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Press Release

Kyosk Acquires KwikBasket

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Kyosk Digital Services, a digital-first and data-led distribution platform, is pleased to announce its expansion into the African fresh produce market with the launch of its Farm & Fresh line of business. This follows on the back of Kyosk’s recent acquisition of KwikBasket, a prominent player in the agricultural industry known for its expertise in the distribution of agricultural produce and for providing valuable services and solutions to farmers, commercial kitchens, and other stakeholders in the food chain.

With the launch of Farm & Fresh, Kyosk combines its digital-first approach and large-scale operations with KwikBasket’s agricultural expertise to transform the African fresh produce market, creating a more efficient and inclusive ecosystem.

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Raphael Afaedor, Co-Founder and CEO of Kyosk Digital Services, says, “This acquisition marks a major milestone for Kyosk as we broaden our footprint in the fresh produce market in Africa and enhance our offering to cater to the needs of farmers, retailers, kitchens, eateries, and other consumers. With KwikBasket’s extensive expertise and resources, we are strategically positioned to unlock the full potential of farming in Africa and create a fair and efficient marketplace that benefits all stakeholders in the food chain.

“This expansion presents a unique opportunity for Kyosk to leverage its digital-first and data-led distribution platform to revolutionise the way fresh produce is sourced, distributed, and enjoyed in Africa.”

In many regions on the African continent, farmers face numerous challenges due to fragmented and inefficient distribution chains for agricultural produce. Farmers often struggle to reach end-consumers, leading to significant production losses, low income, wastage, and high food prices. Kyosk’s Fresh line offers farmers access to improved yields, consistent market access, fair pricing, essential information and insights, and agri-inputs. By empowering farmers with these resources, Kyosk seeks to support farmers’ growth and success in the agricultural sector.

Additionally, Kyosk Fresh will cater to the needs of restaurants, eateries, and other customers by providing a consistent supply of a wide variety of high-quality products. Kitchens and eateries often face several challenges due to long lead times in the supply chain. Some of these key challenges include food safety and quality concerns, food wastage, high logistics costs, and delays in fulfilling customer orders.

Through streamlined processes, optimised logistics, and enhanced inventory management, Kyosk Farm & Fresh can reduce many of these obstacles. This will enable kitchens and eateries to maintain stability and competitiveness in terms of pricing while ensuring food safety, transparency, and traceability throughout the supply chain.

As part of the launch of the Farm & Fresh line of business, the uLima digital platform will be rebranded to Kyosk Farm. uLima was a platform that provided farmers with quality inputs, localised market information, and market linkage.

Kyosk Farm will now build upon the foundation of uLima, leveraging its existing features and functionality while enhancing the overall user experience. For farmers, Kyosk Farm will offer improved yields by providing access to information, insights, and agri-inputs, such as fertilisers, and financing. It will enable farmers to connect with consistent market access and fair pricing, ensuring sustainable income and growth opportunities for their businesses.

The African retail market is valued at approximately US$600 billion and is projected to grow at a rate of 5% to 6% annually. Kyosk focuses on serving small retail outlets and traditional retailers, which account for over 60% of retail trade in Africa. These retailers are primarily located in low-income, informal urban communities and have historically been inadequately served. They face high transportation costs and have difficulty accessing manufacturers and distributors due to multiple layers of intermediaries. As a result, small retailers often experience frequent stockouts and lost revenue while facing limited access to credit.

The Kyosk platform revolutionises how small retail outlets (kiosks), farmers, and their communities in Africa connect with high-quality and affordable goods and services through digitised value chains. Retailers can order products directly from FMCGs without the need for intermediaries, gaining access to competitive prices and cost savings. Kyosk has also expanded its operations to include electronic goods, health, and beauty products, reflecting its commitment to diversifying its offerings and catering to a wide range of consumer needs.

Moreover, Kyosk extends its support beyond product distribution; it collaborates with financial institutions to facilitate its outreach to traditional shops, farmers, and other businesses. It enables them to provide services such as credit and insurance, contributing to the financial inclusion of underrepresented businesses and individuals, and fostering economic growth and stability. With this strategic expansion into the fresh produce market, Kyosk is poised to revolutionise the distribution and enjoyment of fresh produce in Africa.

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Press Release

Moniepoint MFB Launches ‘Made for your Progress’ Campaign, Unveils Prolific Striker Victor Osimhen as Brand Ambassador

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Moniepoint Microfinance Bank (MFB), Nigeria’s definitive and trusted business and personal banking platform, has launched its new brand campaign, “Made for Your Progress,” reaffirming its commitment to powering the dreams of millions of Nigerians. To signpost this message of aspiration and achievement, Moniepoint also proudly announces the appointment of Nigerian football star, Victor Osimhen, as its brand ambassador.

