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Mono Partners Mastercard to Power Innovative Payment Solutions for Digital Commerce in Africa

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L-R: Folasade Femi-Lawal, Country Manager, West Africa, Mastercard; Dimitrios Dosis, President of Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), Mastercard; Abdul Hassan, CEO and co-founder, Mono, and Bridget Ogundijo, Head of Sales, Mono.
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Mastercard has collaborated with Mono Technologies Nigeria Limited to introduce account-to-account (A2A) payments and a suite of other open banking products, powered by Mastercard Gateway.

L-R: Folasade Femi-Lawal, Country Manager, West Africa, Mastercard; Dimitrios Dosis, President of Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), Mastercard; Abdul Hassan, CEO and co-founder, Mono, and Bridget Ogundijo, Head of Sales, Mono.

This collaboration will leverage Mono’s expertise in open banking and Mastercard Gateway’s advanced payment technology to provide businesses in the region with a secure and streamlined A2A payment solution, addressing evolving consumer needs and enhancing the overall payment experience. This is the first A2A payment implementation via Mastercard Gateway in the Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA) region.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Mastercard’s Alternate Payment Methods (APM) strategy in Nigeria and advances the goal of making Mastercard Gateway a multi-rail gateway. Through this collaboration, both parties aim to create an ecosystem that fosters financial inclusion, drives innovation, and stimulates growth in the region’s digital economy.

Customers benefitting from the new technology – ranging from merchants, fintechs, telcos, governments, and financial institutions – will seamlessly gain access to account-to-account capabilities instantly elevating the payment experience for individuals and businesses.

“Embedding Mono’s open banking solution within Mastercard Gateway forms an integral part of our strategic blueprint to enrich and expand the payment methods available to our customers. We envision a future where secure, efficient A2A payments transcend from being merely aspirational to an everyday reality, providing seamless transaction experiences for our customers. This collaboration not only underscores Mastercard’s commitment to driving innovation and advancing financial inclusion in Nigeria and beyond, but also aligns closely with Central Bank of Nigeria’s mission to provide digital payment experiences to Nigerian citizens.” said Folasade Femi-Lawal, Country Manager and Area Business Head, West Africa, at Mastercard.

Mono, an Open Banking infrastructure company, aims to enable businesses to collect direct bank payments and get user-permissioned access to customer financial data reliably and securely. With over 50 financial connections across Africa, Mono’s mission is to power Africa’s internet economy and enable businesses to provide personalized and innovative services to consumers across the continent. Through this collaboration with Mastercard, Mono will be enabled to expand its influence in the open banking space in Nigeria and the African region.

“This is an important step for us and for fintech and Open Banking payments in Africa,” shared Abdul Hassan, CEO and co-founder of Mono.” This collaboration with Mastercard bolsters our efforts and expands our influence in Nigeria and the African region, allowing us to provide more innovative Open Banking payment solutions and contribute actively to the evolving needs of internet businesses and consumers in Africa.”

This collaboration also represents a continuation of Mastercard’s capacity building for Mono. In 2022, Mono became the first Nigerian and Open Banking company to join the inaugural Mastercard Open Banking Start Path Program. Through the Start Path program, Mono leveraged Mastercard’s open banking and financial technology expertise, as well as Mastercard’s robust network of partners, banks, and merchants, to deliver and scale its Open Banking solutions.

Through this collaboration, Mono’s mission to power the internet economy in Africa and provide open banking infrastructure and solutions for the future of financial services converges with Mastercard’s mission to connect and power a digital economy that benefits everyone.

L-R: Folasade Femi-Lawal, Country Manager, West Africa, Mastercard; Dimitrios Dosis, President of Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), Mastercard; Abdul Hassan, CEO and co-founder, Mono, and Bridget Ogundijo, Head of Sales, Mono.


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E-Financial

Ecobank Nigeria to Fully Repay $300m Eurobond Ahead of Schedule

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Ecobank Nigeria has moved to retire the remaining part of its $300 million Eurobond before maturity. The bank has launched a tender offer for holders of its 7.125% senior notes due February 2026.

The bank announced the offer on Friday, 28 November 2025, inviting investors to tender their holdings ahead of schedule. Of the original $300 million issuance, $150 million remains outstanding.

