E-Financial
CycleFlow, IFC Launch Supply Chain Finance Platform in Nigeria
CycleFlow, powered by C2FO, the world’s on-demand working capital platform, has officially launched its operations in Nigeria. This move marks the first phase of a comprehensive Nationwide Working Capital Platform strategy designed for Africa and other emerging markets. With support from various banking partners, the platform has already secured multiple multinational and local customers.
The platform will connect global and local financing institutions with participating anchor buyers and their MSME suppliers. Financial institutions, as well as participating buyers, will be able to extend affordable short-term financing to suppliers by purchasing and discounting invoices accepted for payment by the buyers.
These transactions will allow MSMEs to improve working capital by converting sales receivables immediately to cash, based on the better credit risk of buyers and without any collateral requirements, thus leveling the playing field among larger and smaller suppliers.
The launch marks the beginning of a multi-phase strategy to scale inclusive working capital solutions across the continent and into other emerging markets and has already secured commitments from multiple multinational and local customers.
“The official launch of C2FO’s Working Capital Platform in Nigeria marks a turning point for our financial ecosystem,” said Segun Ogunsanya, Chairman of Nigeria-based CycleFlow. “By enabling immediate access to funds locked in accounts receivable, we are not just financing businesses; we are powering economic growth across the entire ecosystem.
“This innovative technology addresses the biggest financial challenges in Africa and ensures that capital reaches the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that drive our economy.”
When fully scaled, the platform has the potential to facilitate $25 to $30 billion in annual financing for local businesses in Nigeria – making it one of the most significant dedicated supply chain financing facilities ever deployed for smaller businesses in Africa.
The multi-bank, multi-buyer platform connects suppliers, including MSMEs, with their larger buyers and financial institutions on a single open infrastructure, removing traditional intermediary barriers and enabling affordable financing at scale.
MSMEs are the engine of Nigeria’s economy and of Africa’s at large. Across the continent, they account for up to 90 percent of all businesses and are responsible for up to 80 percent of employment.
Yet despite their outsized role, these enterprises face a persistent and structural barrier: access to affordable working capital. Traditional financial institutions typically require collateral, established credit histories, and lengthy approval processes that most MSMEs cannot meet.
The result is a financing gap that constrains growth, limits hiring, and leaves viable businesses unable to reach their potential.
The C2FO platform directly addresses this gap. Rather than relying on the creditworthiness of the MSME itself, the platform leverages the stronger credit profile of the buyer, typically a large multinational or established local enterprise to unlock receivables financing for suppliers.
This means that an MSME with an invoice accepted for payment by a large buyer can convert that receivable into immediate cash, without collateral and without the delays of traditional lending. For businesses that routinely operate on payment terms of 60, 90, or even 120 days, this access to liquidity is transformational.
“This initiative is a proof point for what development finance can achieve when it is paired with the right technology and the right partners,” said Mohamed Gouled, IFC’s Vice President for Products & Clients. “Millions of MSMEs across Africa are sitting on receivables they cannot convert into much-needed capital to grow and hire.
“This platform changes that equation. By connecting suppliers, buyers, and financial institutions on a single, open infrastructure, we are helping unlock financing that could support hundreds of thousands of jobs in Nigeria alone and we see this as a replicable model for the rest of the continent.”
The expected economic impact is significant. IFC research indicates that every $1 million financing provided to MSMEs in developing countries creates an average 16.3 direct jobs over a two-year period a trajectory that, when the platform is fully scaled, points to the creation of more than 480,000 direct jobs in Nigeria.
Furthermore, accounting for indirect employment, research points to a multiplier effect of three to five times the initial job creation figure. This surge in stable employment drives consumer spending, as newly employed individuals gain purchasing power and stimulate demand across the local economy, creating a self-sustaining cycle of growth that could boost Nigeria’s GDP by 1 to 2 percent.
“Today marks a crucial milestone for our mission to ensure every business has the capital needed to thrive,” said Alexander “Sandy” Kemper, Founder and CEO of C2FO. “Nigeria is not just a market opportunity; it is a chance to show how innovative financial technology transforms economies.
“By optimizing cash flow for buyers and providing flexible funding options for suppliers, we create a more resilient global economy. This launch kicks off our broader strategy to bring affordable liquidity solutions across Africa and other emerging markets worldwide, utilizing the groundbreaking platform and technology we have spent over 15 years perfecting across 180 countries.”
E-Financial
First Securities Brokers Empowers Nigerians to Trade in the Stock Market with the Launch of FirstInvest App
First Securities Brokers, one of Nigeria’s leading stockbroking firms and a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc, is pleased to announce the official launch of the FirstInvest App, an innovative mobile investment platform designed to make stock market investing simpler, faster, and more accessible for Nigerians.
The FirstInvest App offers investors a seamless digital experience, enabling them to open and manage their investment accounts, monitor their portfolios, and trade equities listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) directly from their mobile devices.
Designed with both new and experienced investors in mind, the platform combines convenience, security, and ease of use to help users make informed investment decisions anytime and anywhere.
As Nigeria continues to embrace digital financial services, the FirstInvest App reinforces First Securities Brokers’ commitment to driving financial inclusion and expanding access to wealth creation opportunities through technology.
Speaking on the launch, Fiona Ahmed Ahimie, Managing Director of First Securities Brokers, said: “The launch of the FirstInvest App represents another significant milestone in our digital transformation journey and our commitment to delivering innovative investment solutions to our clients.
“We understand that today’s investors value convenience, speed, and accessibility. FirstInvest has been developed to provide exactly that: a secure and intuitive platform that empowers individuals to participate confidently in the capital market from wherever they are.”
