MONIEPOINT RELEASES FIRST IMPACT REPORT, SAYS $700M IN LOANS GAVE MSMEs FIRST FORMAL CREDIT

MONIEPOINT RELEASES FIRST IMPACT REPORT, SAYS $700M IN LOANS GAVE MSMEs FIRST FORMAL CREDIT
By Prince Benson Davies
Moniepoint Inc., Africa’s financial ecosystem platform serving individuals, businesses, and their customers, has released its first impact report. The document titled “Creating Financial Happiness” details how expanded access to credit, payments and business tools is reshaping enterprises across Nigeria.

The report traces Moniepoint’s growth from a payments infrastructure provider to a full financial ecosystem. The company now serves more than 20 million individuals and businesses and processes over $250 billion in transactions every year. A major focus of the report is the funding gap facing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria, estimated at about $32.2 billion, and how technology is helping to close it.

Credit emerged as the central theme. In 2025, Moniepoint disbursed more than $700 million in loans to MSMEs. According to the report, 75 percent of those borrowers received their first formal business loan through Moniepoint. The company attributes this to its data-driven lending model. Instead of depending on collateral and long paperwork, Moniepoint assesses cash flow and transaction history to determine creditworthiness. This approach has opened finance to thousands of businesses previously excluded by traditional banks.

The impact goes beyond loan disbursement. Businesses that accessed credit saw an average 36 percent increase in transaction value in 2025. Enterprises that bank with Moniepoint also support more than 8 million jobs across the country, the report stated.

A key area of progress highlighted is lending to women-owned businesses. Women make up about one third of Nigeria’s MSMEs but often face higher barriers to formal finance. Moniepoint’s analysis found that women borrowers recorded a default rate 2.5 times lower than men. Based on that data, the company increased lending to women-owned businesses by more than 300 percent in 2025. Women now account for 36 percent of Moniepoint’s loan portfolio, compared to an industry average of between 15 and 25 percent. For 62 percent of women entrepreneurs surveyed, a Moniepoint loan was their first formal business credit.

The report also examined financial inclusion through payments. For customers without smartphones or internet, Moniepoint’s USSD service allows basic phone users to transact by dialing a code. Users without smartphones processed over $170 million in 2025 through this channel. The company’s POS terminals are present in all 774 local government areas and served 100 million people during the year.

These services are changing how Nigerians manage money. In a survey of users, 83 percent said their quality of life had improved, while 85 percent said they feel more confident about achieving their financial goals.

Speaking on the findings, Tosin Eniolorunda, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint Inc, said the company started 10 years ago with the goal of building financial infrastructure that works for everyone. He noted that the mission has now evolved into creating financial happiness for Africans everywhere. He added that the data shows the model is working, with first-time borrowers growing, women entrepreneurs receiving more support, and businesses creating jobs.

Beyond Nigeria, Moniepoint expanded into East Africa in 2025 through the acquisition of Sumac Microfinance Bank in Kenya. The company also launched Moniebook, a platform that combines payments, bookkeeping and inventory management to help small businesses run more efficiently.

The report further highlighted Moniepoint’s social investments. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the company runs Women in Tech and DreamDevs engineering programs, supports STEM education, financial literacy and entrepreneurs, and has reached tens of thousands of beneficiaries. Through partnerships, Moniepoint also supported government food distribution programs that reached more than 800,000 people in northern Nigeria.

Moniepoint was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies in 2025 and listed by the Financial Times among Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies.