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Week Ahead: U.S. consumers, China’s Data, and RBNZ

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Friday’s incredibly impressive U.S. jobs report sent the U.S. dollar and equities higher, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq ending the week at new record highs.

The 255,000 jobs added in July and 292,000 in June, made the markets look beyond the weak release in May of only 24,000 additional jobs.

Unemployment rate held steady at 4.9%, this was largely due to the increase in the labour participation rate, which suggests that Americans are becoming encouraged to enter the workforce.

Wage growth was another bright spot, rising 0.3% in July from a month earlier and 2.6% on annualised basis. The inspiring data will likely provide Fed hawks valid reasons to hike rates sooner than later, but markets seem not yet convinced that a rate hike will occur in 2016.

U.S. Consumers, Are They Spending Enough?
U.S. retail sales figures are the only tier-one economic data release on the U.S. calendar. Unfortunately, traders have to wait until Friday for the data to be released. Should the improved labour market translate into more spending is the key question now.

Economists are looking for a 0.4% increase in retail sales in July, after a 0.6% rise in June, and core retails sales which excludes automobiles, gasoline, food services and building materials is also expected to slow by 0.1% to 0.5%. However, given the strength of the labour market I expect to see a slight surprise to the upside.

China’s Data to Take Centre Stage
There’s a lot of data coming out of China in the week ahead that will shed light again on the health of the second largest economy.

Trade data will be released on Monday, with both imports and exports expected to continue declining but at a slower pace. The argument for stimulus needs will emerge again with the release of consumer prices on Tuesday.

Annualised CPI is expected to slow to 1.8% in July from 1.9% a month earlier and producer prices are expected to remain in negative territory for the 53rd consecutive month. Friday is also a big day for data from China with retails sales, fixed-assets investments, and retails sales all expected to show a slowdown.

Another Central Bank to Ease Monetary Policy
Reserve Bank of New Zealand is set to follow steps taken by Bank of England and Reserve Bank of Australia to be the third major central bank to cut rates.

The announcement of new restrictions to lending limits on residential properties last month raised the prospects for a 0.25% rate cut when the bank meets on Thursday. However, a rate cut alone is not enough to send the Kiwi lower for two reasons.

First, the news is already priced in the currency and second, a 2% interest rate will remain the highest within the universe of major central banks.

So unless the central bank indicates further easing measures in the foreseeable future, expect the NZD to remain firm.

Hussein Sayed is Chief Market Strategist at FXTM


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E-Financial

Flutterwave Rises from Lagos Startup to Africa’s Fintech Powerhouse

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Flutterwave has transformed from a modest Lagos venture into one of Africa’s most valuable fintech firms, processing billions in transactions yearly across 30+ countries and 150+ currencies.

Flutterwave Rises from Lagos Startup to Africa’s Fintech Powerhouse

Flutterwave

Founded in 2016 by Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, and Adeleke Adekoya, it tackled Africa’s fragmented payments—siloed banks, mobile money gaps, and unreliable cross-border flows—with a unified API for seamless collections, payouts, and settlements.

Founding Vision

The trio spotted the pain: Aboyeji’s Andela faced border delays; Agboola drew from PayPal/Google; Adekoya handled compliance. Early wins included Uber Nigeria payouts from a Lekki co-working space, proving scalability amid lean ops.

Growth Milestones

  • 2017–2020: $10M seed/Series A fueled West Africa push; Agboola took CEO helm post-Aboyeji; COVID boosted e-commerce volumes.

  • 2021–2022: Unicorn at $1B+ (Series C, $170M); $3B+ valuation (Series D, $250M); partnerships with Microsoft, Uber; Send App for US diaspora.

  • 2025–2026: Profitability focus yields better margins; 34 US licenses; Mono acquisition ($25–40M) bolsters open banking.

Challenges Overcome

Regulatory hurdles hit: Kenya 2022 freeze (cleared); Nigeria fraud claims (resolved, controls enhanced); culture probes led to reforms with ex-Mastercard/Stripe hires. These underscore multi-jurisdiction risks like FX curbs and cyber threats.

Nigeria’s Fintech Role

Flutterwave anchors alongside Paystack (Stripe-owned), Moniepoint, amid CBN cash curbs and AfCFTA trade boosts. Dual HQ in Lagos/SF eyes IPO post-profitability, cementing it as Africa’s payments backbone.


