E-Financial
How Fintechs Are Closing the Banking Gap
By Adeniyi Ogunfowoke,
Over 60 million Nigerians are unbanked. This simply means there is a huge banking gap that needs to be bridged. Unfortunately, a large population of the unbanked or underbanked are located in rural areas. In these areas, there are just a handful of financial institutions. This is one of the reasons why Nigeria’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria is encouraging banks to open more branches, especially in rural areas. The question now is for how long? This question arises because there is a dire need to bridge the gap.
Fortunately and thanks to technology, the concept of fintech came up and it has unarguably disrupted the financial scene. The most staggering impact it is having is that it is making inroads in helping to close the financial gap between the banked and the unbanked. So, how are fintechs pulling this off? Read to know some of the ways.
Online lending
Online lenders are on the rise, and with that blooming industry, the need to drive to a local branch and sit down with a banker to apply for a loan is fairly obsolete. Instead, rural residents can apply for loans from their smartphone wherever they are. Many traditional banks allow online application and they will take forever before they respond. However, for fintechs, they will lend you huge sums of money within 24 hours, as long as you meet their criteria.
Making payment seamless
Paying for online services is no longer rocket science. It is accessible to everyone notwithstanding whether you are in the rural or urban area. Of course, you must have an internet connection. So, you can order and pay without issues. For example, with Jumia Pay, you can pay for food, hotel and groceries you ordered online and it will be delivered at your doorstep. This has, to a very large extent, reduced cash-on-delivery payments. Therefore, you do not need to keep wads of cash at home just because you want to pay for your order.
Business banking integration
Many rural residents own farms, ranches, and home-based businesses, and so banking access is more than just depositing a paycheck or needing a debit card. Customers with business-based banking needs can also, through fintech, integrate their business banking into those same apps and online access. Accounting software can link bank accounts and accountants as well, offering even more of a streamlined experience. Additionally, people can now easily apply for small business loans without having to travel to a bank or lender, making it much easier to access capital when necessary.
The simplicity of the process
Fintechs are having a gigantic leeway because their modus operandi is not cumbersome. It’s quick, fast and responsive when compared to the banks. Due to this, this has encouraged Nigerians to use them. Also, the number of fraud cases are considerably low in comparison to the banks. Due to this a lot of people are very much attracted to them.
Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading Tier-1 financial institutions, has announced a remarkable financial performance for the first quarter of 2025, recording a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N105.8 billion, representing an impressive growth of 167.8% compared to N39.5 billion in Q1 2024.
Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc
The bank’s unaudited financial statements, released on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on April 30, 2025, highlight a substantial increase in Gross Earnings, which rose to N315.4 billion, marking a year-on-year growth of 64.2% from N192.1 billion in the same period last year.
Growth in interest income was primarily led by 38.6% yoy (7.4% ytd) expansion in earning assets base, while the increase in non -interest revenue came from FX-related income, trade and commission on banking services, etc., supported by increased customer transactions.
Commenting on the bank’s performance, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, stated, “We started the year with triple-digit growth in profit and sustained the momentum in our earning assets growth.
This performance shows the resilience of our business model and reinforces our confidence in delivering a better result in the 2025 financial year.”
Other areas of the unaudited financial statements, equally show a marked improvement with Total Deposits growing by 11.1% ytd to N6.6tn from N5.9tn in December 2024, driven by 10.6% ytd growth in low-cost deposits to N6.1tn, which represents 92.2% of total customer deposits. Local currency deposits increased by 2.0% ytd while foreign currency deposits increased by 21.4% from $1.9bn in December 2024 to $2.3bn.
Net Loans and Advances increased by 5.0% ytd to N4.6tn. The growth in the bank’s Loan Book was skewed to LCY Loans as cost of risk declined to 0.6% from 1.5% in 2024FY.
“Beginning the year with such positive momentum reinforces our commitment to supporting the growth of individuals and businesses, while enhancing our financial sustainability. As we go into the rest of the year, we remain focused on building a resilient banking franchise with a diversified earnings base,” Onyeali-Ikpe added.
Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine.
Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has unveiled a technology adoption assessment survey for registered capital market operators as part of efforts to deepen innovation and efficiency in the Nigerian capital market.
In a circular, the SEC stated that the exercise was designed to evaluate the level of adoption of advanced technologies among CMOs operating within the Nigerian capital market.
According to the notice, “The following technology adoption survey is designed by the Commission to assess the adoption of advanced technologies among registered Capital Market Operators.”
The SEC directed all registered operators to log into the e-portal at using their current access credentials to complete the survey. The exercise will run for two weeks, from 5 to 20 May 2025.
Speaking recently on the role of innovation in the capital market, Emomotimi Agama, director-general of the SEC, urged stakeholders to embrace technology as a catalyst for growth, improved transparency, operational efficiency, and market resilience.
He noted that the SEC recognises the emergence of new financial products and services driven by technological advancements, and remains committed to adapting its regulatory framework to meet the evolving needs of the market.
According to him, the commission’s approach to innovation is anchored on three pillars: investor safety, market deepening, and problem-solving aimed at building a robust and efficient capital market ecosystem.
Agama also highlighted the commission’s Regulatory Incubation Programme, which allows fintech startups to operate within a controlled environment for one year while appropriate rules are developed to govern their activities.
He said the programme is part of the SEC’s broader strategy to support innovation while safeguarding market integrity and investor interests.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) ,has confirmed that Nigeria has fully repaid about US$3.4 billion loan it got in April 2020 under the Rapid Financing Instrument to help alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp fall in oil prices.
IMF said the loan has been repaid as of April 30, 2025 in a statement issued in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Thursday.
However, IMF said Nigeria is still expected to honour some additional payments in forms of Special Drawing Rights charges hat will amount to US$30 million annually.
“In line with the IMF’s Articles of Agreements, these charges, levied at the SDR interest rate, which is updated at the beginning of each week, apply to the difference between Nigeria’s SDR holdings (SDR 3,164 million) (US$4.3 billion) and its cumulative SDR allocation (SDR 4,027 million) (US$5.5 billion)
“The net payment of the charges stops when Nigeria’s SDR holdings reach the cumulative allocation amount,” IMF said in the statement. Online fitness
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