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How KongaPay Saved my life Amid Naira scarcity – Trader
A petty trader, Mrs. Bolade Inuwa, has narrated how she was spared huge embarrassments and inconveniencies in the wake of the recent policy pronouncement on the redesign of select denominations of the national currency – the Naira, specifically referencing how KongaPay, a mobile money wallet operated by Nigeria’s leading e-commerce giant, the Konga Group, came to her rescue.
Nigerians from all walks of life have had to contend with severe difficulties in the wake of the announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which initially pegged January 31, 2023 as the deadline for the return of old series of 200, 500 and 1000 Naira notes.
Amid concerns raised in various quarters, the CBN had stuck to its guns, insisting there are no plans to shift the deadline, prompting some businesses to stop receiving the old series of affected denominations even ahead of the deadline for their return.
In a video from a media briefing held on January 24, 2023 after the apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was quoted as saying: “I must say here that unfortunately, I don’t have good news for those who feel that we should shift the deadline. My apologies.
The reason is because just as the president has said on more than two occasions, and even to people privately, that for us, 90 days — in fact, we feel it’s 100 days — is enough for anybody who has the old currency to deposit the money in the banks.
“And we took every measure to ensure that all the banks were open or remain still open to receive all old currencies; 100 days, we believe is more than adequate…’’
However, the CBN had later revised its earlier stance, announcing a 10-day extension of the deadline for the use of old naira notes across Nigeria.
Emefiele, who disclosed he had received the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the extension, revealed that the new deadline is now 10 February 2023 instead of the former 31 January deadline, while adding that those who are yet to change their naira notes from the old to new ones, now have an opportunity to do so.
Furthermore, the CBN Governor had urged Nigerians to utilise the opportunity because the deadline will not be extended again. In the wake of this development, events had quickly escalated.
Nigerians had intensified the process of returning their old currencies to the banks, but the new/redesigned denominations were not so forthcoming or readily available, resulting in a scarcity that saw many resort to desperate measures.
Point of Sales (POS) terminal operators led the charge, hiking their service charges astronomically for the new denominations and even the old notes, blaming the excess charges on the difficulties they face in getting cash.
A few banks also had to shut down some of their branches as a result of insufficient cash to treat the deluge of visitors who throng the halls daily, some as early as the wee hours of the morning, in search of cash.
Some branches were also subjected to attacks by increasingly desperate customers. Owing to the associated pressure from a growing number of Nigerians who now sought refuge in online transfers, several bank apps consistently recorded failures, leaving many stranded and frustrated.
Mrs. Inuwa was one of the millions of Nigerians affected.
‘‘When I learnt of the deadline for the return of the old notes, I had immediately notified my family members and made plans to have all the affected denominations with me lodged in the bank even before the initial January 31 deadline.
“It proved to be a costly move as I was now virtually cashless and unable to access either the old currencies or the new notes. For five consecutive days, I had to leave the house very early to go and queue up at a bank in my vicinity, yet I was unable to withdraw any money.
“The queues were very long and before you know it, a representative of the bank would come out to announce that they have exhausted the cash sum for the day.
‘‘Patronizing the POS operators around me also proved to be another very costly venture. Some of them were charging as high as N1000 for N5000 worth of the old notes and even higher for the new notes. Transfers initiated to and from various commercial banking apps were also failing and at best, erratic.
“My kids could not go to school and my business was suffering. It was not just a frustrating experience but one of the worst times I have experienced.’’
Succour, however, came the way of Mrs. Inuwa when a friend of hers introduced her to KongaPay.
‘‘I had stumbled across KongaPay at a party late last year when one of my colleagues used it to process a transfer to the hosts. Back then, everyone had commented on how swiftly the transfer went through and the seamless experience.
“So, when my friend cited how KongaPay has helped her navigate the difficulties with cash scarcity and failing bank transfers, I saw light at the end of the tunnel.
‘‘It was very signing up for an account at www.kongapay.com and upgrading my account after complying with the KYC document requirements.
“Thereafter, I was able to not only say goodbye to the challenges of failed transfers, but I was amazed at all the other things I could do with my KongaPay account, including purchasing airtime, paying for DSTV bills, recharging my prepaid meter line, all without extra charges. It was indeed an eye-opener.
‘‘Most importantly, I have been able to pay my suppliers and resume my business after signing up as a merchant, while my children have also been able to return to school.
“Surprisingly, I have processed well over 90 transfers since I started using KongaPay in early February and I am yet to experience one failed transfer.
“I can also access and generate my statement of account with ease. It has been a gem of a discovery,’’ she concluded.
Launched in 2015, KongaPay debuted as a pilot product in partnership with Nigerian commercial banks in response to concerns expressed by customers about the confidentiality of their details while trying to make payment for products on the Konga website.
Since inception, the platform has grown immensely and under the drive of the new management of Konga, is leading the new-found appetite for digital payments among e-commerce patrons and other subscribers, processing tons of transactions on a daily basis.
KongaPay was recently identified as the leading provider of digital payment services for e-commerce transactions in Nigeria. The rating came from Statista, a globally renowned market and consumer data firm.
As Africa and MENA’s startup ecosystems transition from post-correction resilience into a new phase of disciplined growth, the Africa Startup & VC Landscape Preview (ASVLP 2026) will convene leading founders, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders on January 29, 2026, for its second annual, agenda-setting virtual forum.
Following a challenging global venture cycle, 2025 marked a notable rebound across the African ecosystem, with startups raising an estimated $3.2–$3.3 billion over the full year.
