Banking
Yvonne Elaigwu Foresees Convergence in Digital, Traditional Banking Systems
Yvonne Faith Elaigwu is an experienced manager with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) space some of which include the UBA Foundation and Oando Foundation.
She is skilled in people management, negotiation, business planning, events planning, analytical skills, and sales. She has a Master’s degree focused in Environmental Management from the University of Lagos.
Yvonne Elaigwu is currently the Head of Operations at OnePipe, a foremost fintech API company and a Trustee at Open Banking Nigeria. In this interview, she discussed the future of the payment system in Nigeria, revealing the trends that will drive growth in the Nigerian financial tech space.
Kindly give us a brief description of who you are and your professional background?
I studied Human Anatomy at the University of Maiduguri with the goal of being a genetic engineer. Then I got a job! My first job was an Operations role and I quickly found that I enjoyed being a part of the team in the backend that provided the support and structure that ensures that all goes well. Every role I have occupied since then has been Operational in nature. I have been doing this now for over 12 years across the NGO space, banking, CSR and now in the technology space. Somewhere in between these jobs, I got a master of Environmental Management degree from the University of Lagos.
How would you describe the position of the current payment systems that are available in the Nigerian business space today?
I’d say our payment systems are growing and evolving. Transaction volume and value are growing exponentially, NIP transactions alone in 2020 were over N235 trillion which is nearly 100 times more than the e-payments transaction less than about 8 years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic literally forced the world to prioritize contactless interactions and the payment system was not excluded. This is probably one of the drivers of the rise and adoption of payment via transfer; Pay With Transfer.
About 10 years ago, the value of NIP transactions was 4,449,654 as reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) less than 2% of the 378,100,749 pulled in by POS terminals and ATM machines. I remember a time when every saloon and corner store was hustling to get a POS machine from their banks. It was the new in-thing and everyone needed a machine to receive payments. The store owner and customer both relied on the POS slip to confirm that a transaction was successful. It’s interesting that these store owners and merchants had bank accounts but did not think to accept payments directly into them. Today, the concept of Pay With Transfer is so accepted that the cab driver, who before now would only accept cash, (who probably never went through the POS stage) would, without much ado share an account number to receive payment for his services. Data supports this shift and growth, the CBN report on e-payments showed that in 2020, “pay with transfer” NIP volume was about 200% more than the volume of payments made on both POS terminals and ATM machines and significantly more in transaction value.
Businesses are more now comfortable with receiving payments digitally, most businesses today are profiled to receive payments digitally and this is evidenced in the fact that the transaction value and volume of all e-payment platforms are consistently growing.
What are your views on digital currencies? Do you think that they will eventually be implemented in our economy?
I am no subject matter expert here, but it looks to me that they are here to stay. Like all new “products”, they would come with their teething problems, bugs and losses. Costly mistakes would be made and lessons would be learnt. The Luna scenario of the last couple of days taught me and hopefully the ecosystem that “it’s not really stable unless it is pegged against actual money sitting in a bank account”. It’s like purifying gold, at the end of the day, impurities would be removed and a gem would emerge. While it may take us some time as a country or an economy to get onboard with a new technology (e.g. like it did with mobile networks and cell phones), we eventually catch on and make up for the lost time. I personally believe that once digital currencies are established, and become relatively more mainstream, they would be implemented and even encouraged in our country. This would probably take time, but it is very likely to happen.
What are the trends that will shape the financial space in Nigeria in a few years to come?
I think that the concept of Embedded Finance will take root and grow/shape the Nigerian financial space in a short time from now. This would be evidenced in close partnerships between traditional banks, lenders and BaaS companies to enable merchants and “regular” entities like the distributors, cooperative societies, farmers’ associations etc to provide financial services to the last mile customer. This would improve financial literacy and bank more customers. The thinking is that the farmer who has been “acquired” by his association of farmers, would know to ask that entity for a loan to grow his farm. This entity knows him and his operations intimately enough to offer him this facility. The same can happen with the distributor who acquires his retailers and offers them banking services. What would now begin to happen is that last mile customers are becoming more banked, where they are now incentivised to save their funds within the banking system in order to create transaction trails that make them eligible for credit facilities to grow their businesses and take care of pressing needs.
I also think that we will also begin to see simplified and more secure payment methods as people continue to embrace “pay with transfer”. Data already shows that people are gravitating toward this mode of payment and the failure rate of card transactions is not making it harder. In the future, the relevance of card payments would be minimized, thereby reducing the associated fraud incidences accompanied by card payments.
In what way would you say that technology is impacting the financial sector in Nigeria?
