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OnePort 365 Secures $5 million Seed Funding to Digitize Freight Management in Africa

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OnePort 365, a digital freight forwarding company that makes it easier to move cargo to, from and within Africa, has raised $5 million in seed funding to drive the end-to-end digitisation of freight management in Africa and support its expansion into new markets across the continent.

The seed funding round was led by Mobility 54 (the Venture Capital arm of Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Group), with participation from SBI Investment, Flexport, ODX, a Singaporean syndicate fund and other strategic angel investors. Samurai Incubate also re-invested after participating in the previous round.

With active operations in Nigeria and Ghana, and ongoing explorations in other markets, OnePort 365 is building an operating system for cross-border trade in Africa, helping traders to manage their freight processes through a digital platform that enables seamless freight forwarding and other value-added services.

With this new funding, OnePort 365 is positioned to further improve efficiency and lower overheads in cross-border trading across the continent, as well as deliver a wide range of new services that will increase profitability across the board.

Africa contributes an increasingly significant amount to global maritime trade, with a reported 12 percent of the 811 million containers handled at ports worldwide. Africa’s clearing and forwarding market is also growing, with latest figures suggesting a market size of $4.2 billion and a projected 12.5 percent growth with new services emerging.

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However, a wide range of  challenges including congestion at ports, difficulty with accessing effective service providers and complex payment systems have resulted in increased costs, inefficiencies and many missed opportunities for traders.

With OnePort 365, traders no longer have to wait up to two weeks to compare the best rates from different service providers. With pre-negotiated rates, they can explore competitive offers on the platform and book freights in 30 seconds or less.

Traders can also connect with shipping and inland transportation vendors and manage the entire process (from booking to payment) on one single platform.

Traders get GPS-enabled, real-time visibility of their shipments and they can view all documents relating to the shipment via the platform, eliminating the laborious process of physically retrieving these documents from offices or shipping line centres.

The platform also leverages advancements in payment technology and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to power instant payments.

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The platform covers air freight, ocean freight, inland haulage (trucking, barge, and rail), as well as Pay-As-You-Go warehousing, marine insurance, customs brokerage and more. Since OnePort 365 started operations in 2019, it has increased the number of twenty-foot equivalent unit containers (TEUs) by 140 percent and grown its revenue by more than 420 percent.

Commenting on the new funding Hio Sola-Usidame, CEO and founder of OnePort 365 said “we are super excited to have these investors onboard to support our mission to optimize cross-border trading across the continent.

With new regulations like the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement creating the potential for a new era of trade on the continent, we want to make it easier for traders to maximise the opportunity. We believe managing freights should be as easy as booking a flight or ordering a ride-hailing service and we are building the operating system to make this possible.”

Takeshi Watanabe, CEO of Mobility 54 Investment SAS said “we are delighted to support Hio and the OnePort 365 team as they embark on the journey of digitizing the end-to-end freight management process in Africa.

There is great potential to unlock significant commercial opportunities across the continent by addressing the longstanding challenges that have made it difficult to move freights into and around the continent, and we are confident that OnePort 365 has what it takes to succeed.”

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Rena Yoneyama, Managing Partner at Samurai Incubate Africa said, “since the first day we joined the company as an investor in 2020, we’ve believed that this team is the one that could build a cross-border trading platform tailored for the African continent.  We’re very happy to back OnePort 365 again”.

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Africa Prudential Unveils Digital Growth Strategy

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Africa Prudential Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable growth and digital transformation after posting another strong half-year financial performance, driven by robust growth in its core registrar business, technology-driven solutions and increased activity in Nigeria’s capital market.

Speaking during the company’s H1 2026 Investor Call on Tuesday, the management outlined plans to deepen revenue diversification and accelerate innovation as part of efforts to reduce reliance on interest income and strengthen long-term profitability.

The company reported gross earnings of ₦4.28 billion for the first half of 2026, representing a 27 per cent increase from ₦3.34 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Profit before tax rose by 22 per cent to ₦2.41 billion, while profit after tax climbed 18 per cent to ₦1.59 billion.

