E-Financial
UBA, Redtech, MoMo PSB Expand Merchant Payment Access Across Nigeria
United Bank for Africa (UBA), Redtech, and MoMo PSB have launched a payment interoperability partnership that expands cardless payment access for consumers and merchants across Nigeria. Redtech is backed by Heirs Holdings; MoMo PSB is MTN Nigeria’s fintech subsidiary.
L-r: Manager, Partnership & Ecosystem, MTN/MoMo PSB, Emmanuel Akhigbe; Head Human Resource,MTN/MoMo PSB , Rabi Adetoro; Managing Director/ CEO, Redtech Limited, Emmanuel Ojo; Chief Executive Officer, MTN MoMo, Omolara Michael Nwadu; Group Head, Digital Banking, United Bank for Africa(UBA), Olukayode Olubiyi; Head of Sales, MTN/MoMo PSB, Lanre Raheem; Head, Business Development,MTN/MoMo PSB, Ahmad Turajo; and Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, UBA, Alero Ladipo, during the launch of payment interoperability partnership targeted at expanding cardless payment access for consumers and merchants across Nigeria and Africa, powered by Redtech, MoMo PSB and UBA at the UBA House Marina on Tuesday
With this development, MoMo PSB customers can now make payments directly from their MoMo wallets at participating UBA merchant locations using the “Pay with MoMo” feature on RedPay POS terminals; they can also visit any UBA branch to make withdrawals and deposits from and into their MoMo accounts. For online shoppers, e-commerce merchants can now receive payments directly from MoMo PSB customers through Redtech’s payment gateway infrastructure.
The partnership brings together Redtech’s payment technology and enablement capabilities, UBA’s merchant-acquiring and distribution layer, and MoMo PSB’s mobile money wallet ecosystem and customer base. Redtech holds licences as a Payment Terminal Service Provider (PTSP) and Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) from the Central Bank of Nigeria, authorising it to provide both POS and payment gateway services. Together, the three organisations are addressing a critical gap in Nigeria’s payments market – connecting banking-led merchant acceptance with telco-led mobile money wallets.
For MoMo PSB customers, Pay with MoMo increases the number of places where their wallets can be used for everyday payments. In the case of merchants, it opens access to a wider pool of customers and provides an additional payment option at the point of sale.
UBA’s Head, Digital Banking, Kayode Olubiyi, who spoke during the launch, noted that this partnership represents the solution to the gap identified in cash transactions and card access.
“What this partnership represents is an honest and effective answer to the gap we identified in cash transactions and card access. Our merchants are already serving millions of customers every day through the UBA network. By bringing Pay with MoMo into that network, we are giving those merchants a direct connection to MoMo PSB’s customer base – and giving MoMo PSB customers more places to use their wallets when they shop. That is a clear win for both sides.”
Redtech’s Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Ojo, emphasised that the partnership aims to make payments work better together in a way that is practical for everyday commerce.
“This partnership is about making payments work more seamlessly for everyday commerce and most importantly, It aligns with Africapitalism, as championed by the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, CFR. By integrating our RedPay technology with MoMo PSB’s wallets through the UBA network, we will offer merchants and customers greater choice. Our goal is to build the payment infrastructure that ensures a merchant never has to turn away any customer in Nigeria or across Africa because of their preferred payment method. By connecting our technology with MoMo PSB’s wallets through the UBA network, we are giving merchants and customers more options”
Ag. CEO, MoMo PSB, Omolara Michael-Nwadu, who highlighted the barriers to payment in the country, emphasised the importance of partnerships, explaining how integrating MoMo wallets into UBA’s merchant network through Redtech’s infrastructure will unlock additional merchant touchpoints.
“This partnership marks a significant step toward true interoperability in Nigeria’s payments ecosystem. By integrating MoMo wallets into UBA’s merchant network through Redtech’s infrastructure, we are removing barriers between bank-led and mobile money systems while unlocking access to over 55,000 merchant touchpoints. Our focus is on driving usage at scale, enabling more transactions, deeper engagement, and greater value for merchants. At MoMo PSB, we are building a more connected financial ecosystem where payments aren’t tied to platforms but to a seamless customer experience. At MoMo PSB, our focus is on simplifying payments, expanding access to financial services and helping more Nigerians do more every day. Pay with MoMo gives our customers more places to use their wallets, while supporting broader financial inclusion by bringing useful financial services closer to where people live, work and do business.”
