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Africa gains voice in global payment security as Smartcomply enters PCI CouncilĀ 

Posted on June 2, 2026 by CoreNews Africa

​Firm launches initiative to offer access to human agents for big loans, investments  Chuka Uroko  A Nigerian fintech firm known as Sycamore has launched an initiative that offers guaranteed access to human agents for big loans, investments, savings and multi-currency operations at any hour.  The firm, in a statement at the weekend, said the initiative, which offers round-the-clock customer support across all its financial services, was launched recently and guarantees two-minute response time for live chat and one-hour turnaround for email inquiries.  It assured that human agents are now available 24/7 through multiple channels, including phone, WhatsApp, and social media, to handle everything from loan applications to investment portfolio queries and multi-currency wallet transactions.  The launch of the initiative addresses a growing challenge in Nigeria’s expanding digital finance sector, as products become more sophisticated, and customers increasingly need real-time human guidance that automated systems cannot provide.  ā€œFinancial decisions don’t respect business hours,ā€ said Babatunde Akin-Moses, CEO of Sycamore Group, adding, ā€œa customer evaluating an investment opportunity at midnight or managing currency exposure during market volatility needs access to knowledgeable professionals who can provide context and help them make informed decisions. We’ve built our service model around that reality.ā€  According to the chief executive, the timing reflects broader shifts in Nigeria’s fintech landscape, pointing out that recent data from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission FCCPC) shows banking and fintech accounted for over 4,600 consumer complaints between March and August 2025, with fintech recording 1,442 cases. The complaints spanned issues from transaction disputes to challenges with digital lending and investment products.  As financial technology platforms expand from simple payment services to complex offerings such as access to big loans, investment, asset management, and foreign currency products, service requirements have evolved accordingly. What works for basic transfers proves insufficient when customers need guidance on loan terms, investment allocations, or multi-currency strategies.  According to Mojisola Fagbohunlu, head of marketing at Sycamore, ā€œthe industry has reached an inflection point; customers are managing increasingly complex financial products through their phones. They’re making decisions about loans that affect their businesses, investments that determine their financial futures, and currency choices that protect their purchasing power. These decisions require human insight, especially when questions arise outside traditional banking hours.ā€  Sycamore Group operates under dual regulatory frameworks, holding both SEC licensing for fund and portfolio management and a money lenders license for the lending operations. The Group processed over N100 billion in transactions for approximately 400,000 customers across salary loans, business financing, investments, asset portfolios, and multi-currency wallets in the 2025 financial year.  The operational investment required to staff human agents around the clock is substantial, but Akin-Moses argues that the economics makes sense when product complexity increases, and the potential value to be created on weekends and off-peak hours.  ā€œAutomated systems work well for straightforward transactions,ā€ he said. ā€œBut when someone needs to understand how a multi-currency wallet protects against devaluation, or which investment vehicle aligns with their risk tolerance, that conversation requires human expertise.ā€  The launch comes as Nigerian financial regulators increase focus on consumer protection. The FCCPC issued comprehensive Digital Lending Regulations in September 2025 to address transparency, data privacy, and customer treatment standards. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also heightened scrutiny of service delivery across digital finance platforms.  For Sycamore, the initiative represents a bet that service quality and round-the-clock availability will become key differentiators as Nigeria’s fintech sector matures. The company is monitoring resolution times, customer satisfaction scores, and product adoption rates to evaluate impact.  ā€œWe’re seeing significant engagement during non-business hours, especially as we go borderless,ā€ said Fagbohunlu, noting, Ā ā€œpeople are making financial decisions when it’s convenient for them, not when banks are open; that’s the whole promise of digital finance. We’re simply ensuring the service delivery matches that promise.ā€

Africa has gained a stronger voice in the global conversation on payment security following the admission of Nigerian cybersecurity and

read more Africa gains voice in global payment security as Smartcomply enters PCI Council

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