Net operating income also increased by 27 per cent to ₦4.21 billion, while total assets grew by 13 per cent to ₦46.53 billion. Shareholders’ funds similarly rose by 13 per cent to ₦12.52 billion.

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According to the company, the impressive performance was driven by sustained growth in its registrar business, increased corporate actions across the Nigerian capital market, stronger treasury earnings supported by the prevailing interest rate environment and rising adoption of its technology-enabled products and services.African Mineral Wealth

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Catherine Nwosu, said Africa Prudential is steadily evolving from a traditional share registrar into a diversified technology and business solutions provider serving the broader capital market ecosystem.

Addressing concerns from investors about the sustainability of earnings if interest rates decline, Nwosu said the company was deliberately expanding its non-interest income sources.

“Interest rates influence our treasury income positively, but that is why we are deliberately diversifying our revenue streams. Our strategy is to grow recurring fee-based business lines such as our digital solutions, Know Your Customer (KYC) services, AGM technology, probate services and the SabiVest mobile app. Over time, this will reduce our reliance on interest income and create a more balanced and resilient earnings mix,” she said.

She noted that increasing activity in the Nigerian capital market presents fresh opportunities for technology-driven solutions.

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“With capital market activity nearly doubling over the past year, demand for seamless digital investor experiences, improved market efficiency and stronger compliance standards continues to grow. We are investing in technology-enabled solutions that position us to capitalise on these opportunities while delivering sustainable value to our shareholders,” she added.

Looking ahead, the company identified five strategic priorities for the second half of 2026, including driving sustainable growth through its core registrar business and new revenue streams, accelerating technology-led product innovation, strengthening brand leadership, investing in talent development and reinforcing corporate governance.

The investor call attracted institutional investors, shareholders, analysts, regulators and other capital market stakeholders, reflecting strong interest in Africa Prudential’s earnings outlook, revenue diversification strategy and long-term growth plans.

 

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IHS Nigeria Donates Business-Support Equipment to Empower People with Disabilities in Abuja Community

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Communications infrastructure company, IHS Nigeria, has donated business support equipment to empower people with disabilities within the Karonmajiji community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This is part of the company’s commitment to drive inclusive community development and sustainable livelihood support under its Project Empower initiative.

The equipment was distributed to beneficiaries during a ceremony held in the community on Monday, July 27. The initiative was conceived following a community needs assessment and is designed to empower active traders by providing them with business tools rather than cash grants, thereby strengthening their businesses and ensuring long-term economic impact and accountability.

Speaking at the event, Director, Sustainability, IHS Nigeria, Titilope Oguntuga, described the initiative as a reflection of the company’s commitment to advancing inclusive development by equipping persons with disabilities with the tools and opportunities needed to build resilient livelihoods.

She explained that rather than providing short-term financial assistance, IHS Nigeria adopted an asset-based approach by donating 50 pieces of business support equipment, including sewing machines, freezers, generators and hairdressing kits, to the selected beneficiaries.

According to her, the intervention is designed to create lasting value by supporting entrepreneurship, promoting self-reliance and strengthening household incomes, while contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

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In his opening remarks, the Chief of the Karonmajiji Disabled Community, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammed Katsina, represented by the Secretary of the Community, Alhaji Mohammed Dantani commended IHS Nigeria for its commitment to empowering persons with disabilities through practical and sustainable interventions.

He described the initiative as a demonstration of genuine partnership with the community and expressed appreciation for the company’s continued engagement with the Association, noting that the donation of the equipment was a significant investment in improving the livelihoods of persons with disabilities and would create meaningful economic opportunities for the beneficiaries and their families.

The event brought together traditional rulers, government representatives, leaders and members of the Karonmajiji Disabled Community Association, implementing partners, including Field of Skills and Dreams Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship (FSD VTE) Training Institute and other community stakeholders, reaffirming a shared commitment to promoting inclusion and sustainable community development.

Project Empower reinforces IHS Nigeria’s commitment to advancing sustainable development through strategic partnerships that promote economic inclusion, strengthen community resilience and create opportunities for underserved communities.

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CIBN, ACAMB Push for Financial Inclusion, Women Empowerment

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The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.

Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.

The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”

The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.

Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women  are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.

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He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.

ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.

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