General
How Africa’s Largest Payments Network is Integrating Social Mission With Business Aspirations
Being deliberate about creating a “greater purpose” is essential to building an authentic corporate culture, engaging stakeholders, and navigating the evolving landscape of corporate philanthropy. This is the philosophy behind Africa’s largest digital payments network, Onafriq’s, extensive growth and vision to unify the continent’s digital payments landscape according to its General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer Funmi Dele-Giwa.
Dele-Giwa recently shared insights into the organisation’s unique position at the intersection of social impact and commercial ambition at the Women in Payments Symposium EMEA, held in London. During her speech, she delved into the company’s journey in delivering greater financial access and connecting all of Africa into a single integrated network that empowers both individuals and businesses.
“The purpose of Onafriq from the very onset was one of providing financial access to marginalised individuals on the African continent and having a positive impact in the countries we operate in and the clients we serve,” she said. “That is why Onafriq was built on the back of a strong belief that mobile money would serve as a strong enabler of financial access to millions of under- or unserved Africans.”
Established nearly 15 years ago with the mantra of “making borders matter less”, the company aims to facilitate cross-border payment services within Africa – as well as in and out of Africa. This is underpinned by the vision of its Founder and CEO Dare Okoudjou, that making a payment anywhere in the world, to anywhere across the globe should be as easy and as painless as it is to make a phone call.
Today, Onafriq’s payments network connects more than 1,300 cross-border payment corridors providing access to more than 500 million mobile wallets and 200 million bank accounts across 40 African markets. This vast digital infrastructure is a testament to its position as the “network of networks”, enabling services like cross-border payments, remittances, card issuing, agency banking and more, which facilitate seamless money flow from, to, and across the continent.
During her talk at the symposium, Dele-Giwa noted that remittance services were a key example of this marriage of concepts, having particularly emerged as a powerful tool for boosting economic growth and financial empowerment. By partnering with international remittance companies, the Onafriq network enables the significant pool of migrant workers from Africa in the diaspora to send and receive money efficiently and affordably. She notes, however, that remittances are not just the privy of the global north to south, as there is significant intra-Africa remittance demand which has traditionally remained unmet. Through partnerships with mobile network operators (MNOs) across the Continent, Onafriq is bridging gaps between countries like Kenya and Uganda, as well as Cameroon and Nigeria, by digitising and facilitating intra-Africa remittance flows.
“Strategic collaborations between key sectors of Africa’s financial services landscape are key to unlocking the full potential of remittances as a catalyst for economic growth and development,” said Dele-Giwa. “As such, fostering robust partnerships between payment networks and mobile money platforms is important to enabling greater remittance flows given the widespread adoption of mobile wallets across the continent.”
Another way that Onafriq is blending the principles of social betterment with business objectives is by empowering small businesses in Africa to flourish and grow by enabling access to a wider range of choices in disbursing or collecting digital payments over cash. Onafriq’s partnership with One Acre Fund is an example of how the company’s network has contributed to providing small-scale farmers with asset-based financing services.
“Our work to open up markets and connect people to opportunities continues to empower the African gig economy, enabling GDOs to deliver cash assistance to needy communities and international merchants to pay local creators, influencers and artists, as well as helping small traders to sell their goods across borders, by simplifying the ways they can pay and can get paid,” said Dele-Giwa.
Another notable aspect of Onafriq’s journey of positive social impact, according to Dele-Giwa, is its commitment to empowering women. Through its agent network in Nigeria, women entrepreneurs are able to generate additional income by becoming agents, and by using the Baxi point of sale device they can easily manage payments for their shops and market stalls. Furthermore, partnerships with organisations like the One Acre Fund helped to empower women in small-scale farming, amplifying their economic participation.
For those seeking to emulate Onafriq’s success, Dele-Giwa noted that it was important to align their social mission with the innovation and collaboration needed to achieve a positive impact while pursuing commercial success.
“Let’s remember, it’s not just about the services we offer. It’s about the impact we make while doing so,” she said. “It’s important to share those impactful stories of empowerment and positive change delivered as a result of your products and services, but it is also important to create a set of impact metrics to measure success by. This way you are always able to hold yourself accountable to employees, shareholders, regulators, clients, and other stakeholders.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria would co-host Investopia with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Lagos in February, an initiative aimed at attracting global investors and accelerating sustainable investment inflows.
President Tinubu made this announcement on the sidelines of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), where Nigeria also concluded a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE to deepen trade and cooperation in renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics, and digital trade.
“We warmly invite our partners to join us and help build the next chapter of sustainable and shared prosperity for Nigeria, Africa, and the world, ” President Tinubu said.
He described CEPA as a historic and strategic agreement that will also enhance cooperation in aviation, logistics, agriculture, and climate-smart infrastructure, creating enduring opportunities for the people of the two countries, stating that Investopia will bring together investors, innovators, policymakers, and business leaders to transform opportunities into commitment and ideas into investment.
Mr Tinubu told the summit that Nigeria aims to mobilise up to $30 billion annually in climate and green industrial finance as it accelerates energy transition reforms and expands nationwide electricity access.
