News
Oradian Nominated for European Fintech Awards 2016
Oradian has been nominated for the European Fintech Awards 2016, showing its recognition among the most promising fintech companies in Europe.
Oradian began operations in its core market, Nigeria, and has since rapidly expanded into other countries across West Africa.
Given the global demand and scalability of their products and services, Oradian is developing regional partnerships and planning roll-out across the rest of Africa, with Latin America, South and Central Asia to follow.
European FinTech Awards and Conference
Tens of thousands of finance jobs are vanishing, as Google, Apple, Facebook and countless FinTech startups are disrupting the financial sector.
Thus, the Organisers said that innovative companies are eager to please millions of frustrated banking customers even as investors are fascinated by the phenomenal profits made by banks struggling with outdated technology.
Oradian’s recognition shows its impact in the Fintech space.
Speaking on the nomination, Antonio Separovic, managing director at Oradian, said “The nomination for European FinTech Awards where we are nominated in the category of innovative software for banking, is a great recognition of our work. Only the most innovative companies with disruptive technology get a chance to present themselves to a global audience and this is an opportunity to present Instafin – our core-banking platform for financial inclusion and the only core-banking platform focused at microfinance. We hope that the public and the professional jury will both recognize the quality and the potential of our product – here you can find out more and vote for Oradian via http://100.fintech.nl/oradian and help us bring financial services to millions of financially excluded in rural Africa,”
Oradian is a fintech company behind Instafin – the multi-award winning core-banking platform for financial inclusion and the only core-banking platform focused at microfinance.
Instafin was built with the goal of enabling financial inclusion – it solves the challenges faced by financial service providers servicing the base of the economic pyramid.
Using a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, Oradian’s flagship product, Instafin, enables microfinance institutions, co-operatives and credit unions to serve the most rural clients affordably and effectively.
“Our simple and intuitive cloud-based platform empowers financial institutions tackling the challenges to connect billions of potential clients at the base of the economic pyramid to financial services. By delivering Instafin via the cloud through web and mobile apps, we can address many of the infrastructural and operational complexities these intermediaries grapple with on a daily basis. We improve performance, access data in real-time, reduce costs and scale services quickly and efficiently.
“Our team of technologists, finance specialists and economic development team share a deep understanding of the very real challenges facing financial service providers in developing and frontier markets. Oradian is dedicated to bringing financial institutions the best possible solutions for their specific needs. We are currently serving several hundred thousands individuals and on track to reach our goal: 100,000,000 underserved families – impacting over half a billion people globally,” Separovic said earlier.
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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.
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.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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