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🏦 Paga at 17: Tayo Oviosu Steps Up as Group CEO

🏦 Paga at 17: Tayo Oviosu Steps Up as Group CEO

Plus: 📶 NCC to Compensate Subscribers

Innovation Village
April 08, 2026

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Good Morning Valued Subscribers👋

Africa’s fintech and telecom landscape is entering a new phase of growth, with major developments reshaping how money and communication flow across the continent. Paga marks 17 years with a strategic leadership shift as Tayo Oviosu steps up as Group CEO, signalling ambitions in AI, crypto, and pan-African expansion. Regulators are also taking a more active role, as the Nigerian Communications Commission moves to compensate subscribers.

Across markets, scale and innovation continue to accelerate. Anchor has crossed $2.5 billion in transactions, while ZSystems raises fresh funding to digitise retail supply chains. At the same time, Flutterwave is flagging fraud risks in Cameroon, and Truecaller is expanding business messaging globally. Egypt is also advancing inclusion with SIM cards for minors.

Here’s what it all means for the ecosystem.

Let’s dive in👇

Today’s Menu ☕️

🏦 Paga at 17: Tayo Oviosu Steps Up as Group CEO, Targets AI, Crypto, and Pan-African Expansion
📶 NCC to Compensate Subscribers
💵 Anchor Hits $2.5B Transactions
🔒 Flutterwave Alerts Cameroon Users to Ponzi Scam
💵 ZSystems Raises $1.65M
📱Truecaller Expands Business Chat to 500M Users Worldwide
💳 Egypt to Launch SIM Cards for Minors

🏦 FINTECH

Paga at 17: Tayo Oviosu Steps Up as Group CEO

L-R: Tayo Oviosu and Opeyemi Oyinloye

Paga is entering a new growth phase, shifting from a Nigeria-focused fintech to a pan-African financial infrastructure player. Founder Tayo Oviosu has moved into a Group CEO role, handing over local operations to Ope Oyinloye as Acting CEO of Paga Nigeria . The restructuring aims to separate strategy from execution and support expansion across markets and technologies.

The transition comes amid strong performance, with ₦17.1 trillion processed in 2025. Paga is also deepening global partnerships, including PayPal integration, and investing in AI, blockchain, and stablecoins.

With profitability and plans for new funding, the company is positioning itself to enable seamless cross-border payments and drive Africa’s next phase of digital financial growth.....….continue

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📶 TELECOMS

NCC to Compensate Subscribers

The Nigerian Communications Commission will begin enforcing a policy in April 2026 requiring telecom operators to automatically compensate subscribers for poor network performance. The move shifts regulatory focus from fines on operators to direct relief for affected users.

Eligible subscribers—both individuals and corporates—must have experienced service disruptions in voice, data, or SMS while performing at least one revenue-generating activity. Compensation will be credited automatically by operators, without user complaints, and applies only when service falls below defined Quality of Service thresholds.

The policy covers major Mobile Network Operators (MTN, Airtel, Globacom, 9mobile) and complements existing frameworks for ISPs....….continue reading

💵 PAYMENTS

Anchor Hits $2.5B Transactions

Anchor has surpassed $2.5 billion in transaction volume since its 2022 launch and obtained key financial licences in Nigeria and Canada. In Nigeria, it now holds a Microfinance Bank (MFB) and International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) licence, while in Canada it secured a Money Service Business (MSB) licence.

These approvals mark Anchor’s transition from a fintech infrastructure provider to a regulated financial entity, enabling it to offer banking services, facilitate remittances, and support cross-border payments. With over 1,000 businesses onboarded across 18 countries and 20 million transactions processed, the company is scaling embedded finance solutions while prioritizing regulatory compliance.

Anchor’s strategic approach positions it as a key infrastructure player amid African fintech consolidation, providing a trusted platform for businesses integrating financial services globally.........….continue reading

🔒CYBERSECURITY

Flutterwave Alerts Cameroon Users to Ponzi Scam

Flutterwave has warned users in Cameroon about a fraudulent platform, flutterwave.vip, impersonating its brand to run a Ponzi-style investment scheme. The fake platform, promoted via fake Facebook accounts, promises high returns and pressures users to deposit funds, falsely claiming affiliation with Flutterwave.

Flutterwave clarified that it does not offer investment services and urged users to avoid unofficial platforms or sharing sensitive information. The warning highlights a growing trend of fintech impersonation scams across Africa, where fraudsters exploit trusted brands to lure victims.

With Flutterwave’s global expansion and recent Nigerian banking licence acquisition, the company stressed the need for vigilance, advising users to verify all communications through official channels and treat any investment opportunity using its name as fraudulent........….continue reading

💵FUNDING

ZSystems Raises $1.65M

Morocco-based B2B2C marketplace ZSystems has secured $1.65 million in seed funding to digitise the country’s fragmented $40 billion retail supply chain. The round was led by Azur Innovation Management, with participation from MNF Ventures, Witamax, and the Harambeans Prosperity Fund—its first international institutional investor—bringing total funding to $2.7 million.

Founded in 2022, ZSystems connects brands, wholesalers, and retailers on a unified platform, improving transparency, procurement efficiency, and inventory management across Morocco’s largely undigitised retail sector. The company also benefits from support via the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Star Venture programme and Amazon Web Services infrastructure.

The funding will be used to enhance the platform, expand product and merchant networks, and strengthen logistics capabilities. ZSystems aims to become a key infrastructure player in Morocco’s retail ecosystem and, potentially, across North Africa, unlocking value in underserved, high-volume markets........….continue reading

📲 APPS

Truecaller Expands Business Chat to 500M Users Worldwide

Truecaller has expanded its Business Chat platform to help brands connect with over 500 million users globally, enabling enterprises to move from traditional SMS to verified, media-rich conversations.

The expansion allows global partners and enterprise solution providers to engage customers in a trusted, clutter-free environment, using contextual messaging designed to drive attention and conversions. Truecaller now also provides businesses with real-time data and engagement metrics for a more data-driven communication strategy.

The move follows the company surpassing 500 million users, with 150 million outside India, and reflects rising demand for spam protection and trusted communication. The expansion positions Truecaller as a global platform for secure, meaningful digital engagement, as it aims toward 1 billion users.......….continue reading