Author: Insider Editor

A Nigerian business banking startup Brass, will cease operating as an independent company and migrate its customers into Paystack Microfinance Bank (Paystack MFB), marking the final chapter of a widely followed fintech turnaround in Nigeria. In a statement on Monday, the company said customer accounts will be transitioned into Paystack MFB before July 31, 2026, as Brass fully integrates its business banking operations into Paystack’s regulated banking infrastructure. “Brass will move its business banking into Paystack MFB,” the company said. “As part of this transition, Brass will no longer operate as an independent entity.” The closure brings an end to…

Nigerian payments fintech Flutterwave, secured a microfinance banking licence in April, has promoted more than 100 employees across its global workforce as it marks its tenth year of operations. The company said the promotions cover about 25% of its global staff, alongside a package of employee support measures including cost-of-living adjustments, tax support for staff in Nigeria, and a one-off global relief payment. Flutterwave did not disclose the job levels or departments of those promoted. The initiative highlights the company’s focus on retaining talent at a time when several Nigerian fintechs, including Branch, Kuda, and Quidax, have cut staff in…

MTN Nigeria is moving to restore its Xtratime airtime lending service following a regulatory pause triggered by changes in Nigeria’s consumer lending rules. The telecom giant is now preparing to reactivate the service after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) temporarily suspended enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON 2025). The suspension effectively reopened the door for the service’s return. “The FCCPC has suspended the enforcement of DEON. To that extent, we will reinstate the service,” the source said. MTN’s latest position marks a shift from comments made during its May 4 earnings…

Zipline is shifting its Nigeria operations from a set of health-tech pilots into what it now describes as a nationwide healthcare logistics network. The company, which began operating in 2022 with drone deliveries of vaccines and essential medical supplies in select states, now plans a major expansion that will see it build 12 additional distribution centres across the country. According to Zipline’s Nigeria Country Director, Anthonio Pinheiro, this will grow its footprint from three hubs to 15 facilities nationwide, with the capacity to serve up to 20,000 health facilities and reach about 100 million people by 2028. “Right now, with…

bPOWERd, a clean energy technology startup, has launched operations in Nigeria with a solar battery rental service in Lagos, targeting households and small businesses affected by rising fuel and electricity costs. The company is rolling out the service across seven locations in Lagos in partnership with Mobil service stations, which will function as battery swapping and charging hubs within their fuel and automotive retail outlets. Its entry into Nigeria comes at a time when demand for alternative energy solutions is rising, driven by an unstable power supply and increasing energy costs. According to the Africa Solar Outlook 2026 report, solar…

Smartcomply, a Nigerian compliance and cybersecurity startup, is expanding into the United Kingdom as it looks to serve Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), remittance companies, neobanks, and cross-border payment fintechs. The company is entering the UK market with Adhere, its AI-powered anti-money laundering (AML), Know Your Customer (KYC), and fraud detection platform. Smartcomply says the product was built specifically for African financial systems and data environments, with a focus on high-growth payment corridors including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and Rwanda. The expansion comes amid a broader regulatory shift across Africa, where regulators are tightening AML compliance and transaction monitoring standards.…

Long-awaited national artificial intelligence policy has been pushed back to January 2027 after the government withdrew an earlier draft that was found to contain fabricated academic references, a scandal that has shaken confidence in the country’s AI governance plans. The controversy has intensified scrutiny over the use of generative AI in policymaking and exposed serious gaps in government oversight at a time when countries across Africa are rushing to regulate rapidly evolving technologies. On Tuesday, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi and officials from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies briefed Parliament on efforts to restore credibility to South Africa’s AI…

Orange is backing a new 20,000-kilometre subsea cable project that will connect Nigeria with nearly 19 other countries across Africa and Europe, in a major push to strengthen the continent’s digital backbone. The project, called Via Africa, is being developed by a consortium led by Orange and will stretch across the Atlantic Ocean, making it one of the longest submarine cable systems serving Africa. For context, Meta’s 2Africa cable remains the world’s longest at about 45,000 kilometres. Nigeria, already one of Africa’s most connected markets, currently hosts eight submarine cables—the highest number in West Africa. But despite this advantage, the…

The MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) has officially welcomed 25 fellows into Cohort 5, marking another milestone in its ongoing efforts to strengthen media innovation and professional development across Africa. The new cohort brings together journalists, broadcasters, editors, and digital content creators selected from different parts of Nigeria’s media industry. The selection reflects the programme’s continued focus on diversity, excellence, and building capacity within the media ecosystem. Over the next six months, the fellows will take part in a structured learning experience covering media innovation, digital transformation, strategic communication, storytelling, and leadership development. The programme is designed to equip participants…

A San Francisco–based fintech company, Branch International has cut jobs across its Kenya and Nigeria operations, even as it reports profitability in both markets. The company described the layoffs as part of “the difficult decision to reduce headcount across some of our markets,” but did not disclose the number of employees affected. The layoffs come despite Branch saying its Kenya and Nigeria businesses remained profitable in the last financial year, with the group posting about $30 million in global profit for 2025. The company stressed that the decision was not driven by financial pressure. “This was not a decision driven…