E-Financial
WorldRemit raises $40m to target 5m customers in Africa
By peter oluka
Leading digital money transfer service WorldRemit has raised $40m to drive its next phase of global growth, aiming to serve 10 million customers connected to emerging markets. Half of these customers will be in Africa.
As part of the expansion, WorldRemit will enable customers in Africa to transfer money to 148 countries as easily as sending an instant message, using the WorldRemit app. Countries in Africa which now receive remittances through WorldRemit, will become send countries. Most importantly, the new service will make sending money within Africa faster, easier and low cost. According to the World Bank, inter-Africa transfers are amongst the most expensive in the world.
Money transfers to Africa account for more than half of WorldRemit’s total volume of transactions. The company currently handles 74% of remittances to popular mobile money services across Africa like MTN, Ecocash, Tigo Pesa, Vodafone M-Pesa and Airtel Money, making it the global leader in mobile-to-mobile international money transfers.
Ismail Ahmed, founder and CEO at WorldRemit, comments: “This new funding will fuel our growth, and help bring our service to millions more customers across the globe. Africa is a crucial market for us and over the next few years, we will expand our services so customers can send and receive with WorldRemit, getting the benefits of our fast, secure online service.”
Since its last funding round in 2015, WorldRemit has launched 206 new services across the globe and has grown its transaction volume by 400%. Last month WorldRemit became Arsenal FC’s first-ever online money transfer partner.
The Series C round was led by LeapFrog Investments – a dedicated equity investor in emerging markets, supporting fast-growth firms that deliver social impact alongside commercial returns. The round also had significant participation from existing investors Accel and Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV).
This latest funding round follows a Series B investment raised from TCV in 2015 and a Series A from Accel and Project A in 2014 – then one of the largest ever Series A rounds in Europe.
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
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.”
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lowered its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 50 basis points to 26.50 percent from 27 percent, a unanimous decision announced by Governor Olayemi Cardoso at the end of the 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
CBN
Cardoso cited 11 straight months of decelerating headline inflation—reaching 15.10 percent in January 2026 per National Bureau of Statistics—as key, driven by prior tightening lags, naira stability, food supply gains, steady petroleum prices, export earnings, remittances, and balance of payments strength.
Liquidity ratio stays at 30 percent, CRR unchanged at 45 percent for commercial banks (16 percent merchant banks) and 75 percent non-TSA public deposits; standing facilities corridor now +50/-450 basis points around MPR.
The MPC retained other parameters, welcoming Executive Order 09 redirecting oil/gas revenues to the federation account for fiscal boost, last cutting rates in September 2025 after November’s hold.
Abiodun Olokunjuwon, a retired civil servant based in Ibadan has instituted a N50 million lawsuit against Moniepoint Microfinance Bank at the Oyo State High Court, alleging that the fintech company opened unauthorized bank accounts in her name without her knowledge or consent.
Filed in February 2026, the suit is among the first significant cases testing the enforcement of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 against a Nigerian fintech institution.
According to the statement of claim, the plaintiff became aware of the alleged unauthorized accounts only after her legitimate bank account was restricted pursuant to a garnishee order linked to a debt she denies incurring.
The restriction reportedly prevented her from accessing funds needed for essential transactions.
The claimant alleges that Moniepoint opened two separate accounts in her name using her National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) without proper authorization or verification.
Following the discovery, she submitted a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) under the NDPA 2023. Documents allegedly provided by the bank, according to the suit, revealed significant verification lapses.
The plaintiff claims the accounts were opened using falsified documents, including what she describes as a fake NIN slip and contact information unrelated to her.
She further alleges that the accounts listed a Lagos residential address where she has never lived.
The suit contends that Moniepoint failed to implement adequate identity verification and address confirmation procedures before creating and operating the accounts. It further alleges breaches of statutory obligations under the NDPA 2023, including:
- Failure to ensure personal data processed was accurate and lawfully obtained
- Failure to implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures
- Failure to prevent unauthorized or fraudulent processing of personal data
The claimant maintains that these alleged lapses resulted in serious personal and financial harm.
The plaintiff is seeking N50 million in damages for emotional distress, health complications, and disruption to her financial life.
She is also asking the court to order the permanent closure of the allegedly unauthorized accounts.
No date has been fixed for hearing on the matter.
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