E-Financial
Creating International Growth Opportunities for Tomorrow’s Unicorns

By Stephen A. Newton, Managing Director at Aleph, Africa
It’s become increasingly impossible to deny that we live in an increasingly global world. Today, nearly 65% of world -wide consumers are connected to the internet. Africa having around 570 million internet users, combined with various technological advancements, is driving a wave of change in how entrepreneurs and businesses operate.

Stephen Newton, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
Decades of innovation – culminating in the launch and widespread adoption of social media; the availability of high-speed internet globally; and the rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence; have created new channels for local entrepreneurs and advertisers to grow their businesses. Entrepreneurs, who were once confined to trading within their local community, or best, their single market, can now leverage technology to access opportunities available through global, cross-border trade.
The nature of cross-border trade is already having a seismic effect on emerging economies. According to the World Bank, the digital economy contributes more than 15% of the annual gross domestic product (GDP) globally, and in the past decade has been growing at two and a half times faster than physical world GDP. In several African countries, the digital economy is becoming a main driver of growth, accounting for more than 5% of GDP. Helping to ease the pains associated with cross-border payments, Aleph has built and is now offering its own service, Aleph Payments. Aleph Payments, has managed over $2bn worth of total cross border credit and payments across multiple international markets. Building on Aleph’s near 20 years of experience as a trusted operator, Aleph Payments provides an end-to-end, cross-border credit underwriting and payments solution that supports global expansion.
For ambitious entrepreneurs looking at the wealth of opportunities available on the distant horizon through digital, it’s seemingly never been easier to do business. Businesses can engage customers through tailored advertising on social media platforms and through internet searches, 24 hours a day and seven days a week while using data and analytics to better understand their customers. However, the open and ‘always on’ nature of today’s trading environment means that it’s also hyper-competitive for businesses. Businesses need to excel in more than one aspect of their marketing mix: price, promotion, place, or product, and have the constant threat of being trumped by a larger, well-resourced player.
For some, the idea of launching your own digital business can come with complexities – a case of not knowing where – or how – to start. For those who take the plunge, resilience, overcoming the everyday challenges of managing and growing a business and keeping up to date with the latest trends in advertising is key.
Creating a business and accessing international growth opportunities through digital channels shouldn’t be difficult. We believe more needs to be done to help businesses participate in the digital economy and unlock significant economic value.
That’s why we’ve unveiled Aleph – a strong, single brand that brings together the technologies, local teams, and global reach of brands including Ad Dynamo, Connect Ads, Httpool and IMS. Simply, Aleph is an ecosystem of global digital experts and technology-driven solutions that enable the growth of digital marketing. We connect thousands of advertisers with billions of consumers and create markets for local businesses to grow. Designed with digital marketing at its core, Aleph has evolved to focus on [four key pillars] that address the challenges facing businesses—and consumers—at various stages of their growth journey or understanding of digital marketing.
At a foundational level, Aleph’s Digital Ad Expert offers a free skills-based education platform that gives each student the skills they need to manage digital advertising campaigns and unlock growth. It provides resources, courses, and networking opportunities, and has certified more than 75,000 people from 140+ countries in short courses. Nigeria leads the way in Sub-Saharan Africa with an impressive 149,018 registered participants in the Digital Ad Expert program, followed by Kenya with 24,709 registrants, Ghana with 23,999 registrants, and South Africa with 9,419 registrants. As a platform, it gives consumers around the world the tools they need to drive growth for businesses – or better still, capture growth opportunities through digital marketing for their own business. That’s why we were delighted to join UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition, and specifically support UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy, an initiative that aims to help ten million young people build skills for employability and resilience by 2029.
That’s where Aleph Express comes in – Aleph’s proprietary platform that enables micro, small and medium-sized to create and maintain a free ecommerce website, create a product catalogue, set discounts and coupons, local delivery options and record and process orders. Like Digital Ad Expert for commerce, it gives entrepreneurs all the tools needed to launch their own online store. It’s currently available in Nigeria but is highly scalable and will be rolled out more widely in the future.
Once at scale, Aleph’s core digital marketing business can then help businesses tell their story to the wider world. Through our existing partnerships with the world’s largest platforms, we create meaningful opportunities for brands to engage with consumers in an authentic way, while at a significant scale – often in multiple countries simultaneously. Our local teams across all continents support and provide insights to advertisers to equip them with the latest know-how to make the most of their media investments.
As the world evolves and the ways that businesses operate change, there is a level of responsibility for larger businesses to move with the times and do what they can to support smaller, ambitious, and possibly high-growth businesses. And, in today’s global world, that means breaking down barriers in place of international growth opportunities.
By doing this, we will help a new wave of small businesses flourish, create new jobs and economic value, and possibly uncover the next global unicorns in the process. From our perspective, there’s nothing to lose in helping businesses access global commerce.
E-Financial
World Bank Approves $300m Loan to Support IDPs in Northern Nigeria

