By Modupe Gbadeyanka

As part of activities commemorating International Women’s Day 2026, Ecobank Nigeria has improved its multi-award-winning gender financing initiative, Ellevate by Ecobank.

Originally launched to improve access to finance for women-owned, women-led, and women-focused small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within its commercial banking segment, the enhanced Ellevate programme now adopts a broader, more inclusive structure.

The new framework extends across all business segments, positioning Ellevate as a comprehensive ecosystem designed to address the structural financing and growth barriers faced by women entrepreneurs.

The upgraded programme reinforces the bank’s long-term commitment to advancing women-led enterprises in Nigeria and across Ecobank’s pan-African footprint.

Under the expanded structure, beneficiaries will enjoy improved access to credit on competitive terms, including more flexible collateral considerations aimed at easing traditional financing constraints. Beyond lending, the programme integrates digital payment, collections, and cash management solutions to enhance operational efficiency and support scalability.

A core pillar of the enhancement is structured market access. Through the bank’s MyTradeHub online matchmaking platform and e-commerce enablement capabilities, women entrepreneurs will be better positioned to connect with customers and trade partners across Africa, facilitating cross-border expansion and participation in regional value chains.

The initiative also incorporates robust non-financial support mechanisms, including targeted training programmes, leadership development sessions, and knowledge-sharing platforms to strengthen managerial capacity and long-term sustainability.

This is complemented by access to customised wealth management advisory services, integrated insurance solutions, and a loyalty framework offering commercial incentives through select retail and lifestyle partnerships.

“Since its launch in Nigeria in July 2021, Ellevate has delivered meaningful impact for SMEs and women-led businesses.

“This next phase deepens our value proposition and reinforces our resolve to remain the preferred financial partner for women entrepreneurs,” the Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Bolaji Lawal, said.

“African businesswomen deserve world-class banking solutions that drive turnover, profitability, and sustainable growth. Our approach goes beyond financial inclusion to building an enabling ecosystem that enhances competitiveness and long-term resilience,” he added.

He further highlighted that Ecobank Nigeria consistently hosts flagship platforms such as Adire Lagos, Oja Oge, +234Art Fair, the Lagos Pop-Up Museum, SME Bazaar, and the Design & Build Exhibition, which provide prominent opportunities for showcasing and elevating women-owned businesses.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Two employees of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, Mr Bakare Oladimeji Surajudeen and Mr James Olukayode Imokwede, have been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The suspects were brought before Justice Ismaila Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

They were accused of stealing and retaining stolen property valued at about $306,667.81 and €50,250.

The EFCC, which received a petition from the lender, said its investigations showed that the suspects processed fraudulent transfers through the SWIFT platform to third parties.

The bank said an internal audit uncovered unauthorised debits totalling $306,667.81 and €50,250, equivalent to N527.4 million from its Letters of Credit (LC) payable accounts.

At the court yesterday, after the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all 10-count charges preferred against them, the prosecution counsel, H. U. Kofarnaisa, asked for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility pending trial.

Counsel to the first and second defendants, Oluwaseun Akintunde and Olajide S. Onasanya, informed the court that bail applications had been filed on behalf of the defendants and also urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.

They also prayed that the defendants be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

The prosecution counsel, however, opposed the prayers of the defence seeking the remand of the defendants in the EFCC custody, saying that “the EFCC detention facilities are overstretched.”

After listening to both parties, Justice Ijelu granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2 million each, with two sureties in like sum.

The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a relative who is gainfully employed. The sureties must provide evidence of tax payment in the last three years and must show proof of livelihood, with their residences verified.

The defendants were ordered to deposit their international passports with the court, and must not travel outside the country without the leave of the court.

The judge subsequently remanded the defendants in a correctional facility pending the perfection of their bail conditions, and adjourned the matter till March 25, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

Business Post reports that one of the counts said, “That you, Bakare Oladimeji Surajudeen and James Olukayode Imokwede, sometime in 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this court, dishonestly took the sum of N527,406,916.66, property of FSDH Merchant Bank Limited.”

By Adedapo Adesanya

Leading pan-African payments aggregator, PawaPay, has partnered with Deriv to support mobile money deposits across multiple African markets, with plans to expand further.

According to a statement on Tuesday, the integration gives Deriv users access to local payment methods through a single, compliant connection to major mobile operators.

The partnership, launched in 2025, currently supports mobile money deposits across eight African countries, with connectivity to major mobile money operators.

Deriv selected PawaPay to support its African expansion strategy in order to deliver mobile money without sacrificing localisation or reliability as volumes grow.

Since launching with PawaPay, Deriv has seen a measurable increase in mobile money deposits across the live markets. Coordinated launch and education campaigns accelerated adoption, while the underlying reliability of the integration meant fewer failed transactions and more predictable settlement, factors that directly affect whether a payment product succeeds in practice.

PawaPay connects businesses to local payment methods, including mobile money across 20 African markets, handling payment processing, settlement, FX, and reconciliation for global platforms operating at scale.

Through the partnership, Deriv users are able to fund their accounts using mobile money wallets they already use day to day. For platforms operating across African markets, mobile money is a primary way customers transact, and offering it reliably requires local operator connectivity, regulatory alignment, and the ability to manage payments consistently across markets.

PawaPay supports Deriv through a single integration that provides operator connectivity, compliance support, and settlement across the markets live today. This includes hands-on support during periods of network instability, so issues can be addressed before they impact users. The setup is designed to support high-volume payment flows as usage grows.

“Mobile money is already deeply embedded in how people transact across Africa,” said Mr Nikolai Barnwell, CEO at PawaPay. “The real challenge for companies expanding across multiple markets is running it reliably once volumes grow. Our role is to make sure payments remain predictable, so platforms like Deriv can focus on their customers rather than managing operational detail.”

On his part, Mr Derek Swift, Head of Client Funding Facilities at Deriv, said, “Our partnership with PawaPay is central to Deriv’s expansion across Africa. Their platform performs reliably in markets where payment infrastructure requires real local expertise, and their team operates with the kind of responsiveness that matters when you’re serving clients across multiple jurisdictions. This partnership has opened markets that simply weren’t accessible to us before.”