General News
Mastercard, Paycode Partner to Increase Access to Financial Services & Govt Assistance for Remote Communities
An estimated 57 percent of the population in Sub Saharan Africa remains financially excluded while close to 30 percent remain without a form of identification and 60 percent of the continent has no internet connectivity, leaving these individuals unable to access government assistance and basic financial services.
To address these challenges, Mastercard has partnered with African fintech and Start Path company Paycode to provide both company’s offerings on one biometric smart card that will help increase access to critical services and advance economic inclusion for Africans living in remote communities.
Mastercard’s Community Pass™ platform will be included in Paycode’s Electronic Data And Payments Technology platform (EDAPT) that currently provides a secure, biometric identity as well as a digital bank account. Individuals can access digital financial services offline in real-time even if they lack a formal identity document such as a birth certificate or passport.
Together, Paycode and Mastercard deliver a path to prosperity, enabling users to manage day-to-day needs including paying school fees for children, getting vaccinations for their families, selling goods, and growing their businesses.
To enable this, Community Pass allows a person’s face or palm to be recognized at both online and offline locations, while ensuring best-in-class security of their individual data. Community Pass also leverages consistent technology standards so that an individual can seamlessly access financial, health, agricultural, or aid services across providers, including government disbursements.
The partnership’s goal is to onboard 30 million individuals living in remote, unconnected areas of Africa over the next three years, enabling them to access the products and services they need with a Community Pass biometric smart card that runs on Paycode’s EDAPT platform.
“Adding Inclusive ID functionality to Paycode biometric smart cards helps reach those currently excluded from critical government programs and ensures we are addressing basic financial needs of a dispersed population,” said Ricardo Pareja, SVP, Sales & Market Development, H&D for Mastercard.
“As we seek to drive beyond inclusion to fostering prosperity in communities across the globe, a critical focus for Mastercard is to help enable the interoperability and scale of solutions like those provided by Paycode.”
Ralph Pecker, ceo at Paycode said: “As Paycode we are proud to partner with global leaders like Mastercard to effect positive change for people on the ground and drive innovation in financial services delivery in deep rural areas.
“As leaders in last mile delivery and proof of life financial services technology, we play the important role of providing solutions that bring tremendous growth and financial access offline in real-time to the financial and technology sectors in Africa.”
“We believe that shared digital tools and scalable channels can drastically improve the reach and access to services, by reducing the cost to serve those communities as well as improving the effectiveness of service delivery.
“At Mastercard, we are committed to building an inclusive, sustainable economy where everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential,” says Selim Ergoz, Vice President, Business Development – Governments at Mastercard.
“Our trusted network powers digital transactions every day, making them safe, simple and smart and we apply this innovation to the most connected and the most remote communities around the world. By partnering with Paycode we will bring Mastercard’s suite of inclusion products to people in Africa that were previously unreachable, and that’s a game changer.”
Last year, Mastercard pledged to connect 1 billion people, including 50 million micro and small businesses, to the digital economy by 2025. As part of these efforts, the technology company has a direct focus on providing 25 million women entrepreneurs with solutions to grow their businesses.
Paycode’s mission is to give biometric identity and affordable access to basic financial services to over 50 million unbanked and underserved people in Africa by 2025.
Across the world, an estimated 3.4 billion people still struggle to meet basic needs such as access to food, life-saving healthcare, and schooling, and small businesses struggle to receive funding. Community Pass was developed as a shared interoperable digital platform designed by Mastercard to address these different needs.
Individuals can be recognized as the same person in different scenarios and make safe, secure, and convenient digital transactions – whether they are receiving healthcare services at a local clinic, checking into a school, or redeeming humanitarian cash aid to purchase goods at a local store.
In commemoration of Women’s Month, health-tech platform Myitura has released a new white paper addressing the critical gaps in healthcare financing for women in Nigeria.
Titled “Closing the Gap: Healthcare Financing for Women in Nigeria,” the report highlights how high out-of-pocket costs, limited insurance coverage, and socio-economic factors continue to prevent women from accessing timely healthcare.
According to the report, over 70% of healthcare expenses in Nigeria are paid out-of-pocket, disproportionately affecting women who often delay care due to financial and social constraints.
“When women can afford to take care of their health early, we don’t just save lives; we strengthen families, communities, and the economy,” said Chialuka Kelechi, MyItura’s Chief of Staff.