Under the terms, investors whose notes are accepted for repurchase will receive $1,000 for every $1,000 in principal, plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but not including, the settlement date. The transaction is expected to be completed on or before 31 December 2025.

Ecobank said the early repayment move is part of a broader strategy to optimise its balance sheet and strengthen capital planning flexibility. The lender added that the tender offer gives investors an opportunity to exit the instrument ahead of the original February 2026 maturity.

In a statement, the bank said the initiative underscores its “commitment to transparent engagement with funding partners and investors,” stressing that the offer supports its long-term goal of maintaining a well-structured debt profile.

Participation in the programme is voluntary, and investors will make decisions based on their individual considerations, the bank added.

Ecobank emphasised that the announcement is for information only and does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities. Eligible noteholders are expected to rely on the formal tender documents when deciding whether to take part.

 


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Reps Give Banks Four-Day Ultimatum on Tax Deductions, Charges

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The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating deductions of taxes and sundry charges from the earnings of civil and public servants has given commercial banks a four-day deadline to submit all requested documents.

Reps Give Banks Four-Day Ultimatum on Tax Deductions, Charges

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The committee, chaired by Hon. Kelechi Nwogwu, issued the ultimatum at the commencement of its investigation, following a motion earlier moved by the House Chief Whip, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, on alleged deductions from civil servants’ salaries.

Nwogwu insisted that Chief Executive Officers of affected financial institutions must appear in person before the panel, rejecting representatives sent by GT Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank and other banks.

He explained that the panel was mandated to ensure that all deductions of charges by banks on customers’ accounts were fair and properly applied.

The committee disclosed that invitations had also been extended to the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and all commercial banks operating in Nigeria.

“You cannot appear here without an identity. We are here on the mandate of the people who elected us into parliament. We have resolved to meet next week on Wednesday.

“You must submit all requested documents by Monday, May 1,” Nwogwu said.

He warned that any bank that failed to comply with the deadline would face sanctions, adding that the committee would put the CEOs on oath during the next sitting.

The investigation continues next week.


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SEC Urges IST to Freeze all CBEX Bank Accounts in Nigeria

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) to order the freezing of all bank accounts belonging to Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) and other defendants held in commercial banks and financial institutions across Nigeria.

The request was made in Suit No. IST/OA/02/2025: Securities and Exchange Commission & Anor v. Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) & 25 Others, the first case before the 6th Tribunal presided over by Hon. Aminu Jinaidu, Chairman of the IST.

SEC also urged the Tribunal to seize houses and other assets allegedly acquired by the defendants using proceeds obtained from the public through the CBEX investment scheme, which it said falsely operated as a digital assets platform and capital-market operator.

The Commission argued that CBEX, which is not registered with SEC, unlawfully promised investors a 100 percent return on investment within 30 days—conduct it said is in violation of Section 3(b) of the Investments and Securities Act, 2025.

SEC further disclosed that the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong had, on April 23, 2024, issued an advisory warning against CBEX, describing it as a suspicious virtual-asset entity. According to the advisory, CBEX adopted a name resembling that of a Chinese property-rights trading organisation to give investors false assurance, despite having no connection with the legitimate entity.

At Tuesday’s sitting, the Tribunal ordered that hearing notices be served on the defendants through national newspapers, as CBEX failed to appear and was not represented in court.

CBEX launched in Nigeria in July 2024, operating through a website and mobile app. It claimed to use advanced artificial intelligence to generate unusually high profits from cryptocurrency trading, promising returns of up to 100 percent within a 40- to 45-day lock-in period. The scheme later collapsed and was exposed as a Ponzi operation that reportedly defrauded investors of more than N1.3 trillion (about $800 million).

Hon. Jinaidu also presided over several other matters on the tribunal’s docket, including Benue Investments Property Co. Ltd & Anor v. Securities and Exchange Commission & 6 Others; Maven Asset Management Ltd v. Securities and Exchange Commission; John Makinde Onade & Anor v. First Registrars & Investors Services Ltd & Anor; and Securities and Exchange Commission & Anor v. Tourist Company of Nigeria PLC & 6 Ors. All the cases were adjourned to January 27, 2026.

 


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