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
Nigeria is among 75 countries the US government will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for its citizens.
According to the US State Department, the citizens of the 75 countries are those whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.
The State Department, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, said it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the countries affected in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in the US.
Business Post gathered that alongside Nigeria are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Dominica.
Others include Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
The suspension, which will begin on January 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas.
“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” the department said in a statement.
“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has already severely restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them in Africa.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has reportedly engaged the services of a Washington-based lobbying firm, DCI Group, in a $9 million contract aimed at communicating its efforts to protect Christians in Nigeria to the United States government.
According to The Africa Report, the amount appears to be a record for African lobbying in the US capital, citing documents filed with the US Department of Justice by Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm, acting on behalf of National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu.
The agreement, signed on December 17, 2025, between Mr Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, Managing Partner of Aster Legal, and Mr Justin Peterson, Managing Member of DCI Group, authorises the US firm to assist the Nigerian government “in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities and maintaining US support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements.”
Under the terms of the contract, DCI Group will receive $750,000 monthly, amounting to $9 million over 12 months. The deal runs initially for six months, until June 30, 2026, with an automatic renewal clause for another six-month period.
A clause in the agreement also allowed either party to terminate the deal “for any reason without penalty” by giving 60 days’ advance written notice.
It was reported that on December 12, 2025, Nigeria paid DCI Group 50 per cent or $4.5 million prepayment covering the first six months of the retainership agreement. A second installment is due at the end of the initial contract period.
This comes amid recent threats by US President Donald Trump to invade the country after its redesignation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing alleged attacks against Christian communities. However, the Nigerian government has repeatedly denied claims of a Christian genocide, insisting that violence in the country affects all regardless of their affiliations.
Following an engagement late last year, the federal government pledged to “engage with the American government through diplomatic and legal channels” to address the allegations. Since late November, the US has been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria.
On Christmas Day, the US military launched airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) terrorist enclaves in Bauni Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, marking a significant escalation in US counterterrorism involvement in Nigeria.
On Tuesday, the US delivered critical military supplies to Nigeria to bolster the country’s operations, the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) said.
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.
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