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Mastercard Partners with Alerzo to Digitize SMEs in the Nigerian FMCG Space

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Mastercard & Alerzo MOU signing
L-R: Tania Kruger, Vice President, Product Development/SME Head, Eastern Europe Middle East & Africa (EEMEA), Mastercard; Folarin Alayande, Vice President, Business Development, Government, Mastercard; Adewale Opaleye, CEO, Alerzo & Harish Venkatesh, President & CFO, Alerzo at the Mastercard and Alerzo MOU signing event in Lagos on July 24, 2023.
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Mastercard, a global leader in financial services, has joined forces with Alerzo, Nigeria’s leading technology service provider, to address the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector.

Mastercard & Alerzo MOU signing

L-R: Tania Kruger, Vice President, Product Development/SME Head, Eastern Europe Middle East & Africa (EEMEA), Mastercard; Folarin Alayande, Vice President, Business Development, Government, Mastercard; Adewale Opaleye, CEO, Alerzo & Harish Venkatesh, President & CFO, Alerzo at the Mastercard and Alerzo MOU signing event in Lagos on July 24, 2023.

This partnership aims to empower businesses by offering digital payment solutions, financial training, and access to credit, ultimately leading to increased sustainability and success in the market.

Alerzo’s expertise in B2B e-commerce and Mastercard’s global infrastructure and network will be leveraged to make digital payments more accessible to businesses of all sizes. Through this partnership, a range of innovative solutions will be offered, including VeedezPay, a digital payment solution designed for informal and small businesses, VeedezPro, a comprehensive business management tool tailored for SMEs and ERP solutions for more established businesses. Additionally, micro-lending services will be made available to businesses using the VeedezPay and VeedezPro solutions.

The lack of digitization has been a major obstacle for SMEs in Nigeria, hindering their ability to tap into new sales opportunities, track sales and inventory, and access credit to grow their businesses. With the Alerzo-Mastercard partnership, these challenges will be addressed through a comprehensive approach that aims to equip 1,000,000 SMEs in Nigeria with valuable knowledge and skills through financial training within the next 5 years. This effort will accelerate the adoption of digital payments and encourage the use of financial solutions nationwide.

Speaking on this partnership and providing support to small businesses, Adewale Opaleye, Chief Executive Officer of Alerzo Limited, said, “We’re excited to partner with Mastercard to support the growth and success of SMEs in Nigeria. With our combined expertise and resources, we look forward to continuing to provide training, financial support, and innovative payment solutions to businesses in Nigeria. These solutions could be a game-changer, especially for our informal retailers, who often get overlooked.”

“Nigerian small businesses have proved their resiliency in recent years, but still face many pressures to remain profitable. Through our partnership with Alerzo, we are excited to combine our expertise and resources to drive digital transformation and financial inclusion, providing training and solutions that enable Nigerian businesses to thrive,” said Ebehijie Momoh, Country Manager and Area Business Head, West Africa at Mastercard. Momoh further added, “This collaboration will play a crucial role in digitizing payments and supporting the growth and success of Nigerian businesses.”

SMEs and informal retailers will benefit from the low-cost acceptance solutions provided by the partnership, such as Tap on Phone, QR, Pay-By-Link, and Payment Gateway Service. Businesses can sign up for VeedezPay and VeedezPro, available for download on the App Store and Google Play, to start accepting digital and contactless payments immediately. Established businesses can inquire about the ERP solution, which offers integrated business management tools along with the above features.

Access to credit is crucial for businesses to grow, and the Alerzo-Mastercard partnership aims to address this need. Micro-lending solutions will be initially available to informal retailers through the Alerzoshop B2B commerce application, providing them with financial support to expand and take advantage of new opportunities.

The impact of this partnership extends beyond individual businesses. By empowering SMEs and informal retailers, millions of people who rely on their small businesses to support themselves and their families will experience positive changes.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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MTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others

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MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.

According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.

If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.

Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.

The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.

Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.

MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.

“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.

 


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Netflix Expands European Presence with €1 Billion Investment in Spain

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Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.

The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.

Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.

Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.

Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.

The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.

The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.


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ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

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Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.

ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.

According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected  (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.

Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.

It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.

This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files

“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”

In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.

Here’s what users should be doing now:

Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.

Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.

Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.

Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.

If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.

ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.

“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.

This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.

 

 

 


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