With a mobile network coverage of 99% and data from the 2019 Jumia report on Nigeria that shows that 87% of Nigerians are mobile network subscribers, it means that technology, when properly directed, can be the tool to reach the unbanked and educate the underbaked.
The rise and proliferation of technology startups in the finance space is the first glaring way that we see technology impacting the finance sector in Nigeria. The prevalence of technology has made it possible for enterprising Nigerians to build solutions that can change people’s lives. These ventures have over the years attracted billions of dollars worth of capital into the country, provided employment to thousands of people and in 2021, technology startups contributed about 10% of Nigeria’s GDP. These technology-driven companies are building and shipping solutions targeted at the unbanked and underbanked in the country and making them available on progressive web apps, downloadable apps, USSD and POS machines. The chances that an individual in the remote village of Obagaji, Agatu where I come from (where there is no physical bank) with a mobile phone (any kind of mobile phone) is able to access a financial service today is very high and attributed to technology, driven by technology companies.
Technology has made it possible for the regular person to have access to resources on financial instruments, concepts and data with which they can make informed decisions to improve their life conditions-everything is a google search away.
Digital banking versus the traditional banking system, do you think there will be a convergence?
Eventually, yes. While digital banking is the “now” and the future, traditional banks are here to stay and will need to come to a place (probably are in that place already) where they decide between fighting digital banks, competing against them or partnering with them. We are beginning to see partnerships in the US, Europe and even here in Nigeria between traditional banks and digital banks to birth the concept of Embedded Finance, which is a relatively new concept. We expect to see more of these in the future.
As head of operations at OnePipe, what excites you about working in a startup business in Nigeria?
The challenge of building new products and systems; the joy and feeling of satisfaction from being a part of birthing something that has the propensity to change lives and influence people and economies.
Give us one practical example of a business that gained from the successful solution that OnePipe has delivered to them?
Omnibizz, a unified distribution platform in the FMCG space digitized their operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Omnibizz worked with OnePipe to embed financial services such that their customers can now pay directly into the account of their retailer. Their retailers can also place orders, track their sales, pay for their orders, apply for credit and get approved without leaving the digital platform provided to them by Omibizz. This has reduced and will continue to reduce the dependence on cash transactions with the attending risks. It offers seamless payments, an opportunity to bank the underbanked retailer and possible credit to grow their market
What are your winning strategies for managing people who work with you, both internally and externally?
I default to treating people how I want to be treated, I also try to understand people and learn how to communicate with them.
In terms of getting the operations of a business right, what is that one piece of advice that you would offer to women who choose to launch startups in Nigeria?
In terms of operations, I would advise that you decide very quickly on the type of company you want to build and find one person whose job it would be to help champion that from the scratch. When building a startup, operational practices may not be top on the list of most important things for the company because you’ll be building products, finding product-market fit and generally just figuring out. With at least one resource dedicated to ensuring that you incorporate standard best practices into your operations and course-correct as you go, you are less likely to run into heavy-duty operational headaches in the future.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A collaboration to enable fast money transfers into Nigeria has been entered into between Flutterwave and Xoom, PayPal’s international digital money transfer service.
The partnership allows Xoom transfers to be converted by Flutterwave and settled locally in Naira, enabling quick transfers directly into recipients’ bank accounts at Access Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTBank, and additional participating banks across Nigeria.
The deal also enables Xoom’s global network with Flutterwave’s local payout infrastructure, allowing users globally to send funds directly into Nigerian bank accounts with improved speed and efficiency.
Nigeria is the leading remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa, receiving over $20 billion in personal remittances in 2024. Despite this volume, receiving international payments has historically remained complex due to FX constraints and settlement delays. This collaboration helps address those challenges in a market of more than 232 million people, where the ICT sector is projected to contribute 21 per cent of GDP by 2027.
By combining Xoom’s expansive reach with Flutterwave’s local compliance and banking partnerships, the two companies are providing a more accessible financial corridor for the continent.
Xoom, a PayPal service, is a fast and secure international digital money transfer service that enables consumers to send money, pay bills, and reload phones for friends and family in approximately 160 markets globally.
As part of PayPal’s global payments ecosystem, Xoom leverages advanced fraud protection, compliance capabilities, and a trusted global network to help millions of customers move money quickly and securely across borders.
“We’re excited to have been chosen by Xoom for their Nigeria expansion. Millions of Nigerians rely on money from abroad to support everyday needs, whether it’s families receiving help from loved ones, freelancers getting paid for their work, or individuals earning income from the global economy. This helps make it easy and more reliable for people in Nigeria to receive funds and stay connected to opportunities beyond borders,” the chief executive of Flutterwave, Mr Olugbenga GB Agboola, stated.
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.
