Finance
Internally Generated Revenue: Abia State Hits N1 billion In January


Governor Okezie Ikpeazu led administration has met its target of hitting the N1bn mark in Abia State internally generated revenue drive for the month of January 2020.
With this, Ikpeazu has significantly raised Abia State revenue profile while also paying the new minimum wage agreed by the Federal Government and Labour to its civil servants without any rancour or hesitation.
This was made known by the State’s Commissioner for Finance, Dr Aham Uko, during a radio program in Umuahia.
Uko stated that Abia State pays the highest wage per worker in the entire southeast region and praised the Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, for approving a wage structure that pays the lowest wage earner in Abia above the approved N30,000 minimum wage.
According to him, Dr Ikpeazu has shown enormous commitment to the welfare of the workers and parastatals in the state by approving commencement of payment of the new minimum wage to civil servants in the state and regular payment of subventions to affected parastatals.
“We have been able to achieve these targets, and to sustain them, we are doing everything possible to ensure that the new improved workers’ wages in the state are paid promptly by pursuing an aggressive revenue drive strategy that ensures government is not stranded and is never found wanting in the discharge of its responsibilities to its citizens.
“For us as a State, what we are doing is to ensure we bring in a lot more people into the tax net; it is not by having multiple taxation. No! We are also ensuring that those that withdraw PAYE (from their workers), remit the taxes to the State’s Board of Internal Revenue. We are going to be very aggressive in the collection of taxes because it is part of the citizens’ responsibilities to the state to pay their taxes just as government is obligated to use the taxes so collected to provide infrastructure and other amenities for the people”, he said.
To plug leakages, Dr Aham Uko stated that the state government is introducing automation in the collection of flying revenues and generally reform the mode of collection. “Our internally generated revenue has since gone past the usual N650m – N700m monthly threshold. We did N1bn in January, and our target is to ensure that by June/July, we must do N1.5bn and take it up to N2bn by December or early next year.
“I am very much aware that we need this revenue to repair our facilities and to build our infrastructure. We are going to do a lot more because the opportunities are there for us to do a lot more. If we increase the consciousness of the people, and with the Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, taking very bold steps across board to ensure that we join the league of the big states in terms of internally generated revenue, Abia will remain highly competitive and viable”, he concluded.
Finance
NGX Boss, Umaru Kwairanga, to Chair Business Journal Fintech Roundtable 2025
By Our Correspondent


Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) will Chair the 2nd Business Journal Fintech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2025 scheduled for Friday, August 29, 2025 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos. Time is 10-am prompt.
The theme of the Roundtable is: Fintech & Financial Inclusion: The Opportunities & Challenges for Nigeria.
In a statement, Prince Cookey, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Business Journal Media Group said the choice of Umaru Kwairanga to chair the event is a reflection of his immense and chequered journey in the Nigerian economic system over the years.
“Dr. Umaru Kwairanga is a noted player in the Nigerian economy and financial services sector. Over the years, he has carved a positive niche in driving the narrative in national policy formulation, implementation and review. He remains a worthy point of reference and role model to current and future players in the Nigerian economy.”
Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, Sarkin Fulani Gombe and Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), is a notable player in the Nigerian corporate world, a thorough-bred professional and a prominent community leader in Gombe State and the North East region.
He has served at the highest levels of the banking, pension, investment, manufacturing and commercial sectors of Nigeria’s economy. He is the current Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Nigeria’ oldest stock exchange and also Chairman of Tangerine General Insurance Limited.
The NGX Chairman is also a Director on the Boards of First Bank Senegal Limited, Tangerine Apt Pensions Limited and the Group Managing Director of Finmal Finance Services Limited.
He is a past Chairman of Ashaka Cement plc and previously served on the Boards of Jaiz Bank Plc, Central Securities Clearing System Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc and First Bank Mortgages Limited to mention a few.
Professionally, Alhaji Kwairanga is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria, the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria and the Abuja Commodities and Securities Exchange.
He is also a Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers; the Chartered Institute of Directors and he is the current President of the Certified Pensions Institute of Nigeria.
Kwairanga is a holder of the prominent traditional title of Sarkin Fulani Gombe and has led several initiatives for peace and development in Gombe State and the North East region in general.
He has also been involved in policy and strategy formulation in the public sector as a Member of the Vision 2020 Committee, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan and several committees of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Finance
PAFON 2.0: Experts Highlight Ingredients for Accelerated Financial Inclusion in Nigeria


Improved efforts at collaboration among financial service providers, telecommunication operators, and tech Startups, with conscious effort geared at consumer awareness, have been proffered as key remedies to the challenge of financial inclusion in the country.
This is the viewpoint of stakeholders that gathered for the second edition of Payment Forum Nigeria (PAFON 2.0) held recently in Lagos.


Delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Bridging the Customer Experience Gap for Financial Inclusion Using AI”, Ebehijie Momoh (Mrs.), the managing director and chief executive officer of AfriGoPay Financial Services Limited, said that with 64% of Nigerian adults being financial included the country has made immense progress in that regards.
She said that between 2012 till date, the country has recorded robust regulatory reforms, especially the launch of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) in 2014 making it easier to identify and track customers across different banks.
“This initiative enhanced the credibility of the financial sector and increased confidence in formal banking systems.
The growth in adoption of smartphones has also helped the financial sector to leapfrog financial inclusion. Nigeria has 142.16 mobile internet subscriptions with an average consumption of ~7.04GB / month as of January 2025. If you juxtapose it to the 15.9% decline in shipments of feature phones to 18.8 million units in Africa as at Q1 2024, you will understand that the uptake in smartphones has helped us a great deal.
Mrs. Momoh who spoke through Mr. Munachi Duru, the head of Innovation and Strategic Partnership at AfriGoPay, said the adoption of artificial intelligence banking gave birth to solutions like smile identity, a leading KYC verification provider launches facial recognition capabilities in Nigeria as neobanks and commercial banks are deploying AI-based KYC verification tools, enabling cheaper and efficient customer acquisition and servicing.
In her goodwill message, Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities Limited (SANEF) Limited said that with progress made in accelerating financial inclusion to unbanked and underbanked communities in Nigeria, SANEF has leveraged Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the next step to advancement in financial services in the country.
She noted that as technology evolves rapidly within the financial ecosystem, Financial Inclusion must continue to be at the center of the nation’s progress.


