Economy
African Startups Funding Drops 21% to $4.1bn in 2023
By Adedapo Adesanya
The total value of funds secured by African startups dropped 21 per cent to $4.1 billion in 2023 from $5.2 billion in 2022 as a result of a wider global slump in funding, a report by Briter Intelligence showed.
According to the Briter Bridges’ Africa Investment Report 2023: Crisis or Adjustment?, after a decade of slow but steady rise, with $1 billion raised, African ecosystems saw a sudden funding spike after COVID-19 in 2021 and 2022, however, this growth halted in 2023.
Briter Bridges, an intelligence and research firm providing data and insights across emerging markets, said the slump in 2023 was due to a global venture investment downturn that impacted Africa’s access to finance, rising concerns around inflated valuations, business sustainability, and increased due diligence and scrutiny from investors.
“2023 was the first year in over a decade where the amount of investment flowing to Africa’s ventures was visibly lower than in previous years,” Mr Dario Giuliani, the founder of the firm said, adding that the trend alarmed investors and founders as “it came at a time when global venture markets took a hit and thousands of companies were forced to shut down.”
The data showed that the number of deals was 11 per cent higher at 1080 compared to 975 deals executed in 2022 while in terms of representation, there was a 30 per cent increase in funding that went to at least 1 female founder, 23 per cent more than 217 in 2022.
Fintechs continued to lead the sector that got the most funding even as there was a growing sector diversification. While fintechs got 32 per cent of the funding in 2023, others including mobility, jobs, health and biotech, agri and agritech, cleantech, education, e-commerce, and logistics & supply chain also had a piece of the pie.
Cleantech recorded 14 per cent of the fundraises, logistics (8 per cent), e-commerce (8 per cent), and jobs (6 per cent) among others.
Briter Intelligence showed that out of the $4.1 billion raised in 2023, 1 per cent of all funded companies (based on disclosed deals alone) captured 45 per cent of all funding. These include usual suspects that have built a name across the continent’s ecosystems throughout the past decade: MNT-Halan, M-Kopa, SunKing and Zipline. On the other hand. 99%, or 755+ companies captured about $2 billion in disclosed funding and 220+ companies announced their deals but never disclosed the amount.
The data showed that 68 per cent of the funding went to the top four markets led by Kenya with $805 million followed by Egypt with $675 million. Nigeria came next with $575 million while $565 million went to South Africa.
Emerging markets led by Tunisia raised $460 million followed by Rwanda with $350 million, Benin Republic with $125 million, and Senegal with $70 million.
In 2023, while early-stage deals hit new records, deals above $1 million contracted. More than 50 per cent of all disclosed early-stage investments were under $250,000.
Briter Intelligence noted that the investment contraction led to companies shutting down or significantly reducing their growth trajectory and falling back to their core market or product. Among these were Twiga Foods, Copia, Cellulant, Jumia, Wave, Marketforce, and Renmoney.
The report noted that 2023 saw public investors and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) play a key role in funding growth rounds as most deals above $50 million involved DFIs, state/private banks, corporations, conglomerates, or foundations.
Economy
Petrol Supply up 55.4% as Daily Consumption Reaches 52.1 million Litres
By Adedapo Adesanya
The supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, increased by 55.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to 71.5 million litres per day in November 2025 from 46 million litres per day in October.
This was contained in the November 2025 fact sheet of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Monday.
The data showed that the nation’s consumption also increased by 44.5 per cent or 37.4 million litres to 52.1 million litres per day in November 2025, against 28.9 million litres in October.
The significant increase in petrol supply last month was on account of the imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited into the Nigerian market from both the domestic and the international market.
Domestic refineries supplied in the period stood at 17.1 million litres per day, while the average daily consumption of PMS for the month was 52.9 million litres per day.
The NMDPRA noted that no production activities were recorded in all the state-owned refineries, which included Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, in the period, as the refineries remained shut down.
According to the report, the imports were aimed at building inventory and further guaranteeing supply during the peak demand period.
Other reasons for the increase, according to the NMDPRA, were due to “low supply recorded in September and October 2025, below the national demand threshold; the need for boosting national stock level to meet the peak demand period of end of year festivities, and twelve vessels programmed to discharge into October, which spilled into November.”