Key Insights from the White Paper:
- Preventable conditions often escalate due to delayed care
- Women are more likely to deprioritize their own health
- Affordable, structured healthcare financing can significantly improve outcomes
Introducing a Women’s Health Initiative
As part of its commitment, Myitura is launching affordable women-focused health packages (powered by Mediloan), starting at ₦58,180, designed to encourage preventive care and early detection.
The package provides access to:
- Fasting/Random Blood Sugar
- Urinalysis
- Electrolytes
- Urea
- Creatinine
- Pap Smear Submitted slides
- HIV I & II Rapid (Qualitative)
- Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Screening (Rapid)
- Hepatitis C Virus Screening (Rapid)
- Abdominopelvic Ultrasound
- Ongoing support via the Myitura platform
Access:
Women can access these packages by downloading the Myitura app, which makes healthcare more accessible and convenient.
Myitura is a health-tech platform focused on improving access to healthcare through financing, technology, and preventive care solutions.
General News
DBI Unveils Nigeria Digital Economy Outlook 2026: Q1 Report Highlights Strategic Trends, Risks
DigitalSENSE Business Intelligence (DBI), powered by ITREALMS Media, has launched the Nigeria Digital Economy Outlook 2026: Q1 Intelligence Report (Executive Edition), delivering vital insights for navigating Nigeria’s fast-paced digital landscape.
This executive summary spotlights trends, risks, and opportunities in telecommunications, fintech, digital infrastructure, policy shifts, and investment flows. It underscores digital transformation’s pivotal role in boosting economic growth, financial inclusion, and nationwide innovation.
DBI Publisher, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, emphasized its value for leaders: “This Executive Edition offers a sharp, strategic view of Nigeria’s digital economy during a pivotal moment. As the sector surges ahead, reliable intelligence is key to seizing opportunities and tackling risks.”
Key highlights include:
Broadband infrastructure expansion.
Surge in digital payments adoption.
Evolving regulations.
Investor pivot to sustainable, profitable ventures.
The report urges action on digital financial inclusion, infrastructure funding, skills training, and public sector digitization.
Freely accessible, the Executive Edition complements the premium Full Edition with in-depth analysis for executives and institutions. Stakeholders can request full access or briefings.
Media & Access Contacts:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.itrealms.com.ng
The on-going construction works at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI’s Renewable Energy Industrial Park, Gora, Nasarawa State is gathering momentum as the project is envisioned to address the country’s energy needs.
NASENI’s Renewable Energy Industrial Park, Gora, Nasarawa State
The project occupying a 40-hectare park designed as a multi-energy hub will help curb capital flight and save foreign exchange expenditure by enabling local production of key renewable energy components such as solar panels, mounting racks, wind systems and biomass technologies.
Speaking during an inspection visit on the project site on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Special Adviser to the Executive Vice Chairman on Renewable Energy, Engr. Suyud Abdullahi Muhammad, who also serves as the Gora Project Manager, disclosed that the initiative is designed to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported renewable energy equipment.
“There will be a wind assembly plant, small hydro power equipment production, and solar panel manufacturing; Renewable energy goes beyond just solar, and this park reflects that broader vision,” he said.
Abdullahi noted that the project aligns with NASENI’s goal of reducing energy poverty in Nigeria, where over 80 million citizens remain off-grid, while many connected to the national grid continue to experience inadequate power supply.
The Special Adviser also emphasised on the project’s industrialisation potential, highlighting its role in job creation and value chain development. The park is expected to generate 2,000 direct jobs, with an additional 50,000 indirect employment opportunities across supporting industries when completed.
“This initiative will localise the renewable energy value chain. Instead of relying on imports, Nigeria will begin to produce and eventually export these technologies, starting with the West African market and scaling up to the rest of the continent,” he added.
On sustainability and long-term viability, he revealed that the project is being executed in collaboration with private sector players, academia and other stakeholders, in line with NASENI’s “3Cs” principle of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation.
The ongoing construction is being handled by about 35 contracting firms, each handling specific components at varying levels of execution such as Multipurpose Halls for industrial productions, Research and Development (R&D) Centre, Knowledge Park, Energy Centre, Workshops, Researchers Lodge, Studio Apartments, Clinic, Restaurant, Wellness Centre, Solar Farm, Drivers Lounge, Gate House, Internal roads and drainage system and Fencing.
The Gora Renewable Energy Industrial Energy Park is considered a key component of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at strengthening local manufacturing, enhancing energy security and positioning Nigeria as a renewable energy hub in Africa.
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