“The foundation of every modern economy is electricity. As an emerging economy in the Global South, we understand the delicate balance between industrialisation and decarbonisation, ensuring neither is pursued at the expense of the other.
”We are calling for a fundamental shift in the global financial architecture: a move away from the restrictive requirement of sovereign guarantees, which unfairly penalise developing economies.
”Instead, the focus should be on blended finance and first-loss capital mechanisms that allow private sustainable capital flows directly into our green projects without further straining national balance sheets,” he said.
According to President Tinubu, Nigeria has strengthened its climate governance framework with the adoption of a National Carbon Market Activation Policy and the launch of a National Carbon Registry.
He explained that these measures are aimed at improving transparency and investor confidence.
Mr Tinubu highlighted the Electricity Act 2023 as a central pillar of Nigeria’s energy reforms, noting that it enables decentralised power generation and distribution to underserved communities.
He added that Nigeria’s climate investment drive includes a $500 million distributed renewable energy fund backed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, as well as a $750 million World Bank programme expected to expand clean electricity access to more than 17.5 million people.
President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s target of net-zero emissions by 2060, under its Energy Transition Plan, while pursuing industrial growth and universal energy access.
He invited foreign investors to partner in Nigeria’s lithium and critical minerals sector, stressing that the government prioritises local processing and value addition.
President Tinubu noted that Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms are producing tangible results, including a 21 per cent growth in non-oil exports.
”These reforms, alongside wider fiscal and monetary measures, are delivering results. Non-oil exports have grown by 21 per cent, supported by a more diversified product base. Capital importation has risen, and Nigeria now has over 50 billion dollars in investment commitments across key sectors.
”We are ready to work with partners across the world to ensure that the next era of development is not only green and inclusive, but just and enduring,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The governments of Nigeria and Turkey have agreed to collaborate on enhancing bilateral relations, with a focus on visa facilitation, business mobility, and consular matters.
The agreement followed a meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Mehmet Poroy, during a courtesy visit.
Mr Tunji-Ojo highlighted the strong historical and cultural ties between the two countries and Nigeria’s commitment to a “smart, structured, and practical approach to international cooperation” that promotes people-to-people contact and legitimate business engagement.
“These ties provide a solid foundation for deeper collaboration,” he said.
Ambassador Poroy provided updates on improved visa facilitation for Nigerian businessmen traveling to Turkey, noting that “under the new arrangement, applications are processed locally, allowing verified businesspersons to benefit from faster processing timelines of about three to four days.”
He also raised concerns about Turkish businesspeople facing challenges when visiting Nigeria for trade fairs and investments, citing conflicting information about Nigerian visa arrangements. “We request written clarification to guide applicants accurately,” Poroy said.
A key proposal during the meeting was the inclusion of Turkey in Nigeria’s electronic visa (e-visa) system.
“The absence of a Nigerian visa office in Istanbul creates logistical challenges,” the Ambassador explained, adding that, “Including Turkey in the e-visa regime would significantly enhance business mobility for Turkish nationals.”
In response, Mr Tunji-Ojo assured that “denying visas to genuine Nigerian or Turkish businesspeople is not in the interest of either country.”
He emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to “transparency, dialogue, and continuous improvement in visa administration,” stressing Nigeria’s openness to legitimate investors and international business partners.
The discussion also addressed recognition of Nigerian marriage certificates by foreign missions. The Minister clarified that “all marriage certificates issued under Nigerian law are constitutionally valid and should not require additional verification.”
The Turkish Ambassador acknowledged the concern and committed to reviewing embassy procedures, as both parties agreed on the importance of continued engagement to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United States has delivered military supplies to Nigerian security agencies to bolster operations in several parts of the country.
This was disclosed in a post via X on Tuesday by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
“The US forces delivered critical military supplies to our Nigerian partners in Abuja. This delivery supports Nigeria’s ongoing operations and emphasizes our shared security partnership,” the post read.
The development shows cooperation between both nations after US President Donald Trump previously threatened to invade the country over the killing of Christians.
Last November, the federal government dispatched a delegation to Washington, the US capital, aimed at strengthening security partnerships between the two countries and opening new avenues for cooperation.
Leading the delegation then was the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, who met with senior officials across the US Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Department of War.
During the meeting, the Nigerian delegation refuted allegations of genocide in Nigeria, emphasising that violent attacks affect families and communities across religious and ethnic lines.
It also rejected the wrongful framing of the situation, saying such a portrayal would only divide Nigerians and distort the realities on the ground.
According to the presidency at the time, both countries agreed to implement a non-binding cooperation framework and to establish a Joint Working Group to ensure a unified and coordinated approach to the agreed areas of cooperation.
The Nigerian delegation also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening civilian protection measures.
On Christmas Day 2025, the US has launched strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold.
According to the Nigerian government, the operation was a joint operation and had nothing to do with a particular religion, adding that the strikes had been planned for quite some time using intelligence provided by the country.
The Nigerian government has long been fighting an array of jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and IS-linked factions, but largely in the North-East. However, some new groups are gaining footholds and the new supplies could help the Nigerian military continue its fight against terrorism.
-
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
-
Banking8 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