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Earnipay Secures $4mn Seed Funding to Provide On-demand Salary to Employees in Africa

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Earnipay, a financial technology solution that provides flexible and on-demand salary access to income-earners, has closed a Seed round of $4million led by Canaan and with participation from XYZ Ventures, Village Global, Musha Ventures, Ventures Platform, Voltron Capital and Paystack CEO Shola Akinlade.

Targeting employees across Africa, Earnipay officially launched its operations in January 2022, having been in development and beta testing since September 2021.

Founded by Nonso Onwuzulike to improve the financial well-being of employees, Earnipay uses its technology to offer employees the opportunity to access their earned salaries into their accounts flexibly, in real-time and interest-free.

Earnipay partners with employers and seamlessly integrates with their payroll systems to offer its services to employees, who can then track and withdraw their accrued salaries via the app. Businesses are able to have complete oversight and set limits for the percentage of salaries employees can withdraw each month.

Since operating in beta, Earnipay has served over 20 businesses, outsourcing firms and HR solution providers in Nigeria including Eden Life and Thrive Agric, whose employees have used the app to access their salary over 1,000 times, indicating a strong demand for the solution.

With the Seed funding, Earnipay will accelerate the development of its technology platform to serve large enterprise employers. By doing so, Earnipay will provide employees with the tools they need to make better financial decisions and improve their quality of life. The company plans to offer its on-demand salary solution to 200,000 employees by the end of 2022.

Speaking on the funding round and the recent launch of Earnipay, CEO Nonso Onwuzulike, says, “Financial worries are the leading cause of distractions in the workplace. The monthly pay cycle means employees are often unable to afford daily expenses, cover emergencies or take advantage of immediate financial opportunities.

“As a result, they become exposed to predatory payday loans and get stuck in unending debt cycles with unrealistic payback periods and expensive interest rates.

“Earnipay exists to address this problem and offer an ethical alternative to instant salary access while helping employers improve employee engagement and retention at zero cost to their business. The future of salary is on-demand, and we’re excited to be pioneering this amazing solution in Africa.

“I’m delighted to be collaborating with a group of highly respected investors who understand the need for a platform such as Earnipay to drive better access to salaries, and, importantly, to improve the financial well-being of income-earners in Africa.”

“We’ve seen earned wage access grow rapidly in many markets and believe it’s a natural fit in Africa,” said Brendan Dickinson, partner at Canaan. “Earnipay has quickly established itself with a product built specifically for the payroll behaviours of this region, and early employer uptake is very strong. Nonso has built one of the strongest teams that we’ve met on the entire continent, and we’re thrilled for the opportunity to partner with them.”

On-demand salary access is a huge opportunity in Africa, with over 70% of Africa’s workforce (500 million people) paid every 30 days and are living paycheck to paycheck. The 30-days pay cycle has led to 40% of the workforce living in an unending debt cycle as they struggle to match their income to their daily expenses, emergencies and opportunities.

African businesses struggle to provide scalable solutions for employees to access their daily salaries as they work for it due to legacy payroll process, lack of available cash flow and internal salary advance that remains to be a tedious and manual affair.

Earnipay charges employees a small processing fee of NGN250 or NGN500 for this access. There is no payback and no interest charge because employees are accessing what they have worked for, It’s their money.

With Earnipay, employers offer more financial well-being support to their employees, which in turn enables them to attract and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive employment market.

In addition to on-demand salary, Earnipay provides financial education for employees to improve their financial literacy with a goal to enable them to make better financial decisions.

Onwuzulike concludes: “For five months, we have been working collaboratively with employers to deliver a workplace benefit that solves the biggest source of stress and distraction in the workplace: employee money issues.

“By doing so, employers are improving employee engagement and productivity, as well as positioning themselves as a better place to work. We are systematically addressing the inefficiencies in how the African workforce interacts with salaries and will continue to build products and services with both employers and employees in mind.”

 


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E-Financial

FIRS Unveils e-Invoicing, Electronic Fiscal System for Large Taxpayers

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Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has commenced an electronic invoicing solution (e-invoicing) aimed at transforming digital tax administration and revolutionising tax payment in Nigeria.

FIRS Unveils e-Invoicing, Electronic Fiscal System for Large Taxpayers

The e-invoicing system, also known as the Merchant-Buyer Model, is designed to make tax compliance easier, faster and more transparent for all categories of taxpayers.

A statement by Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser on Media to Zacch Adedeji, chairman, FIRS, said the solution went live on August 1, following a successful pilot phase which began in November 2024.

According to the statement, large taxpayers, which are companies with annual turnover of N5 billion and above, are the first to be onboarded. In less than two weeks after the initiative went live, no fewer than 1,000 companies, representing 20 per cent of over 5,000 eligible firms, have embraced the solution and commenced integration with the FIRS MBS platform.

It noted that the remaining large taxpayers are expected to come onboard on or before November 1, the deadline for all firms in the category to complete their onboarding and integration processes.

“MTN Nigeria became the first taxpayer to transmit live electronic invoices to the FIRS, officially ushering in the e-invoicing regime. Huawei Nigeria and IHS Nigeria have also concluded test transmissions and are set to go live in the coming days.

“In collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Service Providers have been incorporated into the ecosystem to act as both System Integrators and Access Point Providers. These providers will facilitate the onboarding, integration, and invoice transmission processes for taxpayers.”

The statement commended all large taxpayers, tax consultants, and service providers for their cooperation and commitment to the success of the project.

