Skip to content
Friday, October 16, 2026

Core Afric

Pan-African News, Culture, and Perspectives

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Story
  • Popular
  • Trending
    • Volcano near
    • Apple plans
    • Musk response
    • Microsoft announces
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Business
    • Disability camp
    • Build business
  • Every great
  • Contact

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

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.  “Financial decisions don’t respect business hours,” said Babatunde Akin-Moses, CEO of Sycamore Group, adding, “a 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.”  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, “the 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.”  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.  “Automated systems work well for straightforward transactions,” he said. “But 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.”  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.  “We’re seeing significant engagement during non-business hours, especially as we go borderless,” said Fagbohunlu, noting,  “people 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.”

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

   

Posted in Business

Post navigation

Previous: If our security forces can arrest social media influencers, they can locate bandits – Burutai  
Next: News24 | Barry Hilton says heart attack gave him a wake-up call: ‘Life is precious’ 

Related Posts

  • Business

King penguins are a rare species seemingly benefiting from climate change. Here’s why 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • March 11, 2026
  • 0

​ The warming world has disrupted the timing for plant and animal reproduction, and it’s usually bad news for species that depend on each other […]

  • Technology

(BPRW) New NAACP, Sanofi Report Unveils Roadmap for Advancing Health Equity Across the Country 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • March 21, 2026
  • 0

[#content_spinnerchief] 

  • African News
  • Business
  • Money

[#content_spinnerchief] 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • April 27, 2026
  • 0

​[#content_spinnerchief]   

Core Afric

Celebrating the diversity and richness of African heritage globally

Celebrating the diversity and richness of African heritage globally

Core Afric amplifies the voices and stories of people of African descent worldwide. Our mission is to build a bridge amongst our various citizens dispersed all over the globe. We are intentional about a media where the experiences, perspectives, and achievements of the descendants of Africa are valued, respected, and celebrated. Through our reporting, we aim to foster greater understanding, empathy, and solidarity in a universe riddled with divisions. Do you care about honoring the diversity and richness of African heritage globally? Connect with us on our handles for news, information, and cultural exposition, highlighting the richness and diversity of Africa and its diasporans.

News Highlights

View All

News24 | Ballito ‘school stabber’ applies for legal aid, mom in court 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

Turkey: Iheanacho reacts after making history with goals in 10 consecutive matches 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

(BPRW) USHER’S NEW LOOK, BET AND BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER DETROIT PARTNER TO EXPAND PATHWAYS AND DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTERTAINMENT LEADERS THROUGH BET NEXT GEN PROGRAM 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

(BPRW) From Hardware to History: Push 2.0 Group Deploys Interactive NFC Tech at The Atlanta Voice 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

News Minute

View All

News24 | Court rulings on contested SA laws may lift confidence, says PSG chief Gouws 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

News24 | Fourteen Durban protest accused granted R500 bail each 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

News24 | Kingsmead no-show: Dolphins CEO pens open letter after poor turnout for Proteas 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

News24 | New defence committee co-chair elected after Malusi Gigaba’s controversial exit 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

News24 | Ballito ‘school stabber’ applies for legal aid, mom in court 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

Core Afric

Core Afric amplifies the voices and stories of people of African descent worldwide. Our mission is to build a bridge amongst our various citizens dispersed all over the globe. We are intentional about a media where the experiences, perspectives, and achievements of the descendants of Africa are valued, respected, and celebrated. Our reporting aims to foster greater understanding, empathy, and solidarity in a universe riddled with divisions. Do you care about honoring the diversity and richness of African heritage globally? Connect with us on our handles for news, information, and cultural exposition, highlighting the richness and diversity of Africa and its diasporans.

Follow Us On

Facebook Instagram Twitter Linkedin

News Briefing

View All

News24 | New defence committee co-chair elected after Malusi Gigaba’s controversial exit 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

​Weeks after the ANC’s failed attempt to elect Mzimasi Hala as co-chair of the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Defence, he has finally been elected.   

News24 | Ballito ‘school stabber’ applies for legal aid, mom in court 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

​The brief court appearance of the 16-year-old who allegedly stabbed a six-year-old girl on Tuesday was attended by his mother, who cut a lonely figure in the gallery, unsupported by…

Turkey: Iheanacho reacts after making history with goals in 10 consecutive matches 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

Super Eagles attacker, Kelechi Iheanacho, has vowed to maintain his impressive scoring form after making Turkish football history with Bursaspor. Iheanacho scored a brace and provided an assist as Bursaspor…

(BPRW) USHER’S NEW LOOK, BET AND BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER DETROIT PARTNER TO EXPAND PATHWAYS AND DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTERTAINMENT LEADERS THROUGH BET NEXT GEN PROGRAM 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

(Black PR Wire) New York, NY - Usher's New Look, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit and BET Next Gen, BET's leadership development initiative, today announced a collaboration designed to…

Hot Topics

View All

[#content_spinnerchief] 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

[#content_spinnerchief] 

Safaricom ownership dispute deepens as Vodacom holds 55% stake pending Kenya appeal 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

​Vodacom Group will retain its 55 percent stake in Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications operator, pending a fast-tracked appeal against a   

A look inside the $52 billion hole that CoreWeave needs to climb out of 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

​ Good morning. On Fortune’s radar today: Can CoreWeave handle all that debt? Maybe! Markets: At the end of a storm there’s a golden sky. Maps showing the states that…

Dangote to list 10% of Ethiopian fertiliser business on Africa’s youngest stock exchange 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

​Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Group, has pledged to list 10 percent of the conglomerate’s Ethiopian fertiliser   

News Highlights

View All

Child care practitioners trained on reform and management 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

Kenya, Georgia strengthen trade, investment ties 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

[#content_spinnerchief] 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0

News24 | Court rulings on contested SA laws may lift confidence, says PSG chief Gouws 

  • CoreNews Africa
  • October 16, 2026
  • 0
© 2026 Core Afric