The digital revolution has reached all parts of the world. Different cities and different nations have been the nucleus of spreading financial technology in other parts of their continent, and for Africa, it is Nigeria.
Referred to as the fintech powerhouse of Africa, Nigeria is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, capturing the attention of foreign investors on a massive scale.
Nigeria has emerged as the epicenter of fintech innovation for Africa, and is moving towards an advanced economy.
And there are several different factors behind it. What are these factors? What makes Nigeria one of the most in-demand countries for fintech investors?
In this post, we are going to answer all your questions and identify why exactly Nigeria is being called the fintech powerhouse of Africa.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
The Role of Fintech in the Rise of Nigeria’s Economy
If we look at the current GDP ratio of different countries in Africa, you will realize that Nigeria has seen the highest growth. And undoubtedly, fintech has played a pivotal role in this rise.
The introduction of fintech in a country like Nigeria has been nothing short of a revolution that has strengthened the economy by empowering the unbanked population, which is quite large.
Fintech companies investing in Africa have opened the doors for innovation and growth in many ways.
Some of these include –
1. Empowering Financial Inclusion
One of the key things that contributes to the expansion of any economy is the population using banking and financial services, rotating their funds through the right channels, and most importantly, being financially included.
Earlier, a significant portion of the African population was unbanked, leaving a massive gap in the economy.
However, today, with fintech companies offering modern solutions like mobile banking, agent banking networks and digital wallets, financial services have reached all corners, including the underserved rural areas.
2. Boosting Entrepreneurial Growth
When a country gets access to digital banking and financial services, one of the primary benefits is that it opens access to credit.
In a country like Nigeria, having access to credit can open new opportunities for small businesses.
It is clearly visible in the economic growth, as with fintech services, small and medium-sized enterprises can use funds based on their creditworthiness.
The benefits are not limited to credit as with fintech companies entering the market, these SMEs can easily opt for tailored solutions to manage their company finances, international payments, and accounting.
3. Attracting Foreign Investments
With the rise of fintech as an industry in Nigeria, several companies have turned their attention to the African continent as they see potential.
Whenever an industry is on the up, it attracts more and more investors to capitalize on the demand.
The same has already happened for Nigeria, as more and more international companies have shown interest in launching their fintech solutions.
One of the key factors in the rise of any economy is globalization and interaction with foreign entities investing in your country.
With the help of these investments, the economy can see a significant rise, as being experienced by Nigeria.
Other than this, fintech has also helped in generating employment opportunities for the residents of the country, which ultimately contributes to the growth.
Nigeria has already become the fintech powerhouse of Africa as more and more financial solutions are being introduced.
The country has already given unicorns (companies with more than $1 billion) like Flutterwave and Moniepoint, leading the growth of the overall economy and GDP.
Factors that Support Fintech Growth in Nigeria
Knowing how rapidly fintech is helping Nigeria to grow, some of you may be wondering,
Why Nigeria?
What makes fintech companies interested in expanding their reach to Nigeria?
How can fintech services grow faster in the region?
Well, there are several factors that contribute to this growth of financial innovation, specifically in Nigeria.
Let us take a look at those factors!
#1 Supportive Regulations
Launching a fintech app is not easy in all parts of the world. Fintech regulations and compliance play a crucial role in implementing an idea that you might have.
Failure to meet those requirements can lead to heavy penalties and suspension of the service.
Some countries have highly strict regulations, which make it difficult for a fintech company to survive.
However, with Nigeria being supportive of the fintech revolution, the government has supportive regulations.
The Central Bank of Nigeria offers a Payment Service Bank license that allows a fintech company to enter the market and help the unbanked population.
The country is also lenient about cryptocurrency, allowing companies to explore crypto and web 3 markets.
#2 Penetration of Smartphones
With more and more young people getting access to smartphones, the companies investing in the country have an ease of reaching them without being physically present in the market.
Nigeria has the highest population in Africa, and with people getting access to new services, it has become an open market that can be targeted to offer quality fintech solutions.
Not to mention, smartphones make it easier for a user to interact with these services, and the more convenient it is for them, the more a solution grows.
The rise of the internet and smartphones has been at the center of Nigeria’s becoming a fintech powerhouse.
#3 Agent Banking Networks
Another factor that has attracted the interest of global fintech players is the agent banking network that the country offers.
It is actually a unique way for fintech services to expand their reach through local retailers and small businesses by using them as third-party agents.
These agents offer financial services on behalf of the company, helping it expand service areas beyond traditional bank branches.
