#banking

🚨 MTN is no longer just building a mobile money business. It is moving toward becoming a financial institution.

And the numbers explain why.

On 25 August 2026, MTN Group said it is exploring banking licences in selected #African markets as lending becomes an increasingly important part of its fintech strategy.

Look at the scale of the existing ecosystem:

💰 $330 BILLION - Fintech transaction value in H1 2026, up more than ⅓ YoY
👥 70.8 MILLION - Monthly active MoMo users, up 12.1%
🔄 13 BILLION - Fintech transactions in H1 2026, up 17%
🤝 1.4 MILLION - Active MoMo agents, up 13.1%
🏪 2.3 MILLION - Active fintech merchants, up 18.1%

Now MTN is asking a much bigger question:

What happens when a telecom company with 70M+ financial-services users starts moving deeper into lending and banking?

The evolution is becoming clear:

Telco → Mobile Money → Payments → Lending → Banking

And this isn't happening in isolation.

Airtel Money already had 54.1M customers as of March 2026, with mobile-money transaction value exceeding $215B annualised.

Airtel is also reportedly preparing a London listing for Airtel Money at a valuation of around $10B.

So why does this matter?

Because Africa's next fintech battle may not be about who has the biggest wallet.

It could be about who can monetize the financial ecosystem around the wallet.

Payments create transaction data.

Wallets create customer relationships.

KYC creates identity.

Transaction history creates credit intelligence.

And lending creates a completely different revenue opportunity.

The infrastructure connecting all of these layers could become just as important as the consumer-facing app itself.

Africa's fintech market is moving from access → transactions → intelligence → credit → banking.

The interesting question now is:

👉 Will telecom-led fintechs become Africa's next generation of banks?

#Fintech #AfricaFintech #MobileMoney #DigitalBanking #Payments #FinancialInclusion #Banking #Lending #MTN #MoMo #AfricanFintech #FintechInfrastructure

MTN, MTN South Africa, Airtel Africa, Airtel Money Africa

Nigeria’s banking sector has its own "PayPal Mafia." And No, I’m not talking about the Fintech #founders. But I’m talking about a legendary cohort of leaders who passed through Guaranty Trust Bank (#GTBank) under the leadership of Fola Adeola and Tayo Aderinokun, only to go on and dominate the country's broader #financial and corporate #ecosystem.

Look at some of the names:

* Herbert Wigwe & Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede → Left GTBank to acquire and transform Access Bank into one of Africa's largest #banking conglomerates.
* Segun Agbaje → Rose through the ranks → Now Group #CEO, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (#GTCO).
* Kazi Abdul-Muktadir → Spent foundational years at GTBank → Went on to serve as Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria (#CBN).
* Bisi Onasanya → Former GTBank executive → Went on to become Group Managing Director/CEO of First #Bank of #Nigeria.
* Mobolaji Lawal → Spent decades at GTBank → Now Managing Director/CEO of Wema Bank.
* Remi Babalola → Former GTBank Senior Vice President → Went on to serve as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance and later Chairman of First Bank.

Read that list again 👆. Bank CEOs, Central Bank leadership, Cabinet Ministers, Corporate Titans. All forged in the crucible of one institution’s golden era.
And there’s something else I find fascinating: GTBank wasn’t built by old money; it was pioneered by young, ambitious visionaries who refused to accept the sluggish status quo of legacy #banking in the 90s.
So perhaps the real legacy of GTBank isn't just the iconic orange box or digital banking firsts. It's the standard of excellence it instilled in its people. Much like Barcelona’s La Masia academy molds players who end up dictating tempo for clubs across #Europe, GTBank created a culture where high performance, discipline, and execution were non-negotiable—preparing its alumni to lead wherever they landed.
When one #organization consistently produces leaders who define an entire national economy, that’s not a coincidence. It’s a blueprint.
Invest in culture, empower young talent, and set uncompromising standards. The leaders you raise will shape the future.
#Leadership #CorporateNigeria #TalentPipeline #GTBankMafia #NigerianBanking #Legacy #BusinessStrategy #azatell #azatellng #CorporateCulture

𝗨𝗕𝗔, @ubagroup 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘀 #𝗘𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘂 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘀
The United Bank for Africa Plc has welcomed Emmanuel Nnorom as its new Group Chairman, days after he officially assumed the role following the retirement of Tony Elumelu.

#UBA announced Nnorom’s welcome in a post on its social media platforms on Wednesday, describing him as a seasoned business leader and chartered accountant with more than four decades of experience.

Nnorom officially assumed the position on August 21, 2026, succeeding Elumelu, who retired after completing the maximum tenure permitted for non-executive directors under Central Bank of Nigeria corporate governance guidelines.

Welcoming him to the position, UBA said, “We welcome Mr. Emmanuel N. Nnorom as the new Group Chairman of United Bank for #Africa Plc.

“A seasoned business leader and chartered accountant with over four decades of experience.”

The bank noted that Nnorom had spent more than eight years in senior leadership positions within the UBA Group, including as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, Group Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Financial Officer.

It added that he also served as a Non-Executive Director on the UBA board.

“With his wealth of experience and understanding of UBA’s journey, Mr. Nnorom takes the helm at an important moment in the Group’s continued growth across Africa and beyond,” the bank stated.

UBA had earlier announced Nnorom’s appointment as Elumelu’s successor, with the appointment taking effect on August 21.

Nnorom joined the UBA board as a Non-Executive Director in 2024 after serving in several executive positions within the group.

During his time with UBA, he served as Group Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director (Group Executive Office), Executive Director (Finance), Executive Director (Risk), and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa.

As #CEO of UBA Africa, Nnorom oversaw the bank’s operations across several African #countries, contributing to its pan-African expansion.

Outside UBA, he has held senior positions in major #Nigerian companies and #financial institutions.

He served as #President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation Plc between September 2014 and May 2017 and has been the Group Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Holdings since June 2017.

His #banking career also includes senior management positions at Standard Trust Bank, now UBA, Diamond Bank, NUB International Bank and Liberty Merchant Bank.

Nnorom is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and an Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of #Bankers of Nigeria.

He studied at Templeton College, Oxford, where he completed executive leadership and management programmes.

UBA said his appointment came at an important period in the group’s continued growth across Africa and beyond.... #latestnews #azatellnews #viralnews #bank #unitedbankforafrica #nigeriansws

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 🏆

Excellence is more than achieving great results; it is the commitment to consistently raise the bar.

We choose to celebrate our GMAP graduates who challenged themselves, inspired others, and turned possibilities into impact.

At #UBA Group, we believe that every milestone, every breakthrough, and every moment of going beyond expectations is worth recognising. Because when excellence becomes a #culture, achievement becomes a standard.

#AfricasGlobalBank
#GMAP2026
#banking