World Bank has said that it has given approval of $300 million to fund a new project aimed at bolstering access to services and economic opportunities for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their host communities in northern Nigeria.
In a release, the World Bank said the Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project (SOLID) was approved on August 7.
It stated that the project will adopt an integrated development strategy to help displaced persons and host communities transition from humanitarian aid to self-reliance and resilience.
It also said the ongoing conflict and insecurity in the region have displaced more than 3.5 million people, straining infrastructure and deepening competition for scarce resources in affected communities.
The bank said SOLID will build on previous government and partner interventions, including the multi-sectoral crisis recovery project (MCRP), which focused on emergency recovery.
“Key areas of focus include building climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting social cohesion, supporting livelihoods, and strengthening institutions to better respond to the pressures of forced displacement.
“We are glad to support this initiative which has a tremendous potential to help Nigeria in addressing development challenges associated with protracted displacement in a sustainable way,” Mathew Verghis, World Bank country director for Nigeria, said.
“The Project’s integrated approach which is aligned with the National IDP Policy and the FGN’s long-term development vision will ensure that IDPs and host communities can transition from dependency on humanitarian assistance to self-reliance and resilience which will open up better economic opportunities,” it added.
The World Bank, which noted that the cproject is expected to benefit up to 7.4 million people, of whom up to 1.3 million individuals are identified as IDPs, added that the project will be implemented through a coordinated, community-driven approach involving all tiers of government, with strong partnerships from international stakeholders.
E-Financial
UBA Unveils Revamped Website, Heralds New of Digital Experience

United Bank for Africa (UBA), Plc, Africa’s Global Bank, has launched its revamped Group website to enhance users’ digital experience.
The newly revamped website boasts of a faster, smarter, and more dynamic digital platform, designed to deliver live news updates, real-time Nigerian stock prices, and a world-class user experience among other world-class features.
The upgrade marks a significant leap in the bank’s digital transformation journey, setting new standards for speed, accessibility, and innovation in the African banking industry.
Alero Ladipo, group head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, UBA, who spoke excitedly about the revamped website, explained that the redesign focuses on simplifying user-journey, improving responsiveness across all devices, and incorporating a language-agnostic interface that caters to the bank’s diverse global audience.
She explained that with its sleek, intuitive layout and enhanced navigation, the site empowers customers, investors, and stakeholders to access critical information instantly – whether it is the latest market movements, breaking financial news, or UBA’s wide range of products and services.
Ms Ladipo said, “We are thrilled to unveil our new website, which represents a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey. Our goal is to provide a world-class digital experience that meets the evolving needs of our customers and stakeholders.”
Continuing, she added, “A major highlight of the upgrade is its speed, powered by an upgraded server infrastructure with enhanced load balancing to ensure minimal downtime and lightning-fast performance. By combining speed, accessibility, and live market intelligence, our new platform strengthens our position as an industry leader.”
She pointed out that the site also integrates automated news updates powered by International agency, Bloomberg and real-time stock prices tracking, ensuring visitors remain informed at all times.
Throwing more light on the new features, Amanda Oguamanam, head, Digital and Online Marketing, UBA, said; “We have transformed our website to be faster, cleaner, and more engaging, removing clutter by over 60%, upgrading servers for speed and reliability, streamlining navigation, and tailoring content to inspire global partners while making it easier for customers to find what they need.”
Other standout features, she added, include improved accessibility for users with disabilities, dark/light mode toggle, advanced search functions, and a simplified content structure, which are all designed to deliver an inclusive, modern experience for a global audience.
The revamped website is live and accessible at www.ubagroup.com.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally.
Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.
E-Financial
NBS Reports ₦6.72 Trillion VAT Haul as Tax Reforms Pay Off

Nigeria’s Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue surged to ₦6.72 trillion in 2024, marking an 84.6% increase from ₦3.64 trillion in 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This sharp rise reflects stronger economic activity and improved tax collection efforts across key sectors.
VAT revenue showed consistent growth throughout the year. In Q1 2024, collections stood at ₦1.43 trillion. This rose to ₦1.56 trillion in Q2, representing a 9.09% increase. Q3 recorded ₦1.78 trillion, up 14% from the previous quarter, while Q4 peaked at ₦1.95 trillion, a 9.5% rise from Q3.
In Q4 alone, VAT collections totaled ₦1.95 trillion, with domestic VAT payments contributing ₦917.40 billion, non-import foreign VAT at ₦554.68 billion, and import VAT at ₦474.75 billion. Domestic VAT remained the largest source, indicating strong local business activity and consumer spending.
Several sectors posted significant quarter-on-quarter growth in Q4. Extraterritorial organisations and bodies saw a dramatic rise of 180.05%, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing at 70.83%, and human health and social work at 46.13%. These gains suggest increased operational scope, improved compliance, and possibly targeted government incentives.
However, not all sectors fared well. Households as employers and self-use production contracted by 28.97%, while the information and communication sector declined by 23%. The drop in ICT may reflect shifting market dynamics or regulatory headwinds affecting digital services.
Overall, the surge in VAT revenue signals a positive fiscal outlook for Nigeria, with implications for budgetary planning, infrastructure investment, and social services funding. It also highlights the importance of sector-specific monitoring to sustain momentum and address emerging challenges.
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