General News
Kola Aina Joins EFInA Board

Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) Limited has announced the appointment of Kola Aina, Founding Partner and General Partner of Ventures Platform, Africa’s leading seed-stage venture capital firm, to its board of directors.

EFInA is a financial sector development organisation committed to promoting financial inclusion in Nigeria, with the vision of becoming the leader in facilitating an all-inclusive, growth-promoting financial system.
New Board Member Kola Aina has been instrumental in advancing financial inclusion across Nigeria and Africa. His venture capital firm’s investments in fintech companies, such as PiggyVest, have provided financial services to over 5 million underserved individuals, contributing to a 13.5% increase in financial inclusion in Nigeria.
In addition to financial inclusion, Aina and his team at Ventures Platform foster entrepreneurship, create jobs, optimise supply chains, and empower founders to develop market-creating innovations that address Africa’s complex challenges while accelerating digital transformation across the continent’s startup ecosystem.
Commenting on Aina’s pivotal role in the enhancement of financial innovation and access in the Nigeria tech ecosystem, Dr. Agnes Olatokunbo Martins, former Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Chairman of the Board, said that Aina’s venture capital firm – Ventures Platform strategically invests in fintech innovations that can deepen financial inclusion across the continent and his appointment to the board is pleasant and strategically beneficial decision that the African financial sector will forever be grateful for.
“We are delighted to welcome Kola Aina to the EFInA Board. Kola has been a pivotal figure in the African tech ecosystem, funding financial innovations that align with our mission to promote income growth for the bottom 40% of the population and foster social and economic inclusion, as outlined in SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities.
“Kola’s experience in entrepreneurship, mentorship, and backing fintech giants that have significantly improved financial inclusion will be invaluable as we strive to create a more inclusive financial sector.”
On his appointment, Kola Aina said, “I am thrilled to join the EFInA board. EFInA is a critical market enabler that has been a key driver of financial inclusion and a champion of the unbanked.
“The organisation’s reports and research have been credible sources of information for key stakeholders of the economy, and I’m proud to be part of a gathering of intellectuals that are committed to steering the nation’s approach to financial inclusion in the right direction.
“I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members and contributing to the achievement of our goal in Nigeria and across Africa. I remain committed to our collective ambition of promoting an inclusive financial sector that serves the excluded and underserved in Africa.”
A significant portion of Aina’s venture fund (37.5%) is currently dedicated to fintech companies, aiming to increase access to financial services, credit, and digital banking solutions for underserved populations. Through these investments, Aina and his team at Ventures Platform are bridging the financial inclusion gap and reducing inequalities.
Portfolio companies like PiggyVest, Moni, Traction App, and Shekel Mobility, currently backed by Ventures Platform, serve over 4.5 million users, providing increased access to savings accounts, capital, credit histories, and financial management tools primarily for underserved, unbanked, and underbanked individuals and entrepreneurs across Africa.
Kola Aina joins other distinguished EFInA board members, including Dr. Agnes Olatokunbo Martins, former Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria; Olu Akanmu, former President and Co-CEO of OPay-Nigeria; Professor Janice Olawoye, Professor of Rural Sociology, University of Ibadan; and Saude Amina Atoyebi, former Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration) in Kaduna State Government.
EFInA continues to collaborate with experts across the public and private sectors to promote financial inclusion in Nigeria. The organisation is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
General News
FG Launches NERD to Combat Certificate Fraud

Federal government has taken a significant step to enhance the integrity of Nigeria’s education system by deploying the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD), a national digital platform that secures, digitizes, and authenticates academic records across all tertiary institutions.

Forgery
Maruf Tunji Alausa, minister of Education, unveiled the initiative during the National Capacity Building Programme for institutional representatives, underscoring NERD’s importance as a critical national infrastructure for safeguarding academic credentials and strengthening education data governance.
“NERD is essential to our reform agenda under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Alausa stated.
“It ensures reliable digital preservation and verification of academic records, which is vital for maintaining the credibility of our education system.”
According to Alausa, in the brief span of four months since its implementation, NERD has made remarkable progress, successfully preserving nearly 100,000 digital student submissions and integrating over 250 tertiary institutions.
The platform has also enrolled more than 133,000 students and 6,800 lecturers, significantly enhancing the academic record-keeping process.
Alausa highlighted that the initiative is a proactive measure against certificate fraud, noting recent investigations that revealed cases involving fraudulent foreign credentials procured from unaccredited institutions.
This underscores the urgency of protecting the integrity of academic qualifications in Nigeria.
Furthermore, the Ministry announced that participation in the NERD system will soon become a prerequisite for either participation in or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps scheme, reinforcing the initiative’s impact on the educational landscape.
The Federal Government remains committed to building a transparent, digitally verifiable, and globally respected education system, ensuring that the integrity of academic records is upheld across the nation.
General News
Goodnews Naija Launches ‘Building in Nigeria’ Series on Entrepreneurs, Real Sector Builders

Goodnews Naija Podcast, a digital platform dedicated to highlighting positive, uplifting stories and innovations from Nigeria, has launched Building in Nigeria, a documentary-style series aimed at spotlighting entrepreneurs and businesses contributing to economic activity and job creation across the country.

The series explores the realities of running and scaling businesses in Nigeria, featuring founders, operators, and innovators across sectors including manufacturing, services, agriculture, and sustainability.
Through interviews and on-ground visuals from workshops, markets, factories, and small offices, the programme examines the operational discipline, challenges, and execution processes required to build viable enterprises in a complex business environment.
Damilola Kehinde, host of the series, said the programme focuses on entrepreneurs whose contributions to economic progress often receive limited visibility.
According to the producer, Memunat Oladepo, the series seeks to move beyond surface narratives by providing practical insights into how Nigerian businesses are started, sustained, and grown despite infrastructure gaps, funding constraints, and market volatility.
The organisers said Building in Nigeria is targeted at entrepreneurs, investors, and policy-interested audiences seeking grounded perspectives on enterprise development in the country.
The first season is scheduled to premiere on March 11, 2026, across Goodnews Naija’s YouTube channel, social media platforms, and podcast platforms, where it recorded over 24 hours of viewership within the first day of release.
General News
FCCPC Bans Lagos ‘No Refund’ Policy, Vows Fines and Shutdowns for Traders

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has warned Lagos traders against enforcing the unlawful “no return, no refund” policy, declaring it illegal under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.

FCCPC
Dr Olubunmi Otti, FCCPC Southwest Zonal Coordinator, issued the directive during the inauguration of new executives of the Phone and Allied Products Dealers Association (PAPDA) on Wednesday, stressing consumer education as the strongest defence against market exploitation.
“There is no such thing as ‘no return, no refund’. If a product does not fulfil its intended purpose, the consumer has the right to return it,” Otti declared, adding the commission mediates complaints for refunds, replacements, or exchanges.
Non-compliant businesses face fines, product withdrawals, seizures, prosecutions, or shutdowns. Otti noted thousands of monthly complaints via the FCCPC portal in the Southwest alone, with sensitisation expanding to Alaba Market and Trade Fair Complex.
She urged consumers: “When your rights are violated, do not just say, ‘You give it to God.’ Bring your complaints to the FCCPC. The law empowers us to protect you,” while calling for traders’ collective responsibility to ensure quality products and services.
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