our job is to make sure it beats stronger,” he said.
The launch event also served to mark a significant milestone as Moniepoint commemorates 10 years of service to now over 10 million active businesses and individuals, processing more than one billion transactions monthly and facilitating payments exceeding $22 billion.
The company aims to strengthen public-private collaboration in building a more data-driven, inclusive, and digitized economy aligned with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Founded in 2015 by Mr Tosin Eniolorunda and Mr Felix Ike, Moniepoint has grown from building financial solutions and infrastructure for Nigeria’s major banks to becoming the nation’s largest business payments platform and leading merchant acquirer, providing an all-in-one banking platform offering payments, banking, credit, business tools, and cross-border payment solutions.
The company has also earned commendations from the Federal Government for its decade-long commitment to driving financial inclusion and business growth across Africa’s most populous nation.
Mr Ayodele Olawande, Minister, Federal Ministry of Youth Development represented by Mrs Ebiho Agun, Technical Adviser commended Moniepoint for its commitment to understanding and illuminating the dynamics of a sector that, though often overlooked, but remains the backbone of our national economy.
“While Moniepoint has aptly drawn attention to the vast potential of the informal economy, largely powered by youth, it is clear that realizing this potential requires strong synergy among government, private sector players, financial institutions, and development partners. Together, we must move from insight to action, designing and implementing strategies that will enable informal enterprises to access finance.”
During a panel session which was moderated by Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Moniepoint Inc, Ms Didi Uwemakpan with the theme Building an inclusive and sustainable economy for Nigeria, the panelists which included Mr Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities, SANEF, Mrs Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo, Head, Inclusion for All Initiative, Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA); Mr Charles Odii, Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and MD, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank were emphatic about the need to increase access to finance, markets, and other structured interventions for the informal economy.
Speaking to its partnership with Moniepoint on the report, the SMEDAN DG expressed satisfaction that the report shows real progress with more businesses formalizing, accessing finance, and using digital tools, while acknowledging some challenges that persist, especially around rising costs and access to affordable credit.
“We are working with our partners and under this administration’s economic agenda to close these gaps: free CAC registration for 250,000 small businesses, a partnership with SEC to list 1,000 SMEs on the capital market, and new shared industrial hubs that make it cheaper to run a business.
“We are also working with state governments to deepen access to affordable finance and complement efforts of the Federal Government to create a regulatory environment that supports the growth of small businesses,” he said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc has allotted shares from its public offer of 2025 to investors with valid applications.
The allotment follows the earlier receipt of final approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the recent clearance by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
In September 2025, the financial institution offered for sale about 12,581,000,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N7.00 per share in public offer.
However, the exercise received wide participation from the investing public, with the company getting 18,280 applications for 16,839,524,401 ordinary shares valued at approximately N117.88 billion.
Following a thorough verification process, valid applications were received from 18,276 shareholders for a total of 13,812,239,000 ordinary shares, representing a subscription level of 109.79 per cent and reflecting sustained confidence in Sterling Holdco’s strategic direction, governance, and long-term growth prospects.
The firm approached the capital market for additional funds for the recapitalisation of its two flagship subsidiaries, Sterling Bank and The Alternative Bank.
The capital injection will support the commencement of full operations and contribute to the group’s revenue diversification objectives.
In line with the guidelines set out in the offer prospectus, Sterling Holdco confirmed that all valid applications will be allotted in full. Every investor who complied with the terms of the offer will receive all the shares for which they applied.
A very small number of applications were not processed or were partially rejected due to non-compliance with the offer terms, including duplicate payments and failure to meet the minimum subscription requirement of 1,000 units or its multiples, as stipulated in the offer documents.
The group ensures a seamless post-offer process, with refunds for excess or rejected applications, along with applicable interest, to be remitted via Real Time Gross Settlement or NIBSS Electronic Funds Transfer directly to the bank accounts detailed in the application forms.
Simultaneously, the electronic allotment of shares has be credited to successful shareholders’ accounts with the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) on February 17, and for applicants who do not currently have CSCS accounts, their allotted shares will be temporarily held in a registrar-managed pool account pending the submission of their completed account opening documentation to Pace Registrars Limited, after which the shares will be transferred to their personal CSCS accounts.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To drive inclusive growth, strengthen financial stability, and deepen global financial integration across developing economies, there must be coordinated reforms in digital cross-border payments.
This was the submission of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Olayemi Cardoso, at the G‑24 Technical Group Meetings in Abuja on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
According to him, high remittance costs, settlement delays, fragmented systems, and heavy compliance burdens still limit the participation of households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in global trade.
The central banker emphasised that efficient payment systems are essential for economic inclusion, highlighting that global remittance corridors still incur average costs above 6 per cent, with settlement delays of several days, excluding millions from modern economic activity.
Mr Cardoso cautioned that while digital payments present significant opportunities, they also carry risks such as currency substitution, weakened monetary transmission, increased FX volatility, capital-flow pressures, and regulatory fragmentation.
The G-24 TGM 2026, themed Mobilising finance for sustainable, inclusive, and job-rich transformation, convened global financial stakeholders to advance the modernisation of finance in support of emerging and developing economies.
The CBN chief reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with G-24 members, the IMF, the World Bank Group, and other partners to build a more inclusive, resilient, and development-oriented global financial architecture.
“We have strengthened our AML/CFT frameworks in line with FATF guidelines, requiring strict dual-screening of cross-border transactions to mitigate risks.
“To deepen regional integration, the CBN introduced simplified KYC/AML requirements for low-value cross-border transactions to encourage broader participation in PAPSS, easing processes for Nigerian SMEs and enabling faster intra-African trade payments.
“We have also embraced fintech innovation through our Regulatory Sandbox, allowing payment-focused fintechs to test secure, instant cross-border solutions under close CBN supervision,” he disclosed.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The merger and business combination between Unity Bank Plc and Providus Bank Limited remains firmly on course, a statement from one of the parties disclosed.
According to Unity Bank, there is no iota of truth in reports in certain sections of the media suggesting that the merger process had stalled, as the transaction remains firmly on track.
It was disclosed that the necessary regulatory steps have been completed, but only a few other steps to finalise the transaction, especially the final court sanction.
There had been speculations that both lenders may not meet the new minimum capital requirement of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before the March 31, 2026, deadline.
However, it was noted that the combined capital base of Unity Bank and Providus Bank exceeds N200 billion, which is the minimum requirement to retain a national banking licence under the CBN’s recapitalisation framework.
When completed, the Unity-Providus merger is expected to deliver a stronger, more competitive, and customer-centric financial institution — one with the scale, innovation, and reach to redefine the retail and SME banking landscape in Nigeria.
“The merger with Providus Bank significantly enhances our capital base, operational capacity, and strategic positioning.
“We are confident that the combined institution will be better equipped to support economic growth and deliver innovative financial solutions across Nigeria,” the chief executive of Unity Bank, Mr Ebenezer Kolawole, stated.
Recall that a few months ago, shareholders authorised the merger between the two entities at Court-Ordered Meetings. They also adopted the scheme of merger at their respective Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) in September 2025,
The central bank also backed the merger, with a pivotal financial accommodation to support the transaction. The merger also received a further boost with a “no objection” nod from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The regulatory approvals form part of broader efforts to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s banking system, reinforce capital adequacy across the sector, and mitigate potential systemic risks.
The development positions the combined entity among the 21 banks that have satisfied the apex bank’s new capital threshold for national banking operations.
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