According to her, agent banking has been a game-changer in expanding financial inclusion across Nigeria. “By deploying agents in underserved areas, we have brought financial services and banking products such as account opening, cash in, cash out, bill payment, transfers and other services closer to the unbanked and underserved.”
Speaking during a panel session, Mr. Ibirogba Oluwagunwa, chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Mobile Money & Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), spoke of lack of collaboration and slow institutional drive towards AI as key barriers hindering digital inclusion.
He harped on the need for information sharing among fintech operators, and improved free flow of information to consumers. “The human barrier angle needs to be addressed. Fintechs need to be pushed to move forward, AI cannot operate itself.”
In his contribution, Mr. Chika Nwosu, managing director of PalmPay, reiterated the need to reach the consumers with simple format communication and education style.
He said operators should create awareness and design consumer-centric approach in developing any products. This will not only draw the consumers towards the product, but also generate trust and ease the use of such products.
Focusing on the use of AI to ensure reach, inclusion and security, Azure Application and AI Specialist at Microsoft UK, Olusoji Solomon Adeyemo, spoke on the need for AI and Blockchain in the bid to extend services to rural communities and the unbanked.


According to him, “AI, Blockchain and CBDs are shaping the future of payment, and there is a serious need for education. We need to align with global trends in new tech adoption.”
While noting that AI can ensure reach, Adeyomo said blockchain will also create digital identity that is exclusive and will promote digital financial inclusion.
In her position, Oluwabunmi Ogunyemi, the customer support lead at Moniepoint MFB, proffered physical and digital meet with customers, even in rural areas, as a viable means of inclusivity.
Also speaking, Olusegun Afolabi, the co-founder of Face Technologies UK Ltd., called for improved collaborations among stakeholders in the financial sector.
According to him, the fintech companies must also embrace effective identification solutions, focusing on biometrics and card technologies to ensure topnotch security for users.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. Peter Oluka, co-Convener of the Forum, noted that the financial inclusion journey in the country has come to a crucial juncture where over 30 million adults are still financially excluded, many of whom reside in rural areas or belong to vulnerable demographics.
He noted that despite 12% growth in access to formal financial services between 2020 and 2023, as recorded by the EFInA Access to Financial Services Survey 2023, challenges still exist that hinders the unlocking of the potentials of digital payments to drive inclusive growth in Nigeria.
He further posited: “As digital infrastructure grows and fintech innovation accelerates, we must channel these advancements toward building a more inclusive, secure, and trusted financial ecosystem. This is not just about transactions — it’s about empowerment, opportunity, and economic participation for all.


Nodding in agreement, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-Convener, PAFON, reiterated the need for all stakeholders in the financial payment industry, including regulators, to participate in forums as PAFON, to map out, growth strategies with consumers and other strata of the ecosystem.


He promised to invite security stakeholders, such as the EFCC and others in subsequent editions of the event. This will help give insight into security concerns in deployment of products and services in rural and unbanked communities.
Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON) is a platform dedicated to shaping the future of digital payments and financial services in our country.
Finance
Flutterwave Powers Local Businesses in Ghana Through Pay With Bank Transfer
Reporter: Ikenna Ugwu


Flutterwave, a leading payments technology company in Africa, has broadened its reach in Ghana through the integration of Pay With Bank Transfer, done in partnership with Affinity Bank.
With over 115 million bank transfer payments recorded in Ghana in 2023, this move will ensure that Flutterwave businesses in Ghana can now receive payments seamlessly and securely through a rapidly growing payment method. While Mobile Money leads as the preferred payment type for everyday transactions in Ghana, the recent growth in transactions for Pay With Bank Transfer symbolizes the expanding payment options available for Ghanaian businesses.
Flutterwave has a track record of driving innovation in the African finance ecosystem, and this new development promises versatility, thereby expanding the pool of customers available to businesses. As a preferred payment method, it also promises faster payments while providing access to a more secure process of transacting which benefits both the sender and the receiver (business).
“We are excited to extend our services to the Ghanaian market” says Olugbenga Agboola, Flutterwave Founder & CEO“At Flutterwave, we are driven by the vision of building Africa’s economy. By making payment options like Pay With Bank Transfer available for everyday use, we are expanding access to payments and enabling local businesses to thrive in the economy”
By establishing this strategic partnership, Flutterwave aims to drive the adoption of the Pay With Bank Transfer option in Ghana, using virtual accounts to allow for secure and transparent payments. This will provide enterprises and small businesses with a simpler way to receive payments and give their customers a seamless process of making payments.
Geoffrey Fiador, Manager, Country Operations and Partnerships, at Flutterwave stated: “By delivering essential payment options like Pay With Bank Transfer for businesses in Ghana, we’re providing an easy way for them to increase their revenue opportunities to grow their businesses. ”
This announcement comes at the heels of Flutterwave’s recent approval by the Bank of Ghana to provide inward remittance services. With a track record of success across Africa, Flutterwave continues to be a trusted partner for businesses in over 34 countries, providing the tools and expertise necessary for success in the dynamic African market.