-
Failure to Thrive: Nigeria’s Digital Financial Services Industry is Struggling – Can These Policy Solutions Help?
Nigeria leads all other emerging economies with 21 licensed mobile money operators. But high levels of unbanked and underbanked citizens have led to poor adoption rates for digital financial services. The Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Financial Services (SIDFS) initiative of the Lagos Business School has been studying ways to improve customer access and product development. In recently published research, Olayinka David-West and Ubukun Taiwo, both of LBS, reveal six policy recommendations for regulators that could help DFS to thrive in Nigeria.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
-
Press release: Inclusivity solutions brings digital insurance to East Africa through partnerships with Equitel Kenya and Airtel-Tigo Rwanda
Equitel’s Riziki Cover and Airtel–Tigo’s Ingoboka Cash, offer subscribers hospital cash cover to individuals and families who are hospitalised. The offers are being extended as both a free loyalty cover as well as an optional, higher value premium cover. Pivotal to the development of these initiatives was Inclusivity Solutions strategic partnership with Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA), who is serving as the lead reinsurer for both products.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Telenor Group and Ant Financial in strategic partnership to deliver inclusive financial services in Pakistan
Telenor Group has reached a strategic partnership agreement with Ant Financial Services Group ("Ant Financial") in Pakistan, where Ant Financial will invest USD 184.5m for a 45% stake in Telenor Microfinance Bank ("TMB"), a subsidiary of Telenor Group, to further develop TMB's mobile payment and digital financial services.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
-
The Tortoise and the Hare: India and China Put Different Paths to Digital Finance to the Test
In 2016, some US$18 trillion changed hands via non-bank digital payment transactions in China – a value larger than its GDP. Meanwhile, though its population is roughly the same, India's digital finance industry has lagged far behind. But thanks to new digital infrastructure and evolving regulations, this situation is changing fast. Like the tortoise in Aesop’s fable, will India catch up with China, which has bounded ahead at hare-like speed? David Porteous at the Digital Frontiers Institute explores the two countries' approaches and their implications for other emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
-
Mastercard Targets Emerging Markets With Mobile-Payments Acquisition
More than 80% of the world's purchases are still made using cash. Mastercard thinks mobile payments technology might hold the answer to digitizing those transactions.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announces $170 mln investment to boost women’s economic empowerment
The investments, focussed in India, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, are aimed at advancing gender equality, spreading digital financial inclusion, increasing job opportunities, and supporting the agricultural sector
- Categories
- Investing
-
Launch of the 2017 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money
With 690 million registered accounts worldwide, mobile money has evolved into the leading payment platform for the digital economy in many emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance
- Tags
- digital finance, fintech
-
Pakistan Post, National Bank of Pakistan sign a Memorandum of Understanding to boost digital financial services
Pakistan Post and National Bank of Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here at ECO Postal Staff College Auditorium to boost Digital Financial Services in the country through a huge network of 12,000 Post Offices countrywide as well as to achieve the target of the State Bank of Pakistan for strengthening National Financial Inclusion Strategy extending Digital Financial Services to 50% population of Pakistan by the year 2020.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.