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Gokada Elevates Nikhil Goel to CEO

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Gokada, the Nigeria-based last mile delivery, logistics and transportation start-up has formally unveiled Nikhil Goel as its new CEO, as it continues to evolve from a riding-hailing company to becoming the leading food delivery, parcel delivery, and last-mile ecommerce fulfillment solution in Nigeria.

Goel first joined Gokada in 2019, bringing with him extensive experience in the global last mile logistics space, first in India as General Manager of unicorn food delivery start-up Zomato, and then as Head of New Verticals at SafeBoda in Kenya.

Goel’s transition to CEO is a natural progression as he has been responsible for leading the company since Gokada tragically lost its founder, Fahim Saleh, in July 2020.

In the past 12-months, Goel has helped Gokada increase its revenue by 10X and grow it’s delivery order volume by 100X, enabling the company to reach profitability.

As Gokada expands into new geographies and verticals, Goel’s strong track record of prior success in the sector is poised to be a big advantage for the company.

Gokada’s business model is a unique one. The company uses a ‘Business-in-a-Box’ approach to empower its drivers to build their own enterprises, which in turn provide key services to the city of Lagos.

This model enables Gokada to contribute to the cycle of business growth and job creation in Nigeria’s largest city. Gokada’s impact-oriented approach has been a core facet of the company’s strategy since its founding.

Commenting on Gokada’s current business model, Nikhil Goel said, “Gokada now serves thousands of individuals and businesses across Lagos. Our range of delivery solutions now span across a number of sectors such as food delivery, grocery delivery, parcel delivery, ecommerce fulfillment, and more. What makes me so proud of Gokada is the company’s Never-Give-Up attitude.

“Even in the midst of the pandemic which shortly followed the ride hailing ban, we were able to bring most of our pilots back to jobs while in parallel launching reliable logistics solutions to support businesses in Nigeria, which allowed them to continue to provide their services to their customers.”

While the company began as a ride-hailing service, it has since become a leader in food delivery, parcel delivery, and other “last mile logistics” solutions throughout Lagos. With a growing fleet of over 1,000 pilots and thousands of SME customers, Gokada plans to expand across other states in Nigeria in 2021.

In the last year, Gokada has had to contend with the okada ban in Lagos, the untimely death of its founder, COVID-19 restrictions on movement and the ‘EndSars’ protests in October 2020. The company has tackled each challenge with swift action – leading to accelerated growth.

“It is a real honour to continue Fahim’s legacy as CEO of Gokada.” continued Goel, “Fahim’s passion for entrepreneurship in Nigeria was infectious and inspiring. I was fortunate to have worked very closely with him.

“Together with Fahim’s family and Gokada’s investors, our incredible team here in Nigeria will continue to build the vision Fahim created to make a great impact on businesses and lives in Nigeria and beyond.”

Fahim’s elder sister, Ruby Saleh, who is now a Gokada board member, said: “Nikhil is a natural successor to Fahim as they worked so closely together to set the direction of the company’s current trajectory. Nikhil really understands Fahim’s mission in founding Gokada and I am fully confident in his ability to lead the company to great success.

Fahim had a passion for technology being used to scale access and create lasting impact and his brilliance lives on in Gokada. Nikhil has done an incredible job leading the company since Fahim’s passing and we believe he’ll continue to take Gokada forward, just the way Fahim envisioned.”


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General News

Cellulant Taps Freddie Oduro to Lead Enterprise Payments Expansion in Ghana

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Mr. Freddie Oduro, New Country Manager for Ghana.
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Cellulant, a leading Pan-African payments company enabling seamless digital transactions across Africa, has appointed Mr. Freddie Oduro as its new Country Manager for Ghana.

Cellulant Taps Freddie Oduro to Lead Enterprise Payments Expansion in Ghana

Mr. Freddie Oduro, New Country Manager for Ghana.

Freddie’s appointment is a key step in Cellulant’s broader strategy to deepen its presence in priority markets by accelerating the acquisition of in-country enterprise businesses and strengthening its position as the payments partner of choice in Africa.

Freddie brings over a decade of commercial and strategic leadership experience in the telecommunications and financial services sectors, with expertise in  sales, business operations, and market expansion.

In his new role, he will drive merchant acquisition, strengthening partnerships, oversee collections and payout operations, while ensuring strong internal controls and regulatory compliance.

He joins Cellulant from Payaza and previously served as Sales Director at Cellulant, where he helped significantly expand the company’s footprint in Ghana.

Cellulant has been powering payments in Ghana for leading brands in sectors like e-commerce, utilities, oil and gas and retail, helping them offer their customers a wide range of secure digital payment options.

“We are happy to welcome Freddie back to the Cellulant family,” says Richard Gesimba, Chief Revenue Officer at Cellulant. “Ghana remains a critical market for us, with immense potential driven by rising digital payments adoption.

