General News
Mastercard Partners with Fintech Start-up, Scale, to Accelerate Growth of Digital payment Solutions in Africa & Middle East

Mastercard has partnered with Scale, an issuer orchestration partner, to accelerate market deployment for fintech companies across Africa and the Middle East.

The collaboration will alleviate key technical and commercial barriers to entry that fintech companies, aggregators, enablers, payment service providers (PSPs) and telcos face when launching payment programs – enabling them to focus on their core business and launch new products and services efficiently.
“At Mastercard, we are committed to working with local ecosystem players to drive the growth of innovative payment solutions across the region with the aim of bridging the digital gap, enhancing financial inclusion and improving access to financial services. With its in-depth knowledge of the fintech landscape, Scale is our ideal partner in achieving these goals,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard.
Mastercard and Scale will support fintech companies and other ecosystem players in securing BIN sponsorships, building sustainable unit economics, designing and commercializing their card and other payment programs, productization, assessing profitability models for their programs and delivering world-class customer experience. Together with their partners, they will co-create inclusive value propositions that are poised for long-term growth.
The collaboration will evolve into a technology proposition, enabling any tech company to acquire the Mastercard issuing capability through Scale.
“Fintech companies move at speed and require commercially viable collaborations with experienced companies that cater to a cost-sensitive market.
“Through our exciting partnership with Mastercard, we are solving a major pain point and providing a single point of contact while absorbing the complexities of seeking a bank BIN sponsor, third-party processor and other payment solution providers.
“This combined ecosystem service allows fintech players to focus on their core business, and us to focus on ours – streamlining processes, enabling payments and supporting the program’s growth to earn revenues faster,” said Miranda Perumal, Co-Founder & CEO, Scale.
Mastercard will plug in its managed services into the partners’ systems and run their card program implementation from end to end. In the post-launch period, Scale will assist the partners in growing their portfolios, driving revenues and achieving profitability by understanding consumer behaviors, market dynamics and competitors.
The partnership will bring a variety of advantages not only to fintech companies but also to a wide range of other players across the ecosystem.
For financial institutions, it will facilitate collaborations with stakeholders in the card value chain. Meanwhile, merchants will enjoy easy access to digital financial products and services that will allow them to grow their businesses. For governments, the new financial offerings available in the market will contribute to reducing cash-based transactions, enabling more people and businesses to participate in economic development and boosting GDP growth. Finally, consumers will have more choice of financial products and services that meet their needs.
General News
Coscharis Technologies, Huawei Unveil IdeaHub S3 Interactive Board in Nigeria

Coscharis Technologies Limited, a leading Information Technology distribution company in the Sub-Saharan African market, in collaboration with Huawei, has officially launched the innovative Huawei IdeaHub S3 interactive board into the Nigerian market.

The unveiling ceremony, which attracted top industry stakeholders, partners, and technology enthusiasts, was held at the prestigious Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, in the heart of Nigeria’s commercial hub.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Coscharis Technologies Limited, Dr. Sunday Mukoro, appreciated guests for attending and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to introducing cutting-edge technologies into the Nigerian market to accelerate the country’s technological advancement.
Dr. Mukoro described the Huawei IdeaHub S3 as a next-generation smart collaboration device equipped with advanced features designed to enhance productivity, communication, and digital collaboration across businesses, educational institutions, and organizations.
To further excite participants at the launch, he announced a special one-off 20 percent discount for early bird orders placed during the event.
Representing Huawei, Charles Chen, Huawei Nigeria eKit Manager, reiterated Huawei’s dedication to delivering world-class technology solutions tailored to modern workplace and learning environments. He emphasized that the IdeaHub S3 reflects Huawei’s continuous innovation in smart office and collaborative technologies.
The Huawei IdeaHub S3 is available in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 86-inch variants and comes loaded with several advanced features, including ergonomic design, ultra-low latency performance, 4K dual-lens camera with 5x zoom capability, and superior image quality with zero colour cast technology.
Other notable features include a 24-microphone array with up to 15-meter sound pickup range, high-fidelity stereo sound system, 4K soft light screen, intelligent tracking with auto-crop view, Acoustic Baffle 2.0 technology, ultrasonic projection, app multiplier functionality, and enhanced BYOM/BYOD collaboration capabilities.
The event climaxed with the formal unveiling of the Huawei IdeaHub S3, led by Dr. Sunday Mukoro alongside executives from Huawei and the Coscharis Huawei team, marking another milestone in the advancement of smart collaborative technology solutions in Nigeria
General News
Nigeria is World Bank’s Third-Largest Borrower with $18.5Bn – IDA

Nigeria has retained its position as the third-largest borrower from the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional lending arm of the World Bank, despite a slight decline in its debt exposure in the first quarter of 2026.