On gas, the average daily gas supply climbed to 4.684 billion standard cubic feet per day in November 2025, from the 3.94 bscf/d average processing level recorded in October.
The Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 also maintained a stable processing output of 3.5 bscf/d in November 2025, but utilisation improved slightly to 73.7 per cent compared with 71.68 per cent in October.
The increase, according to the report, was driven by higher plant utilisation across processing hubs and steady export volumes from the Nigeria LNG plant in Bonny.
“As of November 2025, Nigeria’s major gas processing facilities recorded improved output and utilisation levels, with the Nigeria LNG Trains 1-6 processing 3.50 billion standard cubic feet per day at a utilisation rate of 73.70 per cent.
“Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant processed 1.250 bscf per day, operating at 71.21 per cent utilisation, while the MPNU Bonny River Terminal recorded a throughput of 0.690 bscf per day during the period. Processing activities at the Escravos Gas Plant stood at 0.680 bscf per day, representing a 62 per cent utilisation rate, whereas the Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, processing 0.600 bscf per day at 96.84 per cent utilisation,” it stated.
Economy
Secure Electronic Technology Suspends Share Reconstruction as Investors Pull Out
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The proposed share reconstruction of a local gaming firm, Secure Electronic Technology (SET), has been suspended.
The Lagos-based company decided to shelve the exercise after negotiations with potential investors crumbled like a house of cards.
Secure Electronic Technology was earlier in talks with some foreign investors interested in the organisation.
Plans were underway to restructure the shares of the company, which are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
However, things did not go as planned as the potential investors pulled out, leaving the board to consider others ways to move the firm forward.
Confirming this development, the company secretary, Ms Irene Attoe, in a statement, said the board would explore other means to keep the company running to deliver value to shareholders.
“This is to notify the NGX and the investing public that a meeting of the board of SET held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, as scheduled, to consider the status of the proposed share reconstruction and recapitalisation as approved by the members at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on April 16, 2025.
“After due deliberations, the board wishes to announce that the proposed share reconstruction will not take place as anticipated due to the inability of the parties to reach a convergence on the best and mutually viable terms.
“Thus, following an impasse in the negotiations, and the investors’ withdrawal from the transaction, the board has, in the interest of all members, decided to accept these outcomes and move ahead in the overall interest of the business.
“The board is committed to driving the strategic objectives of SEC and to seeking viable opportunities for sustainable growth of the company,” the disclosure stated.
Business Post reports that the share price of SET crashed by 3.85 per cent on Tuesday on Customs Street on Tuesday to 75 Kobo. Its 52-week high remains N1.33 and its one-year low is 45 Kobo. Today, investors transacted 39,331,958 units.
Economy
Clea to Streamline Cross-Border Payments for African Importers
By Adedapo Adesanya
Clea, a blockchain-powered platform that allows African importers to pay international suppliers in USD while settling locally, has officially launched.
During its pilot phase, Clea processed more than $4 million in cross-border transactions, demonstrating strong early demand from businesses navigating the complexities of global trade.
Clea addresses persistent challenges that African importers have long struggled with, including limited FX access, unpredictable exchange rates, high bank charges, fraudulent intermediaries, and payment delays that slow or halt shipments. The continent also faces a trade-finance gap estimated at over $120 billion annually, limiting importers’ ability to access the FX and financial infrastructure needed for timely international payments by offering fast, transparent, and direct USD settlements, completed without intermediaries or banking bottlenecks.
Founded by Mr Sheriff Adedokun, Mr Iyiola Osuagwu, and Mr Sidney Egwuatu, Clea was created from the team’s own experiences dealing with unreliable international payments. The platform currently serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors.
The platform will allow local payments in Naira with instant access to Dollars as well as instant, same-day, or next-day settlement options and transparent, traceable transactions that reduce fraud risk.
Speaking on the launch, Mr Adedokun said, “Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.”
Mr Osuagwu, co-founder & CTO, added, “Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing long-standing barriers that have limited African importers for years.”
According to a statement shared with Business Post, Clea is already working with shipping operators who refer merchants to the platform and is also engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. The company remains fully bootstrapped but is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn












