-
Nigeria sets up a committee to study Bitcoin penetration
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC) have set up a committee to investigate the growing trend of bitcoin use, according to the government-owned broadcasting station, the Voice of Nigeria. The news was revealed on Friday by NDIC Managing Director Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim at the 2016 Workshop for Financial Correspondents in Kaduna.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
India adding 1 million new m-wallet users every day
India is adding about a million new mobile wallet users every day, according to industry sources. The rapid increase in new users comes on the back of the cash crunch, which has hit the country, following the government’s move to demonetise 500 and 1,000-rupee banknotes. The situation is likely to take more time to normalise.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Region
- South Asia
-
The Mobile Trap: How Safaricom and Other MNOs Prey on the Poor
Safaricom and others are "using Premium Rate Services to fleece consumers," writes Wayan Vota. "The development community prides itself on being advocates for the poor, and digital development practitioners have the added responsibility to advocate for cyber-marginalized citizens. We should not be blindly driving women to own and use mobile phones, when those devices will only impoverish them further."
- Categories
- Technology
-
Microfinance breakthrough: Dean Yang uses fingerprints to boost microlending in Malawi
Eight years ago, development economist Dean Yang spent a week in Malawi visiting microfinance institutions, the banks and credit unions that provide financial services to some of the world's most vulnerable citizens.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
A New Fund Seeks Both Financial and Social Returns
“There is a lazy mindedness that we afford the do-gooders.” That was Bono, the musician turned activist turned investor, lamenting the pitfalls of what has become an increasingly fashionable form of financing: social impact investing.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America
-
A Solution to the Drama of Digital Finance
There are advantages to being a digital financial services provider, but also risks surrounding questions such as: Which business model should I choose? Should I develop my own digital platform or leverage someone else’s? Do I want to deploy my own network of agents? Will I partner with an MNO? That's why UNCDF’s MicroLead program, PHB Development and The MasterCard Foundation are working together to provide toolkits for FSPs.
- Categories
- Technology
-
How Paytm is brazenly piggybacking on banks and telcos in India
It should be galling for telecom service providers like Airtel and Vodafone to find Paytm (used as a metaphor for mobile wallet service providers) using the mobile numbers of their customers to provide mobile wallet services to them.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
-
Ghana telco MTN in talks with banks to offer microcredit to SMEs
Mobile telephony giants MTN has said it will from next year partner some financial institutions to provide microcredit to small and medium-scale enterprises.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
The Best of NextBillion in Your Inbox Each Week!
Subscribe to NB Notes for news, jobs & on-the-ground insights from the world of emerging markets business.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.