E-Financial
ThriveAgric Partners Heifer to Provide Farmers with Access to Financial Inclusion Services
Agricultural technology company, ThriveAgric, in collaboration with global nonprofit organisation, Heifer International, today hosted a breakfast meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, to mark the official launch of the company’s AYuTe (Agriculture, Youth and Technology) Project.
The initiative which aims to empower 125,000 smallholder farmers with financial inclusion access, further reiterates the company’s mission to build the largest network of profitable farmers across Africa while ensuring food security on the continent.
Over the next twelve months, ThriveAgric and its technical partners will facilitate the opening of bank accounts for 125,000 smallholder farmers across 8 northern states including Adamawa, Gombe, Yobe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi, giving them access to debit cards and other various financial services.
The Project will be in fulfilment of winning the 2022 edition of the annual Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Africa Challenge, an initiative of Heifer International.
In addition to employing over 200 young people to execute this project, ThriveAgric will also be providing 1,000 Point of Sale (POS) devices to selected Nigerian youths to boost and provide additional income to their families.
According to the EFInA Access to Financial Services Survey 2020, only 51% of Nigerian adults use formal financial services with women being continuously more excluded than men.
The report particularly highlights that large gaps in financial access remain for some of Nigeria’s most financially excluded groups with adults in Northern Nigeria significantly more financially excluded than those in the South of Nigeria.
Of this group, rural adults are even more excluded than those in urban areas and this translates to very limited access to funding or funding options.
ThriveAgric will therefore be approaching this project with a gender lens to ensure that at least 40% of the targeted beneficiaries in the 8 northern states of Nigeria, including smallholder farmers, POS operators and project employees are women.
Speaking on the company’s vision behind the AYuTe Project, Ayodeji Arikawe, Co-Founder at ThriveAgric, said: “At ThriveAgric, our driving force has always been to empower smallholder farmers for a dignified livelihood.
“By connecting smallholder farmers to the formal financial economy, we are positioning them for better access to finance, credit, digital services and introducing them to the formal economy which has numerous other benefits in the long run.
“We are excited about this initiative we’re undertaking with Heifer International through the AYuTe Africa Challenge, and for the long term impact of this strategic partnership with VISA towards the creation of job opportunities, financial and social inclusion.
“Our unwavering commitment to positively impact smallholder farmers and their immediate communities across Africa will become even more evident through this project, as we power towards our goal of developing the largest network of profitable farmers in Africa.”
Last year, ThriveAgric emerged as the West African winners of the annual AYuTe Africa Challenge, receiving a $1m grant prize as reward.
Organised by Heifer International, the Agriculture Youth Technology (AYuTe) Challenge was set up to support young entrepreneurs working to scale food security on the continent by developing and deploying affordable tech solutions to impact smallholder farmers.
In addition to the cash grants, Heifer International also deploys a team of expert advisers and accomplished business veterans to support AYuTe Africa Champions as they translate this funding into business expansion strategies.
According to the Country Director of Heifer International, Rufus Idris, “Inadequate access to financial services is a key barrier limiting smallholder farmers from improving farming practices, adopting innovation and increasing their production outputs.
“We are excited about this opportunity to not only invest in ThriveAgric’s solutions but to scale up an agritech innovation that confronts financial inclusion challenges facing smallholder farmers in Nigeria”.
Access to funding remains one of the biggest challenges confronting smallholder farmers in Africa. According to WillAgri, only 10% of farmers have access to credit in rural areas across Sub-Saharan Africa.
By facilitating account opening, distribution of bank cards and setting up POS operators in the rural northern communities, ThriveAgric will be increasing access to formal financial services through digital tools thereby driving financial inclusion, a key promoter of access to finance and markets for more smallholder farmers.
Key partnerships with companies like Visa to reach the most financially excluded groups, a lot of whom are smallholder farmers, demonstrates how ThriveAgric will be leveraging strategic partnerships to attain the company’s ambition of providing $500 million in credit to 10 million smallholder farmers across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya by 2027.
Commenting on the innovative move, Ayodeji Alabi, Fintech Lead at Visa Inc. West Africa said, “We wish ThriveAgric well with this initiative to onboard over 125,000 farmers on the Financial Inclusion drive in Nigeria.
“With ThriveAgric as winners of the Visa Everywhere Initiative in 2022, they have our full support in this to facilitate payment solutions towards ensuring that underserved communities are banked.”
The AYuTe Project is yet another step in the right direction for ThriveAgric, as the company accelerates towards its goal of building an Africa that feeds itself.
Bank Verification Number (BVN) database rose to a new high in July 2025, with total enrollments climbing to 66.23 million, a 4.3 per cent increase within the first seven months of the year, as Nigerians residing outside the country enrolled through the Non-Resident BVN (NRBVN) initiative.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had, earlier this year, introduced the NRBVN, alongside the Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account (NRNOA) and the Non-Resident Nigerian Investment Account (NRNIA), to attract diaspora investments into the country.
Subsequently, commercial banks with international licences took up the challenge, launching roadshows to help Nigerians abroad open accounts and enrol in the biometric identity system.
This effort drove up the number of enrollments from the 63.48 million recorded as of December 2024.
According to the latest figures from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most active years for BVN registration since 2021.
Over the past four years, BVN growth has maintained a steady upward trend: from 51.9 million in 2021, enrollments rose by 7.9 per cent to 56 million in 2022, followed by a 7.4 per cent increase to 60.1 million in 2023.
Growth moderated slightly in 2024, with a 5.6 per cent rise, but the 4.3 per cent increase already recorded by mid-2025 suggests this year could surpass last year’s total by December.
The NRBVN enables Nigerians living abroad to enroll for BVNs remotely, eliminating the need to visit bank branches in Nigeria.