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CIBN Pledges Full Support to New ACAMB Leadership, Backs Ambitious Roadmap

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Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has pledged its full support to the Association of Corporate and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) following a high-level strategic meeting between the leadership of both bodies.

CIBN Pledges Full Support to New ACAMB Leadership, Backs Ambitious Roadmap

New ACAMB Leadership

The high profile meeting, which took place on Tuesday at the CIBN Building, Lagos, served as a formal introduction of the new ACAMB Executive Committee to the CIBN leadership and marked the beginning of a renewed collaborative alliance.

Leading a delegation of the newly inaugurated ACAMB EXCO and Board of Trustees, the President, Jide Sipe, described the visit as a crucial first step in his tenure, aimed at contributing significantly in giving flight to his vision and that of ACAMB.”

“When we assumed office, one of the first things we agreed on was the need to visit key stakeholders”

“However, before reaching out more broadly, we felt it was important to begin with our primary constituency and core stakeholders. We want them to understand the direction we are taking and to support the work we are doing, so that ACAMB can achieve greater success than it has in the past”

“We couldn’t have properly started our tenure without this very important meeting with the CIBN,” Sipe stated

Sipe introduced the newly constituted ACAMB Exco, which includes, the 2nd Vice President, Morolake Phillip-Ladipo; General Secretary, Olugbenga Owootomo, Assistant General Secretary, Ademola Adeshola; Publicity Secretary, Abiodun Coker, and Executive Secretary, Fadekemi Ajakaiye

During his address, Sipe unveiled an ambitious roadmap for the association, highlighting a new direction focused on youth engagement, professional development, and industry advocacy.

Responding, the CIBN President, Professor Pius Deji Olanrewaju, who warmly received the ACAMB team, commended their forward-thinking vision as he noted that, the association would be focusing on critical areas such as reputational management, sustainable corporate practices, and governance reforms

Olarenwaju also commended ACAMB’s collaboration with CIBN in information management, saying it had raised standards across Nigeria’s banking sector.

“ACAMB’s support has given CIBN and the banking sector brand equity,” he said, praising the association’s record in reputation management.

He recalled ACAMB’s role in addressing crises within the sector, describing the partnership as strategic and beneficial.

He further pledged support for ACAMB’s 30th anniversary in September 2026, its AGM, and other programmes, including fundraising initiatives.

Olarenwaju also promised backing for ACAMB’s capability development and undergraduate mentorship schemes.

“I want to assure you that everything you have presented today has been clearly noted and will be acted upon”

“We are fully committed to working closely with you so as to translate these discussions and vision into measurable progress. Our shared goal is to strengthen the sector, protect its reputation, and enhance its public image in a meaningful and lasting way”

“This meeting discussed various initiatives and reforms crucial for the future of our industry, including the need for continuous training and adaptation to new programs,” Prof. Olanrewaju said.

The meeting concluded on a high note, with both parties expressing gratitude and a firm commitment to deepening their collaboration for the advancement of the banking industry in Nigeria.


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Kuda Bank Teams Up with Lovers & Frnds for Inclusive Valentine’s R&B Bash

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Kuda Microfinance Bank partnered with Lovers & Frnds for a Valentine’s edition event on Sunday, February 15, at Space Hub Lekki, Lagos, redefining celebrations around love, friendship, and social connections beyond romance.

Kuda Bank Teams Up with Lovers & Frnds for Inclusive Valentine’s R&B Bash

Kuda Bank

The R&B-themed gathering drew couples, friend groups, and solo attendees with music sets from DJs like TGarbs, games, gift exchanges, and colour-coded tags—red for relationships, yellow for mingling singles, orange for non-minglers—to spark easy interactions.

Kuda activated a branded photo booth, merchandise giveaways, prize activities, and complimentary drinks for Premium loyalty tier customers, while vendors used Kuda Business POS terminals for seamless cashless payments.

Senior Brand Manager Emmanuel Femi-Adejobi said: “We partner with experiences matching our customers’ lifestyles in music and entertainment, creating spaces they genuinely connect with—we’ll keep supporting how they live and celebrate.”


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