UBA’s Group Head, Brands, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, captured the broader significance of the moment at the signing ceremony. “Every institution in this room is a giant in its own right. What makes today meaningful is the decision to come together anyway,” she said. Ladipo added, “Financial inclusion is not a slogan to us at UBA. It is a commitment that requires scale, technology, and the willingness to build ecosystems rather than silos. This partnership is that commitment made concrete.”
Pay with MoMo is being introduced through RedPay POS terminals already deployed within UBA’s merchant network. More than 55,000 RedPay POS terminals have been deployed across the network, with the platform having processed over ₦278.47 billion in transaction value and more than 12.23 million transactions to date.
Starting in Nigeria, Pay with MoMo is now live at participating UBA merchant locations, with plans to extend the rollout to selected African markets where both MoMo PSB and UBA operate.
KudiWave Technologies Limited has raised questions over the transfer of N750,369,439.04 from its account with PalmPay Limited, seeking clarification on the timing, destination and circumstances surrounding the transaction.
In a statement, on Tuesday, KudiWave said the disputed debit was recorded on July 15, 2026, under the narration “Judicial Adjustment”.
The company said it was not notified of, or did not authorise, the transaction.
According to KudiWave, it had already approached the Federal High Court in Lagos to challenge an earlier order affecting its account.Politics News Service
The company said its application, filed on July 3, sought to set aside the June 29 order and stay its execution.
“The motion was heard on July 13 and adjourned for ruling. Two days later, the N750.37 million was transferred out of the account,” the company said.
KudiWave further stated that PalmPay had been served with the application before the July 15 transaction and did not file a counter-affidavit opposing the application.
The company also raised questions about an earlier movement of funds on July 11, which it said became apparent after access to the account was restored.
According to KudiWave, its account records showed that the funds were moved on July 11 and returned the same day before another transfer was recorded on July 15.
“PalmPay moved the money on July 11 and sent it back that same day. They then took it out again on July 15. When the account was opened, we saw how the money had been moved around while the account was frozen and we were not aware of it,” the company said.
The dispute followed an ex parte order obtained by the Inspector General of Police through officers of the Police Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, which placed restrictions on accounts belonging to several parties, including KudiWave, pending investigation.
The restriction was subsequently implemented on KudiWave’s account with PalmPay.
Further proceedings were filed under Suit No. FHC/L/CS/795/2026 before Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, in relation to funds standing to KudiWave’s credit.
KudiWave said the court granted an application on June 29.
The company subsequently challenged the order, arguing that it had not been properly served with the processes leading to the decision and had not been effectively brought before the court when the application was heard.
According to KudiWave, Justice Kala considered the company’s subsequent application on July 22 and set aside, vacated and discharged the June 29 order.
The company said the court also directed that the restrictions placed on its account be removed.
KudiWave further stated that the court examined the circumstances surrounding the purported service of the processes and raised questions about whether leaving documents at a gate, without sufficient indication of the company’s specific address, amounted to effective service.
The company quoted the court as describing the circumstances surrounding the service as “very curious”.
KudiWave also said the ruling recognised the court’s inherent power to set aside its own decision where circumstances justify such intervention.
The July 22 ruling came after the July 15 transfer.
KudiWave, however, said the transaction should be considered in the context of the fact that the June 29 order was already being challenged and that its application had been argued before the court two days earlier.
The company has also questioned the destination of the funds.
According to KudiWave, its understanding of the June 29 order was that the identified funds were to be transferred to a designated Police Recovery Account associated with the Police Special Fraud Unit.
The company said its account records instead indicated that the N750,369,439.04 was transferred to an Access Bank business account.
KudiWave said it wants clarification on the identity of the beneficiary, the instruction that authorised the transfer and the basis for the July 11 movement of funds.
“The issue for us is simple. If the order identified a particular account for the funds, there must be a clear explanation of why our records show the money going elsewhere and who ultimately received it,” the company said.
KudiWave said it was seeking a reconciliation of transactions carried out on its account during the restriction period and was considering further legal and regulatory steps in relation to the disputed transactions.
The company also said that, during earlier efforts to resolve the restriction, Barrister Prince Oko, its Company Secretary, met with officers of the Police Special Fraud Unit.
KudiWave alleged that a request for N50 million was made in connection with efforts to remove the restriction and said the company rejected the request.
The allegation has not been independently established and has not been determined by a court.
KudiWave maintained that its concerns do not relate to compliance with lawful court orders but to whether the transactions involving its funds were carried out in accordance with the terms of the relevant judicial directive.
