Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint announced on January 23, 2026, that its microfinance bank disbursed over ₦1 trillion (approximately $600 million) in credit to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 2025, marking a significant milestone in its lending operations.
The Lagos-based company, which operates as a digital bank offering payments, lending, and business management tools, highlighted the figure as part of its decade-long impact since founding in 2015. Businesses accessing this credit experienced average growth of more than 36%. Credit decisions leverage alternative data points such as transaction histories, business patterns, and payment behaviors to promote financial inclusion.
“Moniepoint Microfinance Bank disbursed over ₦1 trillion in credit to SMEs in 2025,” the company stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing its role in supporting small businesses amid economic challenges like inflation and forex volatility.
This level of financing addresses a critical need in Nigeria, where SMEs represent 96% of all registered businesses, contribute nearly half of GDP, and account for 84% of national employment. However, access to credit remains limited, with fewer than one in twenty MSMEs having bank loans, according to World Bank data. The overall financing gap for Nigerian SMEs is estimated at $331 billion, with a ₦13 trillion ($32 billion) credit need specifically for expansion and capital investment.
Founded in 2015 as TeamApt by Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, Moniepoint has grown rapidly, processing over ₦412 trillion in transaction value and over 14 billion transactions in 2025 as Nigeria’s largest merchant acquirer, powering 8 out of 10 in-person payments. It serves over 6 million active businesses. TeamApt Ltd secured licenses from Mastercard and Visa for processing and acquiring. Monnify processed ₦25 trillion in web payments.
The company raised over $200 million in a Series C funding round in 2025 from investors including Development Partners International, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Visa, the International Finance Corporation, and Verod Capital. Moniepoint became a unicorn in 2023 after raising $50 million in equity funding at a $1 billion valuation.
Key partnerships include the Federal Government on the Rice Intervention Programme, reaching nearly 850,000 beneficiaries, and the Kaduna State Government for grants disbursement to vulnerable citizens. It launched MonieWorld in the UK to serve the African diaspora and strengthen remittance corridors. Moniepoint acquired a national Microfinance Bank license for Moniepoint MFB. It re-launched its savings product and launched Moniebook. Savings product users prioritize daily savings for business operations (24%), rent (16.5%), and education (10%).
Group CEO and Founder Tosin Eniolorunda said: “Our journey has been one of intentional evolution… our mission to create financial happiness is an operational mandate…” He added: “Yet for all we have accomplished, we approach our second decade with the clarity that our work remains unfinished… We are just getting started.”
Studies show a positive correlation (r = 0.25) between SME credit and GDP growth, though impacts are modest due to high lending rates and policy inefficiencies. A 2025 Mastercard SME Confidence Index found that 99% of Nigerian SMEs expect stable or increasing revenue, with access to finance cited as a key driver for growth. Enhanced credit availability could significantly boost SME contributions to economic expansion and job creation, potentially accelerating Nigeria’s GDP growth to 10% in fiscal year 2026/27 as projected by the Bank of Uganda in related regional analyses.
The achievement underscores the booming fintech lending sector in Nigeria, where SMEs often struggle with access to traditional bank credit. Moniepoint’s use of data analytics and partnerships with financial institutions has enabled faster loan approvals and lower default rates. The company plans to expand its SME lending further in 2026.