At a cost of $50, the initiative has significantly broadened the system’s reach and strengthened diaspora engagement with the country’s formal financial services.
The spike in non-resident enrollments has also been supported by stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements across the banking sector and deeper collaboration with fintechs that streamline the onboarding process.
Together, these efforts have reinforced the BVN’s role as a cornerstone of digital identity and financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Alongside the rise in BVN registrations, the banking sector is witnessing increased account activity.
As of March 2025, the number of active bank accounts reached an all-time high of 320.053 million.
Dormant accounts stood at 33.4 million, while 29.4 million accounts had been closed.
This compares to slightly lower figures in February, which recorded 316.8 million active accounts, 19.9 million dormant accounts, and 33.3 million closures.
The rebound in March points to a growing number of Nigerians re-engaging with the formal banking system, aligning with broader efforts by financial institutions and regulators to promote access, trust, and compliance within the financial sector.
Zenith Bank Plc on Tuesday rewarded Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with ₦200 million for winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship.
L-R: Executive Director, Mr. Henry Oroh; Executive Director; Mr. Louis Odom; D’Tigress Captain, Amy Okonkwo; President, NBBF, Engr. Musa Kida; Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Zenith Bank Plc., Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON; Head Coach, D’Tigress, Rena Wakama; Executive Director, Mrs. Adobi Nwapa and Executive Director, Mr. Akin Ogunranti during the reception hosted by Zenith Bank to celebrate D’Tigress’ 2025 Afrobasket Women’s Championship triumph in Abuja, yesterday.
The reception, held at the bank’s head office in Maitama, Abuja, was organised to honour the team for clinching a historic fifth consecutive AfroBasket title.
Each player is expected to receive ₦10 million, which will be paid into their Zenith Bank accounts, while the technical crew and other officials will share the balance.
D’Tigress defeated Mali 78–64 in the final played in Abidjan on Sunday. The team returned to Nigeria on Monday and was received by President Bola Tinubu, who conferred National Honours of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on the players and gave them cash rewards.
Zenith Bank has sponsored the Women National Basketball League for 18 years, with several players and officials of the current team having passed through the league.
Among them are Murjanatu Musa, MVP of the Air Warriors team that won the 2022 league title, and Ifunnaya Okoro. The team’s head coach, Rena Wakama, also played in the league with First Bank Women Basketball Club.
Present at the reception were Zenith Bank Executive Directors Adobi Nwapa, Akin Ogunranti, Henry Oroh and Louis Odom.
Also in attendance were the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Kida, and other board members.
Speaking at the event, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, commended the team for their performance and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting women’s basketball in Nigeria.
“Your victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket is not just a win for Nigeria, it is a win for African sports,” she said.
Responding on behalf of the team, captain and tournament MVP, Amy Okonkwo, thanked Zenith Bank for its continued support for women’s basketball in the country.Zenith Bank Plc
Dr. Emomotimi Agama, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria, has said that West Africa is fast emerging as a global epicentre for virtual asset adoption, propelled by a young, tech-savvy population and macroeconomic instability.
Speaking at the West Africa Compliance Summit organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) in Praia, Cape Verde, Dr. Agama warned that while the region’s embrace of digital currencies is accelerating, the absence of coordinated regulation leaves it vulnerable to financial crimes and illicit capital flows.
“With over 60 percent of West Africa’s population under the age of 25 and mobile-first fintech platforms thriving, the region has become a global hotspot for virtual asset adoption,” he said. “But we must act decisively. Regulation is not optional, it is an imperative.”
The summit, themed “Adapting and Thriving in a Complex and Evolving Compliance Landscape,” brought together financial regulators, compliance professionals, and security experts to explore the challenges posed by the rapid rise of virtual assets and decentralised finance (DeFi).
Dr. Agama disclosed that crypto transactions in Nigeria alone surpassed $56 billion in 2024, with citizens increasingly turning to stablecoins such as USDT and USDC to hedge against volatile local currencies. He highlighted the growing trend of “crypto-dollarisation,” noting that young professionals now demand salaries in stablecoins, while businesses are adopting platforms like Binance Pay for cross-border transactions.
“The naira’s depreciation, Ghana’s cedi weakness, and persistent forex shortages have fueled this shift,” he explained. “Traditional remittance channels charge up to 10 percent in fees, while cryptocurrencies offer faster and cheaper alternatives. Over $20 billion in remittances flowed into West Africa last year through crypto channels.”
However, he also cautioned that the same innovations driving financial efficiency are increasingly being exploited by fraudsters and criminal actors. He cited GIABA’s report of $2.1 billion in suspicious crypto-related transactions across West Africa in 2024 alone, including the use of privacy coins by terror financiers to evade detection.
“Unregulated exchanges, artificial market crashes, DeFi ‘rug pulls,’ and Ponzi schemes have wiped out billions in investor funds,” he said. “The recent collapse of the CBEX Ponzi platform is just one of many such incidents. Strong regulation and regional coordination are the only path forward.”
Dr. Agama pointed to Nigeria’s recent legislative progress, especially the enactment of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, which formally classifies virtual assets—including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, utility tokens, and NFTs—as securities under Section 355(4) and Part I of the Second Schedule.
“Under the new law, all exchanges, wallets, and DeFi platforms must be licensed by the SEC,” he stated. “We’ve also established a Fintech and Innovation Department to facilitate ongoing dialogue with industry stakeholders and adapt our regulations to emerging realities.”
He called on West African governments to harmonise regulatory frameworks and strengthen intelligence-sharing, proposing a Unified Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Licensing System under the ECOWAS framework.
“A crypto trader banned in Nigeria should not find safe haven in Ghana,” he asserted. “Financial crime knows no borders. Our collective future depends on our ability to secure this emerging financial frontier.”
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