The company said it wants clarification on the July 11 transactions, the subsequent N750,369,439.04 transfer on July 15, the destination of the funds and the circumstances surrounding the transactions.
Credit demand for house purchases by Nigerian households rose to 9.6 index points in the second quarter of 2026 (Q2 2026), indicating increased borrowing for personal home acquisition.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed this in its Credit Conditions Survey Report for Q2 2026, which showed an overall increase in credit availability across secured, unsecured and corporate lending during the period.
The apex bank said lenders also recorded lower default rates across major lending categories.
According to the report, credit demand increased to 15.1 index points for secured lending and 15.2 index points for corporate lending, while demand for unsecured lending remained subdued at -1.2 index points.
Within the household segment, consumer loan demand increased to 11.2 index points, while credit for house purchases rose to 9.6 index points.
Mortgage and re-mortgage lending also increased to 13.3 index points, while demand for small business lending to households climbed to 26.4 index points.
For unsecured household credit, demand for overdrafts and personal loans rose to 7.9 index points, while credit card lending declined to -2.0 index points.
In the corporate sector, credit demand expanded across different business categories.
The report showed that demand rose to 26.5 index points among small businesses, 25.5 index points for medium-sized Private Non-Financial Corporations (PNFCs), and 8.9 index points for large PNFCs.
Credit demand from Other Financial Corporations (OFCs), however, remained unchanged at 0.0 index points.
The CBN further reported that commercial banks observed a broad-based decline in default rates across secured and unsecured loans.
Default rates also declined across corporate borrower categories, including small businesses, medium-sized and large PNFCs, as well as OFCs.
The latest figures indicate stronger household and business appetite for credit during the quarter, particularly for housing, consumer needs and small business activities, amid an overall improvement in lending conditions.
Federal Ministry of Finance has halted enforcement of about N680 million in disputed fees imposed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on NICON Insurance Limited and Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation (Nig Re) as part of the ongoing insurance industry recapitalisation exercise.
The Ministry also directed NAICOM to suspend its demand that the two companies transfer their entire recapitalisation funds into an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pending determination of a petition challenging the legality of the charges and the directive.
The intervention followed a July 27, 2026 petition by NICON and Nig Re over what they described as unlawful fees and regulatory demands arising from the implementation of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.
In a letter to the Commissioner for Insurance, Raymond Omachi, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, on behalf of Taiwo Oyedele, minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, requested that NAICOM provide a detailed response and legal justification for the disputed requirements.
The Ministry specifically directed the Commission to suspend enforcement of the contested processing and verification fees, the one per cent Capital Injection Fee, and the directive requiring the companies to transfer their full recapitalisation funds to a CBN escrow account.
The dispute centres on NAICOM’s assessment of a one per cent fee on capital injected by operators, alongside additional processing and verification charges prescribed under Appendix 2 of the Commission’s Minimum Capital Requirement Guidelines.
According to the petition, the combined assessments amounted to N305 million for NICON and N375 million for Nig Re, bringing the disputed charges to N680 million.
The companies are also challenging what they described as an unconstitutional requirement to transfer more than the statutory proportion of their recapitalisation funds to the CBN.
They contend that Section 16(3) of NIIRA 2025 provides for a 10 per cent statutory deposit, and not the transfer of the entire capital injection into an escrow account.
The companies told the Ministry that they had already met the July 31, 2026 recapitalisation deadline.
NICON said it injected N420 billion, while Nig Re injected N30 billion into Mudaraba Term Deposit accounts with Lotus Bank Limited. The companies maintained that the amounts exceeded their adjusted recapitalisation requirements of N16 billion and N28 billion, respectively.
They further stated that they had deposited N42.5 billion and N43.5 billion respectively with the CBN, in compliance with the statutory deposit requirement under Section 16(3) of the new law.
The companies also disclosed that they had made initial payments of N480 million and N75 million, respectively, in fees.
The Finance Ministry’s directive effectively places the disputed charges and escrow requirement on hold while NAICOM is expected to justify the legal and regulatory basis for its actions.
The intervention could have wider implications for the insurance industry’s recapitalisation programme, particularly as operators face regulatory deadlines to strengthen their capital base under the new insurance law.
The controversy also raises questions about the extent to which regulatory guidelines can impose additional financial obligations on operators beyond those expressly provided for under the enabling legislation.
NAICOM is now expected to respond to the Ministry’s request and explain the statutory basis for the one per cent capital injection fee, the additional processing and verification charges, and the requirement for the full capital injection to be transferred into a CBN escrow account.
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