DFI Lending in Nigeria: What Every Borrower Must Know Before Signing

DFI Lending in Nigeria: What Every Borrower Must Know Before Signing

Business Advisory, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Project Finance, Startups and MSME Law

Lending from development finance institutions such as the International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank, Proparco, and German Development Finance Institution, DEG, and other multilateral and bilateral development finance institutions is becoming more accessible to Nigerian businesses across sectors. There may be longer tenors, attractive pricing, or even a strategic partnership that adds credibility and capital. However, borrowers should be aware that DFI loans are not commercial bank loans. They come with conditions, obligations and consequences that many Nigerian borrowers are not prepared for when they enter the facility agreement. In this article, we identify the five most critical areas where DFI lending most often cause problems for Nigerian borrowers and what every borrower should know before signing.

Embedded Finance in Nigeria – What Every Bank-Fintech Partnership Needs

Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Project Finance

By integrating financial services products into non-financial platforms and business models, embedded finance is changing the Nigerian financial services landscape faster than the regulatory and legal frameworks that govern it. Several banks are distributing financial products through digital channels using FinTech. The fintechs are leveraging bank APIs to deliver services that were once available only to licensed financial houses. Retailers, logistics companies and software companies are integrating payments, lending and insurance into their customer experiences.
This has huge commercial potential. Legal risks are also real and not adequately managed in most bank-finance partnership arrangements we review. Five key legal requirements that every embedded finance partnership in Nigeria must meet before the arrangement goes live are laid out in this article.

Nigerian Lending - Perfection. Banks and Borrowers Keep Making These 5 Mistakes

Nigerian Lending – Perfection. Banks and Borrowers Keep Making These 5 Mistakes

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Business, Careers, Business, Small Business, Corporate & Commercial, Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Project Finance, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Startups and MSME Law

There is no loan facility stronger than the security that underlies it. Any bank that doesn’t properly secure its assets is not a secured creditor. And a borrower that does not understand its perfection obligations might find that its representations to its lender were false. These are five security perfection mistakes we see often and every party involved in a Nigerian credit transaction needs to know about them.

CBN Fintech Licensing 2026 - It's The Nigerian Founder Who Keeps Confusing The World With Their 3-Licenses

CBN Fintech Licensing 2026 – It’s The Nigerian Founder Who Keeps Confusing The World With Their 3-Licenses

Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Technology (FinTech)

Most FinTech founders are aware they need a Central Bank of Nigeria license. But very few know which one to apply for – and the difference between applying for the wrong license and the right one is huge. A rejected application, wasted time, and regulatory exposure – and sometimes even a breach of existing commitments to clients and investors – are all examples of wasted time and regulatory exposure.

And in 2026, the revised payments framework makes the distinctions between license categories easier to understand and the consequences of operating in the wrong category more severe. Here are the three most commonly confused license categories for Nigerian FinTechs and the key questions to ask when choosing one.

Goldsmiths Solicitors – Legal Recap for the Year 2025

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, Business, Sales, Capital Markets, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Innovation and Technology, Intellectual Property, Public Sector, Startups and MSME Law, Telecommunications

2025 was a very exciting year and saw significant changes in Nigeria’s legal and regulatory landscape. Series of laws were enacted by the National Assembly and regulatory guidelines were also issued by regulators including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Nigerian Communications Commission, etc. There were also some important judicial decisions from the courts in Nigeria which shaped the legal and regulatory space in the country. This recap is divided into four parts representing the four quarters of the year, highlighting what we think are the most impactful laws and regulations, reforms, and judicial decisions in 2025.

Contracting in the Digital Finance Ecosystem: How to Manage Legal Risks in Nigerian FinTech Partnerships

Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Project Finance

The emergence and continued growth of Financial Technology (FinTech) companies in the Nigerian financial services sector has redefined how financial services are delivered, with technology driven solutions that enable faster payments, lending and wealth management. These innovations often lead to complex collaborations between FinTech startups, traditional banks and third-party service providers. These partnerships may inevitably expose the parties to legal and regulatory risks if not properly managed.

How Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) Can Obtain Licenses in Nigeria

How Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) Can Obtain Licenses in Nigeria

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Insights, Startups and MSME Law

With the enactment of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) 2025, virtual assets/digital assets including cryptocurrencies, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), etc. can now be legally traded and transacted in Nigeria subject to satisfying applicable legal requirements. Prior to the enactment of the ISA, the legality of trading or transacting in virtual/digital assets was uncertain especially following the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) circular of 2021 which directed all financial institutions to identify persons and entities transacting or operating cryptocurrency exchanges in Nigeria and ensure that their bank accounts are closed.

Tax Reform Act

All You Need to Know About Nigeria’s Newly Signed Tax Reform Acts

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, Business, Small Business, Capital Markets, Corporate & Commercial, Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Insights, Labour and Employment

Introduction On 26th June 2025, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria signed four landmark tax reform bills into law, marking a significant shift in the nation’s tax landscape.…

Overregulation of FinTechs in Nigeria: Myth or Reality

Banking and Finance Law, Business Advisory, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Financial Technology (FinTech), Insights, Startups and MSME Law

In the last few years, the Nigerian Financial Technology (FinTech) space has witnessed exponential growth and has attracted both local and international investors. Nigeria is home to some unicorns especially in the payments segments of the financial services sector. Like in most jurisdictions, the regulators appear to be playing ‘catch up’ with FinTechs and it has been said that there appears to be an over regulation of FinTechs in Nigeria.