This helps fintech companies reach more underserved customers, which is beneficial for both Nigeria and the investing entity.
#4 Acceptance & Ecosystem
The population of Nigeria shows great acceptance towards these new methods for payments, which is one of the factors that support the expansion of fintechs in Nigeria.
Fintech companies have certainly filled the gaps left by traditional banks and existing financial institutions.
However, without a sorted ecosystem that accepts a solution, nothing can work.
Nigeria offers access to a robust startup ecosystem and highly accepting audience that are open to exploring new solutions like BNPL, Cryptocurrency, and more!
What’s Next for Fintech in Nigeria? Opportunities to Explore
Nigeria is on the driving seat of the fintech revolution in the African continent, which makes it the perfect place to be called the fintech powerhouse of Africa.
Think about it, Nigeria has given 8 out of the 9 unicorns coming from Africa.
However, this is just the beginning, as there are several opportunities that are yet to be explored.
Nigeria also offers home-grown talent that makes it one of the hottest destinations for fintech investors.
If we talk about the road ahead, there’s certainly a lot more growth to be done, considering there are several fintech services that are yet to make their presence available in the African continent.
Here are some of the opportunities that the future holds for fintechs in Nigeria –
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The Introduction of Modern Fintech Solutions
While Nigeria is already on the path of modernization of financial services, more new services are yet to be introduced.
Modern solutions like Embedded Finance, Open Banking, and the use of AI in fintech are definitely going to be the next big thing in Nigeria.
BNPL has already entered the market and is experiencing great traction from users.
This also indicates that credit-based fintech services, instant loan lending solutions, etc., are also set to experience a boom.
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More Competition in the Fintech Realm
Though the first mover advantage is almost gone for fintech companies planning to invest in Nigeria, there definitely is going to be a lot more competition in the upcoming years.
More and more financial institutions are looking to expand their services to different parts of the world, and with access to such talent and ecosystem, every company is looking at Nigeria.
This is definitely going to scale up the competition in the long run.
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Continental Digital Transformation
So far, Nigeria has been the center of the majority of fintech solutions. However, the reach of these solutions is yet to experience a boom.
Looking at the trends and fintech market statistics, we firmly believe that it is Nigeria that can serve as the catalyst of expansion in other parts of the African continent.
The rise of fintechs in the country has already shown its impact in making Nigeria a growing GDP on the continent.
With slight effort and a solution ready for global expansion, one can easily expand their reach from the population of Nigeria to 1.3+ billion people in the entire continent.
The market is all set to experience a boom; however, keep in mind that these opportunities will also bring along stricter regulations.
In order to make the most of them all, you must have a clear plan of action and a solid team of developers. While clarity can come with continuous research and refining of the idea that you have, you will have to rely on a fintech app development company or the pool of resources available to you for building the solution.
Leverage Nigeria’s Growing Fintech Market With Nimble AppGenie
If you are planning to enter the lucrative market of Nigeria with a fintech solution of your own, then Nimble AppGenie is the right partner for you.
With resources from around the world, Nimble AppGenie helps you access the best of developers and experienced analysts who can understand your vision and develop just the solution you need to break out of the market.
Decades of experience and hundreds of projects make us a reliable name in the market. And with the understanding of the Nigerian market and how it is evolving, we can surely guide you in the right direction.
Let’s start by discussing your idea. Reach out today!
Conclusion
Africa’s fintech powerhouse is definitely a title that signifies the growth of Nigeria in digital financial services.
There are several factors that make it clear that there’s still a lot more to be explored in the country.
The future certainly seems brighter for Nigeria and Africa when it comes to the expansion of fintech services and the growth of companies.
What this means is that it is also a great time for people planning their fintech venture in Nigeria. All you need is a robust platform and a well-defined plan of action.
With that said, we have reached the end of this post. Hope you might have understood why Nigeria is the fintech powerhouse of Africa and what potential it holds.
Feel free to reach out for more information on how you can leverage this growing market.
Thanks for reading, good luck!
FAQs
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, which makes it a center for every emerging trend in the country. The introduction of fintech has allowed the country to grow significantly, as the majority of the population was either underserved or unbanked.
Fintech has reduced the physical boundaries, offering much-needed banking and financial services digitally, changing the way Nigeria manages its finances.
Niketan Sharma, CTO, Nimble AppGenie, is a tech enthusiast with more than a decade of experience in delivering high-value solutions that allow a brand to penetrate the market easily. With a strong hold on mobile app development, he is actively working to help businesses identify the potential of digital transformation by sharing insightful statistics, guides & blogs.
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