According to the IDA’s March 2026 financial statements, Nigeria’s exposure stood at $18.5 billion as of March 31, 2026, down marginally from $18.7 billion recorded at the end of December 2025.
The $200 million decline represents a 1.1 per cent reduction over the three-month period.
However, on a year-on-year basis, Nigeria’s debt exposure increased significantly by $1.2 billion, or 6.9 per cent, from $17.3 billion recorded in March 2025.
The latest ranking places Nigeria behind Bangladesh and Pakistan among the World Bank’s largest IDA borrowers.
Data from the report showed that Bangladesh remained the largest borrower with an exposure of $22.7 billion, followed by Pakistan with $19.2 billion, while Nigeria ranked third with $18.5 billion.
Other major African borrowers include Ethiopia with $14.4 billion, Tanzania with $14.3 billion, and Kenya with $13.2 billion in outstanding exposure.
The report also revealed that the IDA’s total loans outstanding stood at $230.8 billion as of March 31, 2026, slightly below the $231.1 billion recorded at the end of December 2025, reflecting a mild moderation in the institution’s lending portfolio.
According to the IDA, loans classified under non-accrual status represented only 0.4 per cent of the total portfolio, while provisions for potential loan losses amounted to $6.3 billion, equivalent to about 2.0 per cent of underlying exposures.
Nigeria’s exposure accounted for roughly eight per cent of the IDA’s total loan portfolio and approximately 13.3 per cent of the combined exposure represented by the institution’s ten largest borrowing countries.
The IDA noted that its ten largest country exposures collectively accounted for about 60 per cent of total portfolio exposure as of March 2026, highlighting the concentration of concessional lending among a relatively small number of developing economies.
Despite the slight quarter-on-quarter decline, Nigeria’s debt profile with the World Bank continues to trend upward over the longer term.
The report showed that Nigeria’s exposure rose from $17.3 billion in March 2025 to $18.5 billion in March 2026, underscoring the country’s increasing reliance on concessional financing to support development priorities and economic reforms.
Similarly, Ethiopia’s exposure increased from $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion over the same period, while Tanzania’s exposure rose from $12.6 billion to $14.3 billion.
Bangladesh’s debt exposure climbed from $21.2 billion to $22.7 billion, while Pakistan’s increased from $18.3 billion to $19.2 billion.
Ghana also recorded an increase from $7.1 billion to $7.4 billion.
Nigeria’s position among the top borrowers reflects the scale of its infrastructure, social investment, and reform financing needs under the World Bank’s concessional lending framework.
The Federal Government is also currently engaging the World Bank for additional financing support.
General News
NCAA Suspends ‘No Pay, No Service’ Policy Against Indebted Airlines

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has suspended plans to enforce its proposed “no pay, no service” policy against domestic airlines owing statutory charges, following consultations with operators and concerns over rising operational costs in the aviation sector.

Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the decision followed a review of prevailing challenges facing airlines, particularly the rising cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel.
The NCAA had earlier issued a memo on May 22 placing at least 11 domestic carriers on a “no pay, no service” list over outstanding debts owed to aviation agencies.
Affected airlines reportedly included Air Peace, Ibom Air, Overland Airways, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Max Air and Caverton Helicopters.
Industry sources said airlines immediately began discussions with the regulator after the directive was announced, leading to the temporary suspension of enforcement.
The NCAA clarified that the suspension did not amount to a cancellation or waiver of the debts, adding that all affected airlines remained responsible for settling their statutory obligations.
According to the authority, engagements with operators would continue to ensure compliance while avoiding disruptions to flight operations and passenger services.
The regulator also referenced earlier intervention measures approved by President Bola Tinubu, including a 30 per cent discount on outstanding charges owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies.
The measure, it said, was introduced to cushion the impact of high aviation fuel costs and stabilise the sector.
The NCAA defended the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charge imposed on airlines, describing it as a statutory levy established under Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Act.
“The charge is not part of airline revenue or operating profit and should not be treated as such,” the authority stated.
It added that the agency operates largely on a cost-recovery basis and depends on remittances from operators to sustain regulatory oversight and aviation safety functions.
According to the NCAA, suspending the enforcement action was intended to balance regulatory compliance with the need to maintain operational stability in the aviation industry.
The authority reaffirmed its commitment to recovering all outstanding debts while supporting the long-term sustainability of domestic airline operations.
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