“As we sharpen our focus on in-country enterprise customers, Freddie’s leadership and industry insight make him the ideal person to steer our Ghana operations.”

The appointment comes at a transformative time for the company. Following a strategic shift between late 2023 and early 2024, focused on streamlining operations, doubling down on enterprise payments, and strengthening customer intimacy, Cellulant achieved profitability in 2024 and continues to build on this momentum.

The company now processes close to 4.5 million transactions daily for businesses across Africa, reinforcing its position as a fintech leader.

“I am honoured to return to Cellulant and lead the Ghana team at such a defining moment,” says Freddie, Country Manager for Cellulant Ghana. “Ghana presents a tremendous opportunity.

“We will ramp up our efforts to sign on more local merchants, strengthen our compliance and control frameworks, and introduce innovative solutions like Tingg Edupay, our automated school fee management solution that eliminates reconciliation delays by validating payments in real time and instantly updating student accounts.

“We will build on Cellulant’s strong foundation to deliver real value, reliability, and economic impact.”

Ghana’s digital payments sector continues to grow steadily, supported by increased mobile money usage and a progressive regulatory environment. Between January and October 2025, the value of mobile money transactions hit about GH¢ 3.6 trillion, up sharply from GH¢ 2.37 trillion in the same period of 2024.

Registered mobile money accounts now exceed 79 million, demonstrating strong consumer and business confidence in digital financial services and in turn creating many opportunities for payment innovation.

This leadership appointment underscores Cellulant’s commitment to building a resilient, high-performance organisation geared towards playing a pivotal role in the next era of Africa’s digital economy.

Looking ahead to 2026, Cellulant plans to further enhance the user experience on its payment platform, Tingg, and expand its  footprint across Ghana.


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Top Nigerian Startups Secure Funding Boost @ iHatch Demo Day Awards

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Nigeria’s startup ecosystem received a fresh injection of momentum as top emerging ventures secured funding and investor attention at the iHatch National Demo Day, where Interface Africa clinched the highest prize of $15,000.

The 4th cohort of the NITDA–JICA-backed accelerator brought together founders, policymakers, and venture stakeholders in Abuja, showcasing innovations ranging from clean-energy financing and digital food marketplaces to next-gen fintech tools.

The startups went rounds of running through state-level selections and regional competition. iHatch was established in 2021 as a strategic partnership to create an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop and scale their innovative solutions.

The iHatch National Demo Day (4th Cohort), is an initiative by NITDA and JICA which provides a clear pathway for homegrown talent to contribute significantly to economic diversification and digital transformation.

After rigorous selection processes, the top founders converged to pitch their innovations, recognised the standout performers, which are:

Interface Africa with $15,000, the firm is driving Nigeria’s clean energy transition by enabling structured and affordable solar financing.

Ahioma with $12,000, the firm enhances food accessibility with a digital marketplace connecting consumers directly to trusted vendors.

Linia Finance with $10,000, the firm is helping Nigerians take control of their finances with tools for budgeting, tracking, and smart money planning.

Chapta got a laptop reward. They delivering an offline-capable school application ensuring consistent, accessible learning for students everywhere.

Softdrop also got a laptop reward, they solve logistics challenges through a modern delivery platform designed for speed, convenience, and efficiency.

 


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Fidelity Bank to Host Virtual Masterclass on New Tax Law

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Fidelity Bank Plc, a leading financial institution, will host a free virtual training on the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (NTA) as part of its commitment to helping small businesses prepare for the upcoming legislation.

Fidelity Bank to Host Virtual Masterclass on New Tax Law

Fidelity Bank

The masterclass is scheduled for 10:00 AM (Nigerian time) on Friday, 12 December 2025. It will provide participants with clear insights into changes in the tax framework, the impact on income and business operations, and practical steps to avoid penalties in 2026.

Attendees will also learn strategies to stay ahead in an evolving regulatory environment.

The Nigerian government enacted major tax reforms on 26 June 2025 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed four tax bills into law.

These Acts will take effect on 1 January 2026 and represent a significant overhaul of the country’s tax system.

The reforms aim to modernize and harmonize Nigeria’s tax framework, improve revenue generation, broaden the tax base, and create clearer rules for individuals, businesses, and government agencies.

“Our decision to host this masterclass reflects our commitment to empowering businesses with the right information ahead of the commencement of the new tax regime.

“Information is money and a well-informed business owner is already steps ahead in the race to success.

“This is why we are bringing experts to provide accurate details and demystify the tax act,” said Osita Ede, Divisional Head, Product Development, Fidelity Bank Plc.

Interested participants can register via https://bit.ly/2026TaxLawMasterclass .


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