General News
British International Investment Commits $20m in Moove a Nigerian Fintech Mobility Firm
British International Investment (“BII”), and Development Finance Institution (DFI), have announced a US $20 million, 4-year structured credit investment in Moove – a mobility fintech democratising access to vehicle ownership in Africa.
L-R: Benson Adenuga, Head of Office and Coverage Director of Nigeria, British International Investment; British High Commissioner, H.E. Catriona Laing CB; Jide Odunsi, co-Founder and CEO, Moove; Nick O’Donohoe CMG, Chief Executive Officer, British International Investment.
The investment reflects BII’s focus on mobilising capital to build self-sufficiency and market resilience in Nigeria, and improve access to inclusive economic opportunities while helping to catalyse the country’s boundless entrepreneurial ambition.
Last night, the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, H.E. Catriona Laing CB and CEO of BII, Nick O’Donohoe, co-hosted a business reception in Lagos to celebrate the launch of BII’s new name and reiterate the DFI’s continued ambition to scale up investment that will boost key economic sectors in Nigeria.
The event was held at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence in Ikoyi, bringing together key leaders in business and BII’s investment partners from across the country. BII’s leadership outlined the organisation’s strategy to deliver productive, sustainable and inclusive investment and pledged to deepen its capital commitments to support the emergence of more breakthrough Nigerian businesses providing progressive solutions to urgent and complex development challenges.
British High Commissioner, H.E. Catriona Laing CB, said: “It’s a pleasure to be in Lagos to mark the launch of British International Investment, and to host Nick O’Donohoe during his visit to Nigeria.”
“BII forms an important part of the UK’s package of tools and expertise to help Nigeria build their pipeline for investment and scale up infrastructure investment, in particular to achieve clean, green growth.”
“The launch of BII marks a continuation of this partnership, and we look forward to seeing BII’s support expand and diversify in Nigeria.”
In his keynote speech, Nick O’Donohoe highlighted BII’s 74-year history in Nigeria, from its first investments in 1949, in West African Fisheries and Cold Store, to the organisation’s pioneering role in supporting Nigeria’s first private equity fund – African Capital Alliance’s Capital Alliance Private Equity Fund I (CAPE I).
On how BII’s new five-year strategy is driving its investment in the world’s first mobility fintech, Moove, O’Donohoe comments: “Investing in the prosperity of Nigeria’s growing population requires innovative new partnerships that can leverage the country’s abundant capabilities and expertise. In Moove, BII has a partner that aligns with our commitment to back dynamic tech-enabled businesses that can help accelerate impact in Nigeria by strengthening the country’s informal transport industry.
“I am delighted that not only will BII’s investment help to create jobs and provide entrepreneurial self-starters with the means to own their vehicles, but Moove’s clear focus on gender diversity will foster inclusive economic opportunities for women, both within the company’s workforce and among its drivers.”
Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Moove is democratising access to vehicle ownership by providing revenue-based vehicle financing and financial services to mobility entrepreneurs. The mobility fintech is creating sustainable employment opportunities to empower those otherwise excluded from financial services by embedding its alternative credit scoring technology onto ride-hailing, e-logistics and instant delivery platforms, and using proprietary performance and revenue analytics to underwrite vehicle loans.
Since its launch in 2020, Moove has rapidly expanded its operations within Nigeria and has entered into new African markets including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa, as well as Europe, Middle East and Asia markets. Currently, mobility marketplaces such as Uber face difficulty meeting rising rider demand, due to limited access to car supply and onerous and inflexible auto leasing products for aspiring drivers. The funding from BII will enable Moove to purchase and import brand new fuel-efficient cars into Lagos, which will be leased to drivers who can then earn their way to asset-ownership, over a three to four-year period. This will also alleviate one of the key blockages to the development of ‘ride-hailing’ transportation infrastructure in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Ladi Delano, co-founder and co-CEO at Moove, said, “We’re incredibly proud to welcome onboard a world-class partner such as BII, whose strategic support will play a key role in our mission to build the world’s largest integrated vehicle financing platform for mobility entrepreneurs.
With our new funding, we’re now in an even stronger position to use our technology and productivity data in creating a more inclusive financing ecosystem, whilst also tackling the unemployment problem affecting over a third of Nigerians by generating the opportunity for more seamless and sustainable employment.”
Nigeria is the BII’s biggest investment market in Africa, with a portfolio of nearly US $570 million, through more than 100 businesses and 43 funds, which collectively support almost 45,000 jobs across the country in 2020.
The DFI’s investments in Nigeria, both direct and indirect through various impact-led funds and intermediaries, cover a variety of sectors from clean infrastructure and energy to digital infrastructure, food and agriculture, financial services, manufacturing and logistics. A highlight of BII’s key investment activities in Nigerian include:
Backing Nigeria’s private equity industry by investing in Capital Alliance Private Equity Fund I (CAPE I), managed by African Capital Alliance (ACA); CardinalStone Capital Advisors Growth Fund; Nigerian-led Synergy Private Equity Fund II, Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN), Verod Growth Fund III, Uhuru Growth Fund, among others.
