Here’s what’s trending in Nigeria’s fintech space right now:
1. Open Banking is live.
@cenbank just greenlit the framework. Customer data now moves between apps with permission, payment history, transaction patterns, credit behavior. SMEs are getting credit decisions in hours instead of months because fintechs can actually see their real cash flow.
2. Fintech is replacing the bank branch.
@OPay,
@Moniepoint,
@FairMoney — they’ve already flipped the script. Account opening on mobile, instant transfers, credit without documentation. Traditional banking mechanics are becoming obsolete.
3. Most SMEs still have no idea. 26% of Nigerian adults are still financially excluded. Merchants are still queuing at banks thinking that’s their only option. Meanwhile the ecosystem moved.
4. AI is doing the underwriting now. Not credit scores. Not your collateral. Algorithms are reading your daily sales velocity, customer repeat rates, transaction patterns. A market trader with zero formal credit history can now get funded.
5. M&A is accelerating. Companies are acquiring their way to regulatory speed. Compliance and licensing are expensive, buying an existing structure is faster than building one.
6. Super-apps are consolidating. One platform doing wallet savings credit POS e-commerce. The multi-step banking experience is dead.
The real story: B2B commerce couldn’t happen without financial infrastructure.
Now it’s happening. The unbanked SME economy is getting unlocked.
That’s what’s moving right now.
Continue building friends