The recovery was accompanied by significant structural shifts: Kenya emerged as the leading destination among Africa’s “Big Four” markets for the first time, while Nigeria recorded a year-on-year funding decline, reflecting changing investor preferences, macroeconomic pressures, and a broader recalibration toward capital efficiency and sustainability.
Sectorally, fintech remained the most funded vertical, while climate & energy, AI-enabled solutions, healthtech, and infrastructure-adjacent businesses gained increasing attention. Across Africa and MENA, development finance institutions (DFIs) and family offices played a more pronounced role in anchoring funds, deploying catalytic capital, and supporting blended-finance structures, reshaping how early-stage and growth capital is mobilized.
ASVLP 2026 is designed to translate these data points into forward-looking strategy.
The forum will bring together venture capitalists, angel investors, LPs, DFIs, family offices, founders, corporate leaders, and regulators from Africa, MENA, Europe, and North America to assess 2025 outcomes and chart priorities for 2026.
The program will feature keynotes, fireside chats, panels, and deep-dive roundtables, including discussions on:
· The 2026 Africa & MENA FinTech Landscape, focusing on security, profitability, regulation, and growth frontiers
· Emerging Fund Managers, capital formation, and LP alignment
· Talent, operator depth, and institutional capacity as constraints to scale
· Regulatory evolution and cross-border market integration
A major highlight of ASVLP 2026 will be the Final DealRoom Pitch Session, where a curated group of high-potential startups will present to an experienced panel of investors.
• Founders can apply to pitch via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Founders
• Investors seeking DealRoom access can request entry via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Investors
Confirmed speakers for ASVLP 2026 include Khaled Ismail (HIMangel), Idris Ayodeji Bello (LoftyInc Capital), Zachariah George (Launch Africa), Tosin Faniro-Dada (Breega), Selma Ribica (FirstCircle Capital), Maha Mandour (COREangels MEA), Joe Kinvi (Borderless), Remi Prunier (Orange Ventures MEA), Karima El Hakim (Plug and Play Tech Center), Souheil Guessoum (President, The Confederation of Citizen Employers – Algeria (CAPC)), Remi Prunier (Partner, Orange Ventures, MEA), Maha Mandour (COREAngels MEA), Ali Hussein (President, Kenyan FinTech Association), Patrick Okebu (CIO, Interswitch Group) among other leading voices shaping capital, policy, and innovation across the region.
“The conversation has shifted,” said Uche Aniche, Convener of ASVLP. “It’s no longer about whether capital will return to Africa and MENA, but what kind of capital, deployed with what discipline, and in service of which long-term outcomes. ASVLP exists to help the ecosystem make sense of that transition.”
Participation in ASVLP 2026 is free but strictly by invitation.
Interested participants are encouraged to repost the official announcement on LinkedIn and comment #ASVLP2026 to receive a private registration link. They could also email [email protected] and request invite.
Major social media giants Meta Platforms, TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube will face a landmark jury trial this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court over allegations that their addictive designs have fuelled a youth mental health crisis, marking the first such case to reach this stage.
Social Media
The pivotal personal injury lawsuit centres on a 19-year-old Californian woman identified as K.G.M., who claims her childhood immersion in Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok—engineered with endless scrolls, autoplay videos, notifications and algorithms—sparked severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Dozens of similar suits have surged since 2022 from families, schools and states, accusing the firms of burying internal research on teen harms while prioritising ad revenue through youth-targeted engagement hooks, despite Section 230 protections for user content.
Plaintiffs seek damages and design overhauls, arguing platforms bypassed parents and preyed on vulnerable kids; defendants counter there’s no clinical “social media addiction” diagnosis, no proven causation—kids with issues often use less—and they’ve added safeguards like parental controls and time limits.
Echoing Australia’s under-16 bans, the trial will scrutinise thousands of internal documents, expert testimonies and K.G.M.’s story, potentially expanding tech liability amid debates where studies show complex links, not direct causation, between screen time and disorders like eating issues or self-harm.
A win could mandate warning labels, age gates or algorithm tweaks, reshaping global platforms as U.S. Surgeon General advisories and global scrutiny intensify pressure on Big Tech to prioritise child safety over profits.
Meta is gearing up to trial paid subscription services on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, aiming to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising while maintaining free core access for all users.
Meta
The subscriptions will offer enhanced tools tailored for everyday users, creators, and businesses, including advanced content creation, sharing, and workflow features distinct from the existing Meta Verified verification program. Unlike a uniform rollout, Meta plans varied testing formats per app to match diverse audiences, experimenting with feature bundles based on user feedback to refine the model.
A key element involves integrating Manus, the autonomous agent firm Meta acquired for $2 billion in December, into these apps alongside its enterprise sales. Manus enables complex task automation with minimal input, with early signs like Instagram shortcuts already spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.
Video tools feature prominently: Meta’s Vibes short-form video generator in the Meta AI app shifts to freemium, where paid tiers unlock higher monthly creation limits beyond the free baseline. On Instagram, subscriptions could enable unlimited audience lists, non-follower tracking, and anonymous Story views, though specifics for Facebook and WhatsApp remain under wraps.
Drawing from Meta Verified’s 2023 launch—which provides badges, support, and protection mainly for creators—these broader plans target wider appeal amid industry shifts. Ad growth slows against TikTok competition, while Snapchat+ boasts 16 million subscribers at $3.99 monthly, proving demand for value-driven paid perks despite subscription fatigue risks from streaming and storage fees.
Meta will phase tests gradually, prioritizing feedback to shape long-term viability without alienating free users.
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