Telecom
FairMoney Looking to Expand Footprint in Kenya through Umba Acquisition

FairMoney, a digital bank based in Lagos is in talks to acquire Umba, a credit-led digital bank operating in Kenya, for $20 million in an all-stock deal.
The fintech firm seeks to grow its customer base, particularly in Kenya, solving the challenges faced by many African fintechs due to global funding slowdown.
Founded in 2016, FairMoney has become a well-known Nigerian lender, attracting over $57 million in funding and asserting over 6 million customers. While venturing into India in 2020, recent updates on that expansion remain unavailable.
Launched in 2018, Umba initially focused on retail banking in Nigeria before expanding to offer merchant financing and business banking in both Nigeria and Kenya. While user numbers haven’t been disclosed, they secured a microfinance license in Kenya through a strategic acquisition in 2022.
Obtaining a microfinance license in Kenya is notoriously difficult, with only 14 issued compared to Nigeria’s 600+. For FairMoney, acquiring Umba’s license could offer a faster entry point into the Kenyan market.
Considering Umba’s financial situation, FairMoney’s offer might be enticing. Recent data reveals they generated $335,000 in revenue versus $1.54 million in expenses between January and June 2023. Moreover, after a $15 million Series A funding round in 2022, they secured a $1.55 million bridge round at a significantly lower valuation, aligning with FairMoney’s offer.
This potential deal follows a recent acquisition in the Nigerian fintech space – Carbon’s purchase of SME-focused Vella Finance. This shows the evolving state of African fintechs, where tightened VC funding necessitates consolidation and strategic partnerships.
While acquisition talks are ongoing, Umba may explore other options. Ultimately, this potential deal, if successful, highlights both FairMoney’s expansion drive and the changing dynamics of the African fintech sector in the challenging economic climate.
Telecom
MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge

Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
Telecom
Crypto Scam Unmasked: U.S. Recovers Record $225m in Global Fraud Bust

The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
Telecom
Nnaemeka Ani Calls on African Techies to Rewrite the Narrative

In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”

Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
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