The “Made for your Progress” campaign establishes Moniepoint MFB as the financial partner for Nigeria’s huge aspirational, ambitious and gritty doers across all spheres of human endeavour.

At its core, the campaign celebrates the real people making real moves on their journey to success. It spotlights the small, medium, and big everyday victories that lead to customer growth, underlining Moniepoint’s commitment to being a reliable, sophisticated, and approachable financial partner.

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“At Moniepoint, we have always believed that the ambitions of Nigerians are the bedrock of our economy as evidenced by the informal economy’s contributions to GDP.  We celebrate the people behind the many businesses we serve, and the individuals who have created value with our personal banking service, ” said Babatunde Olofin, Managing Director of Moniepoint MFB. “’Made for your Progress’ is our promise to every Nigerian with a dream – that we will provide the financial comfort, confidence, and freedom they need to focus on building those dreams. We exist to recognize and power their journey.”

He continues, “Progress looks different for everyone, and we exist to support each unique journey. With this campaign, we are shining a light on the real people and small victories that make up the fabric of Nigeria’s growth story. Our commitment is to deliver financial happiness by being the most reliable and innovative partner for individuals and businesses nationwide.”

Victor Osimhen, whose story of resilience and achievement mirrors the campaign’s ethos. Osimhen’s inspiring “grass-to-grace” story of determination, resilience, and achievement resonates deeply with the spirit of the Moniepoint brand and the audience it serves. His journey from the streets of Olusosun in Lagos to becoming an elite goal scorer on the world stage is the stuff of dreams for millions of Nigerians.  From humble beginnings to becoming one of Africa’s most celebrated football exports, Osimhen embodies the spirit of ambition, hard work,  triumph and the Nigerian hustle.

Speaking about his role, Victor Osimhen said, “ My journey has always been about believing in progress, no matter the challenges. That is why I am proud to be associated with Moniepoint, a brand that truly supports people’s dreams and celebrates their wins, big or small. Together, we will inspire millions of Nigerians to keep striving for more.”

Lauding Moniepoint MFB, he said,” Their belief that every dream is valid and their commitment to powering progress aligns perfectly with my own life journey. ‘Made for your Progress’ is not a fancy, feel-good slogan; it’s a message of hope and a promise of support that I am proud to champion.”

Osimhen, who recently joined Turkish giants, Galatasaray on a permanent deal for a fee in the region of €75 million, in a move which broke the Turkish Süper Lig’s all-time transfer record brings both grassroots authenticity and global recognition to the partnership.

As part of its move to deepen financial inclusion, while powering the progress of individuals, it will be recalled that Moniepoint MFB launched its personal banking service in August 2023 to offer a comprehensive range of solutions designed to make personal financial management seamless and accessible. Key offerings include a personal banking app that enables users to easily make transfers, pay bills, and purchase airtime. The service is complemented by a Moniepoint debit card usable at ATMs, POS terminals, and online, backed by a reliable payment infrastructure trusted by over 10 million businesses in Nigeria.

The campaign will feature integrated marketing communications across traditional and digital platforms, showcasing diverse customer stories and highlighting how Moniepoint’s innovative products and services enable real progress in people’s lives. With this campaign, Moniepoint MFB will reinvent its products and services as being more than a transactional tool, but as Nigeria’s definitive financial institution that fuels ambition, powers dreams, and delivers financial comfort, confidence, and freedom with security and reliability to boot.

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Press Release

Chowdeck Raises $9 Million Series A Funding to Launch Quick Commerce and Accelerate Expansion across Nigeria and Ghana

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Chowdeck, Africa’s leading on-demand delivery platform, has raised $9 million in Series A funding to expand into more cities across Nigeria and Ghana, and launch a quick commerce strategy that will boost the speed and efficiency of its grocery and local markets delivery services.

The Series A equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ and others. These investors bring deep expertise across different sectors, global networks, and operational insight that will support Chowdeck to scale sustainably and navigate Africa’s unique logistics and business environment.

The new funding will enable faster, more reliable delivery of food, groceries and medicine. The quick commerce strategy – supported by dark stores and hyperlocal logistics will further enhance delivery speed, improve depth of coverage, and accelerate expansion into additional cities across Nigeria and Ghana that are not yet served.

Since launching in October 2021, Chowdeck has emerged as the leading technology solutions provider for food and hospitality businesses in Africa. From logistics and inventory management to payments and performance tools, Chowdeck helps its partners streamline operations and meet rising customer expectations. With over 1.5 million customers and more than 20,000 riders across 11 cities, its tech-enabled logistics network enables businesses to deliver orders in an average of 30 minutes, while offering customers a seamless platform to access meals, groceries, and everyday essentials. In 2024, the value of meals delivered via the Chowdeck platform grew more than sixfold compared to the previous year. The company has already exceeded last year’s total and is firmly on track for another record-breaking year in 2025.

