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.

Five Important Contract Clauses Every Nigerian Business Should Audit Now

Five Important Contract Clauses Every Nigerian Business Should Audit Now

Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, Business, Sales, Business, Small Business, Corporate & Commercial, Startups and MSME Law

Most Nigerian business owners know their contracts need attention. Yet, only a few have read them recently. There is a gap between what a contract actually says and what a business truly needs. In terms of scale, risk exposure, and commercial relationships, it grows wider every year the document is left unreviewed. This article examines five clauses that we consistently find in Nigerian business contracts. Each of them has real commercial consequences if it fails. All of them are fixable if the problem is identified before the dispute, the loss, or the failed deal.

IP and the Nigerian Creative Economy - Why Founders Are Leaving Money On The Table

IP and the Nigerian Creative Economy: Why Founders Are Leaving Money On The Table

Business Advisory, Business, Entrepreneurs, computers and technology, fashion, Innovation and Technology, Intellectual Property, Startups and MSME Law

Film, music, fashion, digital content, gaming, and design, as well as the technology platforms that distribute and monetise creative work, are among Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors and among its top exports to the world. Nollywood is the second-largest film industry in the world by volume with the industry projected to surpass ₦20 billion in gross box office revenue by the end of 2026. The Nigerian music industry is attracting international commercial interest in a way that seemed impossible a decade ago. Nigerian fashion, design, and digital content are gaining commercial sophistication.

What You Should Know About CBN New Rules

What You Should Know About CBN New Rules

Updates

On 7 April 2026, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the coming into effect of new rules on the Bank Verification Number (BVN) system from 1st May 2026. The new rules have been implemented to fight against fraud, enhance identity management and secure Nigeria’s growing digital banking space, resulting in new methods for account holders to manage and access information linked to their BVN.
The new policy came in the wake of numerous security concerns surrounding SIM swap fraud, identity theft and access to financial accounts without authorisation. With over 68.59 million users enrolled in the BVN system in 2026, the system plays a pivotal role in the security of the Nigerian financial sector.