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
UBA Announces Successful Completion of System Upgrade

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has successfully completed its much-anticipated system upgrade, restoring all banking services to normalcy.
In a message to customers, UBA reassured customers that they could now log in to the mobile app and enjoy a smoother, more efficient banking experience.
The bank acknowledged any inconvenience caused by the process and reaffirmed its commitment to providing top-tier financial services.
“We are pleased to inform you that our mobile app upgrade has been completed, and all services have been fully restored. You can now log in and enjoy a smoother banking experience and improved services,” UBA announced.
While the upgrade promises enhanced functionality and reliability, UBA urged customers experiencing any lingering issues to reach out to its 24-hour Customer Fulfilment Centre via 02012808822 or email [email protected] for prompt assistance.
With the completion of the process, UBA reassured its customers of its dedication to innovation and excellence in banking.
E-Financial
SERAP Gives CBN 48-Hour Ultimatum to Withdraw ATM Fee Hike

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to immediately revoke its recent increase in Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction fees, describing the move as “Patently unlawful, unfair, unreasonable, and unjust.”
In an open letter addressed to Olayemi Cardoso, governor, CBN, and dated February 15, 2025, SERAP warned that the fee hike would worsen economic hardship for millions of Nigerians, particularly those at the lower end of the financial spectrum.
The rights group gave the apex bank a 48-hour deadline to reverse the policy or face legal action.
The CBN’s new directive mandated that ATM withdrawals at off-site locations, such as shopping malls, airports, and standalone cash points, will attract an N100 charge per N20,000 withdrawal.
Additionally, a surcharge of up to N500 may apply for transactions conducted at certain locations. The new fees are set to take effect from March 1, 2025.
In its letter, signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SRERAP criticized the policy, arguing that it would disproportionately affect struggling Nigerians while benefiting commercial banks.
“The manifestly unfair increase in ATM transaction fees will hit hardest those at the bottom of the economy and exacerbate the growing poverty in the country,” SERAP stated.
The organization further argued that financial institutions should bear the cost of banking operations, rather than shifting the burden onto customers, particularly those with limited financial means.
SERAP accused the CBN of prioritizing the interests of banks over the welfare of ordinary Nigerians, many of whom already struggle with the high cost of living.
The group pointed out that banks continue to report record-breaking profits while imposing excessive charges on customers.
“CBN policies should not be skewed against poor Nigerians and heavily in favour of banks that continue to declare trillions of naira in profits, mostly at the expense of their customers.
“The increase in ATM transaction fees will inflict misery on Nigerians and contribute to human rights abuses,” the letter read.
SERAP also noted that the policy contradicts President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to tackling poverty in Nigeria.
The rights group argued that the CBN’s action violates multiple legal provisions, including the Nigerian Constitution, the CBN Act, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act.
SERAP highlighted specific sections of these laws that prohibit unfair business practices and protect consumers from exploitative charges.
According to SERAP, the increase in ATM fees discriminates against low-income Nigerians who may struggle to afford the higher fees, creates a two-tiered financial system that favours the wealthy, contradicts the CBN’s stated mission to promote national economic well-being, and violates international human rights obligations under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,
“The CBN has responsibilities under the UNGPs to take effective steps to avoid or mitigate potential human rights harm and to consider ending any charges or transaction fees where severe negative human rights consequences cannot be avoided or mitigated,” SERAP asserted.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.
“If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the CBN to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter warned.
E-Financial
FG Seeks Fresh $300m Loan from World Bank for Health Security

Federal government has engaged the World Bank for a fresh $300m loan to strengthen Nigeria’s health security infrastructure.
Information obtained from the World Bank showed that the loan, which is under consideration, will be implemented by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with the Federal Ministry of Finance acting as borrower on behalf of the Federal Government.
According to information on the World Bank website, the loan project is expected to “increase regional collaboration and health system capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The project is currently in the pipeline stage, with the disclosure date scheduled for February 6, 2025.
The World Bank board is expected to give its approval on July 30, 2025, following necessary assessments. The appraisal is set for April 14, 2025, and implementation will commence in the 2026 fiscal year.
According to a document on the concept of environmental and social review, the Nigeria Health Security Programme aligns with broader government efforts to enhance disease surveillance, diagnostic capabilities, emergency response, and laboratory networks across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The programme’s primary objective is to enhance regional collaboration and strengthen Nigeria’s health systems to deal with emergencies. It falls within the World Bank’s investment in health, nutrition, and population sectors across Western and Central Africa.
According to the Environmental and Social Review Summary of the project, HeSP will expand molecular laboratory capacity, upgrade primary healthcare centres, establish emergency operation centres, and construct warehouses.
It will also deploy mobile laboratories and install water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities alongside solar energy systems to support health infrastructure improvements.
Although the total project cost is yet to be determined, the World Bank has committed $300m to the initiative. The funds aim to bolster Nigeria’s pandemic preparedness and improve response mechanisms for public health threats.
The initiative comes as Nigeria strengthens its public health infrastructure following lessons from previous outbreaks, including COVID-19.
If approved, the loan will support the NCDC in improving disease surveillance, diagnostics, emergency response, and laboratory services.
Nigeria has previously secured funding from international financial institutions to boost healthcare resilience, including financing for vaccine procurement, emergency medical services, and infrastructure development.
However, the project, categorised as a high-priority public health intervention, carries substantial environmental and social risks due to potential health, safety, and ecological concerns associated with infrastructure expansion.
Identified risks include increased medical waste, occupational hazards, and heightened energy and water demands.
Social risks range from potential grievances from stakeholders to concerns over land acquisition and implementing health interventions in conflict-prone areas.
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