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Chowdeck team

Chowdeck’s growth in Nigeria and Ghana has been driven by its hyperlocal execution, fast and reliable logistics, as well as strong vendor partnerships that position it as a growth partner rather than just a delivery app. Its recent acquisition of Mira, providers of modern point-of-sale (POS) solutions tailored for the food and hospitality industry, also enables it to leverage Mira’s exceptional product development capabilities to ideate and deliver new technology solutions to support growth and improve customer experience. Backed by a focused leadership team and rising customer demand for quick, digital-first services, Chowdeck is scaling rapidly by combining operational excellence with deep local insight.

Femi Aluko, CEO and co-founder of Chowdeck, said “we’re thrilled about this round as it brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s number one super app, transforming how millions of Africans access food, groceries and essentials every day. This funding will supercharge our growth plans, enabling us to expand into more cities, reduce delivery times, scale our grocery footprint, and attract the best talent to drive innovation and customer satisfaction.”

Brian Waswani Odhiambo, Partner at Novastar Ventures, said: “Chowdeck is building the future of logistics for African cities by creating a platform that benefits consumers, vendors and riders alike. With deep local insight, a sustainability-first approach and impressive execution, Chowdeck is redefining last-mile delivery on the continent. We’re very excited to partner with Chowdeck in this next phase of growth as it scales its offering and helps create a more inclusive, sustainable and efficient urban economy.”

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Press Release

The African Talent Company and Mastercard Foundation Scale Youth Employability Efforts Across the Continent

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Since 2020, The African Talent Company (TATC), through Jobberman Nigeria, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, under the Young Africa Works Strategy, has successfully trained over 2.4 million young Nigerians and facilitated more than 600,000 job placements, advancing inclusive, dignified work opportunities across the country.

This strategic partnership has applied a data-driven, community-based model and low-bandwidth digital solutions to ensure broad accessibility, especially for underserved youth aged 18 to 35.

Recently in Nigeria, Jobberman convened the Technology and Employment Inclusion in Marginalised Contexts (TEIMC) Roundtable in Abuja, shifting the focus to some of the continent’s most vulnerable youth: women in disadvantaged communities, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The event brought together leaders from across government, civil society, tech platforms, and the private sector to tackle the structural and digital barriers these groups face in accessing employment opportunities.

“Technology can and must be a force for inclusion, not division,” said Hilda Kabushenga, CEO of The African Talent Company. “As the world of work evolves, we must ensure that no one is left behind. These conversations are about equity, access, and opportunity.”

The Roundtable also marked the launch of a groundbreaking report: “Technology and Employment Inclusion in Marginalised Contexts”, which revealed that while 72% of employers in Nigeria make no effort toward inclusive hiring, digital tools and remote work are beginning to create new entry points for underserved populations. Notably, 55% of PWDs and 44% of displaced women surveyed had secured some form of work, mainly through self-employment in creative media and agriculture sectors.

“Inclusion is not a side conversation, it is the main agenda,” said Rosy Fynn, Country Director, Mastercard Foundation Nigeria. “We must design systems where marginalised groups are not just considered, but centred.”

The roundtable’s policy briefs and programme recommendations will inform the Young Africa Works learning agenda and guide future employer training, platform design, and inclusive employment programming.

Axel Konjack, Head of Global Marketplaces and Member of the Ringier Group Executive Board, added, “Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing workforce, and that presents both an incredible opportunity and a responsibility. If we want to build a truly inclusive global economy, we must invest in equipping young Africans with the skills, tools and access they need to thrive in the evolving labour market.”

Building on this five-year partnership in Nigeria, impact activities are underway in BrighterMonday Kenya and BrighterMonday Uganda, as the Mastercard Foundation and The African Talent Company extend efforts to scale inclusive youth employment solutions across the continent. The deepened partnership is already delivering results. In Kampala, BrighterMonday Uganda hosted a Career Clinic that brought together government and private sector leaders under the theme “Skills For Today: Empowering Uganda’s Youth To Take Control Of Their Future.” Numerous young job seekers accessed CV reviews, coaching, and digital skills training, reinforcing the initiative’s commitment to hands-on, work-readiness programming.

“This expansion reflects our belief that every young African, regardless of circumstance, deserves the opportunity to earn a dignified livelihood,” said Hilda Kabushenga. “The partnership in Nigeria has laid a strong foundation, but the real work has just begun.”

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