– Bolstering Nigeria’s financial institutions to boost financial inclusion through a US $100 million loan to First Bank of Nigeria to support women and small business owners; a US $75 million investment in Stanbic IBTC Bank in 2020 to expand lending to businesses in critical sub-sectors; and helping to fund a $162.5 million syndicated loan package to Nigeria’s Access Bank Plc to increase funding to local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
– Supporting the country’s food and agriculture sector through US $140 million investment in Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemical Limited which is boosting fertilizer production in Nigeria and supporting local jobs.
– Catalysing early-stage innovation and entrepreneurial activities in Nigeria by investing in Venture Capital funds including US $25 million invested in TLcom, US $5 million in TradeDepot and US $5 million in TeamApt.
– Expanding access to clean and affordable clean energy through investments such as Gridworks, a pan-continental equity investment platform; M-KOPA, the world’s largest pay-as-you-go solar energy companies; and Lumos, an off-grid solar company that offers access to affordable and reliable electricity to homes and businesses in Nigeria.
British International Investment has an office in Lagos, Nigeria, which is led by Benson Adenuga.
Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province has called on the Federal Government to implement the ongoing tax reforms with equity, openness and empathy, cautioning that policies devoid of human consideration could further compound the suffering of millions of Nigerians.
The appeal was contained in a communiqué released after the bishops’ first provincial meeting for 2026, which took place at the Jubilee Conference Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The document was jointly signed by Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, chairman of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, and Most Rev. John Oyejola, secretary.
Recall that the tax reforms were introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu and assented to on June 26, 2025.
They officially came into effect on January 1, 2026, and have continued to attract diverse reactions across the country.
In the communiqué, titled “Sustaining Hope and Strengthening Our Good Efforts,” the bishops acknowledged the government’s desire to overhaul Nigeria’s tax system but expressed concern that its implementation had sparked widespread unease and debate, especially among the poor and vulnerable.
“The reforms should be anchored on fairness, transparency and accountability, urging the government to apply them with compassion.
“The bishops also advised that vulnerable citizens should be given sufficient time to adapt to the new tax regime before strict enforcement measures are introduced.”
The clerics warned that economic policies pursued without sensitivity could widen inequality and heighten social unrest, noting that taxation should not become an added burden for Nigerians already grappling with inflation, unemployment, and rising costs of living.
The bishops encouraged Nigerians to remain hopeful while backing prayers with responsible citizenship, diligence and respect for justice and the rule of law.
“As shepherds of God’s people, we urge Nigerians to reject cynicism and despair. Prayer must be accompanied by good works. This is the only country we have,” the communiqué concluded.
Taraba State in Nigeria has developed an electronic platform for filing criminal cases in the state’s High Courts, marking the implementation of the new National Case Management System.
The launch, announced on Monday, marks a move from manual to electronic filing of criminal cases and is part of attempts to reform court processes and expand access to justice using technology.
Governor Agbu Kefas stated that the action underlines the government’s dedication to institutional strengthening, the rule of law, and effective governance.
Kefas pledged continued government support for the judiciary, noting that technology is essential for delivering swift, fair and transparent justice.
He also stated that the state would give the resources and infrastructure required to maintain the ongoing judicial reforms.
Justice Joel Agya, Chief Judge of Taraba State, stated that the e-filing facility will enable the electronic filing of originating processes and subsequent applications.
He explained that the system would enhance case tracking from filing to final determination while reducing delays caused by manual registry procedures.
Justice Agya went on to say that the platform would improve the security and accessibility of court records, as well as help judges manage dockets and time better.
He emphasised that the platform is intended to supplement rather than replace judicial decision-making, ensuring that administrative procedures do not impede the delivery of speedy justice.
The development is consistent with a broader national push to digitalise judicial processes across Nigerian courts, which has already been implemented in several regions.
Kaspersky has detected a wave of phishing attacks preying on former customers of the bankrupt crypto lending platform BlockFi.
These scams leverage the ongoing distribution of customer assets following BlockFi’s 2022 bankruptcy, tricking victims into surrendering cryptocurrency wallet seed phrases, potentially leading to financial losses.
BlockFi, once a prominent provider of high-yield interest accounts and crypto-backed loans, announced bankruptcy in November 2022. The company began disbursing repayments to affected clients in 2024 as part of its restructuring plan.
Kaspersky has detected fraudulent emails mimicking BlockFi’s official branding, which falsely invite recipients to “claim the payment” they are “entitled to.” After clicking on the link, users land on a phishing page and are prompted to “connect their wallet”.
The attackers suggest that users import their existing wallet by typing in the secret phrase – this grants attackers direct access to the funds in the victim’s wallet.
“Phishing attacks like this are widespread, capitalising on real-world events to build trust and urgency. Victims who fall for these scams risk exposing their crypto wallets to theft. It’s critical for individuals to verify any communications directly through official channels and to check the address from where the email originates for legitimacy,” comments Roman Dedenok, anti-spam expert at Kaspersky.
The phishing emails feature convincing logos, colour schemes, and language, making them difficult to spot at first glance. Kaspersky recommends the following steps to avoid falling victim to this or similar scams:
- Do not click on links or respond to unsolicited emails.
- Protect Sensitive Information: Never share banking credentials, wallet seed phrases, or other private keys in response to an email or online form.
- Use Security Tools: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all financial accounts, employ reputable security software like Kaspersky Premium, and consider using a password manager to safeguard credentials.
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