She added: “Our goal is to remove the traditional barriers associated with investing by placing the power of timely investment and decision making in the stock market directly in the hands of Nigerians. Whether you are taking your first investment step, actively managing your portfolio or just evaluating your investment, FirstInvest provides the tools and flexibility needed to support your financial aspirations.”
The app delivers a range of features designed to enhance your investing experience, including: Secure digital account opening and onboarding, Real-time access to investment portfolios, Buy and sell Nigerian equities with ease, User-friendly trading interface, Secure transaction processing, Convenient access to market information and investment opportunities.
The launch of FirstInvest aligns with First Securities Brokers’ broader strategy of leveraging technology to improve customer experience while supporting the growth of retail participation in Nigeria’s capital market.
First Securities Brokers remains committed to providing trusted investment advisory services, innovative financial solutions, and exceptional customer service, helping clients build and preserve wealth across generations. The FirstInvest App is now available for download on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
The next currency crisis could accelerate the shift of the roughly $315 billion global stablecoin market into a digital-dollar alternative for citizens in emerging economies, notably in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
As local fiat currencies face devaluation and high inflation, citizens and businesses are increasingly utilizing smartphone-based stablecoins (such as USDT and USDC) as hedges and primary mediums of exchange.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the rapid adoption of dollar-linked digital assets—particularly in countries heavily affected by inflation like Nigeria—poses significant risks to monetary sovereignty.
With up to 95% of surveyed individuals in some African markets preferring to receive payments in stablecoins over local fiat, the rising volume of these decentralized, cross-border channels weakens domestic currency demand and dilutes the effectiveness of local monetary policy.
IMF observed in a report titled “Stablecoins in Nigeria: A Growing Cross-Border Channel” noted that the widespread use of stablecoins poses risks to monetary sovereignty, particularly as more individuals and businesses turn to digital dollar-linked assets for savings and transactions.
Nodding in agreement is Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII Institute), a non-profit organisation run by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund.
FII Institute said that central banks face structural challenges.
And according to the institute, when citizens move savings out of national banks and into private digital wallets, conventional capital controls lose their grip.
Institutions like the Bank for International Settlements warn that interest-bearing stablecoins compete directly with domestic-currency deposits, complicating financial oversight and making smartphone-based transfers incredibly difficult for authorities to monitor.
In Nigeria, Naira depreciation has pushed users toward dollar-stablecoins, according to report by Gino Matos in cryptoslate.com.
A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a steady value by pegging its price to a reserve asset, such as a fiat currency (e.g., the U.S. dollar) or a commodity (e.g., gold).
They act as a bridge between traditional money and the digital asset world, providing the speed of crypto without the extreme price swings of assets like Bitcoin.
Federal government has reopened three federal government of Nigeria (FGN) bond issues valued at N1.2 trillion for subscription as part of efforts to raise long-term funds from the domestic debt market.
The Debt Management Office (DMO), which announced the offer on Tuesday, said the three reopened bond issues are each valued at N400 billion.
According to the DMO, the first offer is the January 2035 FGN Bond, a 10-year reopening, carrying an interest rate of 22.60 per cent per annum.
The second is the May 2028 FGN Bond, a 15-year reopening, with a coupon rate of 15.45 per cent per annum, while the third is the June 2037 FGN Bond, a 20-year reopening, also valued at N400 billion.
The office said the bond auction is scheduled for July 20, while successful subscriptions will be settled on July 22.
It explained that the bonds are offered at N1,000 per unit, with a minimum subscription of N50 million and additional investments in multiples of N1,000.
For the reopened bonds, the DMO said successful bidders would pay a price based on the yield-to-maturity that clears the auction, in addition to any accrued interest on the instruments.
Interest on the bonds will be paid every six months, while the principal will be repaid in full on the respective maturity dates.
The DMO reaffirmed that FGN bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government and constitute obligations chargeable on the general assets of the federation.
It added that the bonds qualify as trustee investment securities under the Trustee Investment Act and enjoy tax exemptions for eligible investors, including pension funds, under the Company Income Tax Act and Personal Income Tax Act.
The bonds are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and FMDQ Securities Exchange and also qualify as liquid assets for banks in computing their liquidity ratios.
FGN bonds are long-term debt instruments through which investors lend money to the Federal Government in exchange for periodic interest payments and repayment of the principal at maturity.
NBC Scraps Annual Digital Access Fee on DSO
Surge in Fibre Cuts Hobbles Service Provisioning
Why Bandits, Kidnappers are Hard to Trace despite NIN-SIM Linkage – FG
First Securities Brokers Empowers Nigerians to Trade in the Stock Market with the Launch of FirstInvest App
Quest Merchant Bank Hosts Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
Nigeria Launches FreeTV Nationwide
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
Telecom3 days agoMTN Nigeria Slashes Cost of Broadband Internet Router, Unwraps New Data Bundles for Low-Budget Users
E-Financial3 days agoNigerians Accumulate $59Bn in Cryptocurrency Assets —FDC
E-Financial3 days agoFlutterwave Partners Xoom on Transfers into Nigeria
General News3 days agoNearpays, Nigerian Fintech Becomes First African Startup to Win UN’s AI for Good Innovation Factory
News3 days agoDataPro Upgrades Dangote Cement’s Credit Rating to AA+
Telecom3 days agoNokia’s 14 Years of Mobile-Phone Supremacy Ended in an Afternoon
E-Business3 days agoTinubu Orders NIMC to Enrol Every Nigerian by End of this Year – DG
General News3 days agoFintech Brands Should Communicate Right in a VUCA Economy