“We also acknowledge the genuine efforts of many taxpayers who strove to meet the 1st of August 2025 deadline but encountered operational constraints.

“In the spirit of encouraging voluntary compliance, the FIRS management has graciously approved a three-month extension of the deadline, with the new deadline now set for 1st November 2025.

“The FIRS e-Invoicing Implementation Team will continue to provide support through stakeholder engagements, including webinars, workshops, and town hall meetings, to ensure a seamless transition for all large taxpayers,” it added.

The national e-invoicing solution is an electronic fiscal system (EFS) developed by FIRS to provide real-time visibility into commercial transactions and ensure the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of invoices.

It is being implemented in phases, starting with large taxpayers, with medium and emerging groups to follow.

The initiative aligns with global best practices and supports the Federal Government’s broader objectives of enhancing revenue assurance, reducing tax evasion, and modernising tax administration.

It is also a critical tool in the implementation of the Nigeria Revenue Services Reform Act, which seeks to harmonise revenue reporting and establish a single source of truth for government revenues.

 

 

 

 


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E-Financial

First Securities Secures Remarkable Position in NGX Performance Report

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First Securities Brokers Limited, the stockbroking subsidiary of First Holdco Plc, recently announced its impressive performance in the latest Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Broker Performance Report. The firm secured first place in terms of trading volume and value of transactions for the month of July, 2025.

According to the report, First Securities Brokers Limited displayed strong trading activity and strategic market positioning, further solidifying its reputation as a significant player in the capital and equities market.

Fiona Ahimie, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of First Securities Brokers Limited expressed her pleasure at the firm’s achievement of a trading value of ₦414.457 billion, which accounts for 22.80% of the total trading value reported by the NGX during the review period. This performance highlights the effectiveness of the integrated model promoted by First Holdco Plc.

The Holding Company’s strategic focus on synergy within the Group played a crucial role in enhancing the performance of First Securities Brokers Limited.

“This remarkable achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire workforce, as well as the trust our clients continue to place in us. It underscores our growing influence and effectiveness in the Nigerian equities market,” she added.

“Our focus on providing innovative and seamless trading solutions, coupled with deep market expertise, has been crucial to driving this success. We are not just a brokerage firm; we are strategic partners in our clients’ financial journeys. This recognition further motivates us to deliver exceptional value.”

“We remain committed to creating long-term value for our clients and stakeholders. Building on this momentum, we will continue to enhance our service offerings and further establish our position as a key driver of growth and development in the Nigerian financial market.”

 


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E-Financial

CBN to Prosecute FX Deal Violators after Audit

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that it plans to pursue civil, administrative, or criminal sanctions against parties found to have breached foreign exchange (FX) rules, following the conclusion of a forensic audit into undelivered forward contracts.

CBN to Prosecute FX Deal Violators after Audit

A document titled Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Settlement of Undelivered Forward Contracts, published on the Bank’s website on Thursday, revealed the development.

The audit, conducted by Deloitte from September 2023, reviewed transactions under the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (RSMIS) window.

The document read, “The Central Bank of Nigeria is reviewing appropriate legal action against parties found to have violated applicable rules and regulations, based on the findings of the forensic audit. The Bank will collaborate with law enforcement and regulatory agencies to pursue civil, administrative, or criminal sanctions, as necessary.”

According to the apex bank, the contracts involved upfront naira payments in exchange for promised US dollar delivery on future dates—many of which went unfulfilled.

The CBN said the audit was necessary to verify the legitimacy of these contracts, protect FX reserves, and uphold regulatory standards.

The findings revealed extensive irregularities, including mismatches in beneficiary identities, exaggerated FX requests, use of incorrect or blank Form M submissions, and approvals for non-permissible imports.

The CBN noted that certain transactions were based on vague or false documentation, while others involved companies that lacked authorisation for the items they sought to import.

In several cases, the approved FX sale value exceeded the declared cost of the imported goods, raising questions of misrepresentation.

According to the CBN, such infractions rendered the contracts void under Nigerian law and ineligible for FX settlement.

Only verified and compliant contracts were honoured.

The Bank clarified that the affected counterparties had been given the opportunity to respond during the audit process before any contract was invalidated.

For those deemed invalid, the naira previously collected was refunded, but no FX was disbursed.

The CBN has declared the audit process closed and not open to appeal, citing the independence and procedural fairness of the review.

“The audit conclusions were based on a rigorous process carried out by an independent forensic expert (Deloitte), acting pursuant to a transparent mandate.

“The auditor contacted the authorized dealer banks concerning those contracts to get their explanations of the infractions before reaching conclusions on them. The findings have therefore met procedural fairness standards. The case of undelivered forward contracts is now concluded and closed,” the document stated.

Earlier in March 2024, the CBN announced the complete clearance of the valid foreign exchange backlog.

This was after Olayemi Cardoso, governor, CBN,  in February, disclosed that about $2.4 billion foreign exchange backlog is not valid for settlement.

Cardoso clarified that out of the initially reported $7 billion FX liabilities of the federal government, about $2.4 billion were identified as invalid following a forensic audit by Deloitte Management Consultants.

Earlier report showed that CBN officially concluded the forensic audit into undelivered forward foreign exchange (FX) transactions and refunded the value of all unfulfilled and unvalidated deals to banks in naira.

The development was contained in a letter dated August 4, 2025, signed by Okey Umeano, acting director of the Financial Markets Department, and addressed to all authorised dealer banks.

The letter noted that all validated transactions had been paid, while the local currency equivalent of outstanding and unverified transactions had been returned to the banks.


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