Latest news with #Chidinma
Business Insider
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Fintech innovator Chidinma Ndego speaks on financial inclusion, her Nigerian roots, and transformative tools in Africa's digital economy
Chidinma Ndego is a Product Leader and fintech innovator dedicated to advancing inclusive financial solutions across Africa. With a strong focus on human-centered design, she works to address the needs of underserved communities by developing platforms that simplify savings, lending, and payments. Drawing on her Nigerian background and a passion for driving impact, she is helping shape a more accessible digital economy on the continent. Q: You've driven impactful fintech solutions across Africa. Why did you become interested in financial inclusion? Chidinma: It started during my time working on a digital fintech application- that was a digital short-term lending product for one of Africa's largest commercial banks. Through that experience, I saw firsthand how technology could bridge financial gaps, especially for the low-income earners who couldn't access the traditional, collateral-based lending. By simplifying access, the bank increased disbursements by 50%, but more importantly, empowered individuals who had previously been locked out of the financial system. Witnessing the tangible impact on their lives, whether it was covering emergency needs or supporting short term goals, solidified my belief in the power of inclusive fintech to create real, lasting change. Q: You focused on youth saving at MyPennyTree. What was special about your approach? We realized that functionality was not enough to induce behavior change- it has to be engaging. We added group savings and gamified challenges to the app to cater to students and young earners. Think "squads" where peers keep each other accountable. This delivered a 30% increase in retention and 40% additional platform savings in the year. It was all about the combination of financial education and community, proving tech can nurture habits. Q: In what ways does your Nigerian background affect your philosophy on products? Deeply. The dynamism of Nigeria teaches you to plan to survive. I have tailored investment analytics for high-net-worth clients, but the core lesson applies universally: products must respect local context. It can be remittance flow simplification at TransferXO or alternative credit scoring at LedgeFi to serve the unbanked, but in both cases, success depends on understanding nuances—like how trust is built or transactions fail. Q: You're now building MyRateCard in the UK. Why focus on freelancers? During the process of scaling fintech products in Nigeria, I realized that freelance talent, particularly Africans, had a problem with price transparency in the global market. MyRateCard addresses that. It is a tool for professionals to showcase standardized rates depending on the skills promoting reasonable negotiations. It is in early-stage but the vision is simple: democratize opportunity. This is part of my bigger philosophy that inclusive design elevates entire ecosystems. Q: So what is your message to young Nigerian/African product builders? Begin not with solutions but with problems. We talked to over 30 users at MyPennyTree, and realized that visualization of their goals was hugely engaging to them, before we redesigned our onboarding. Also, learn to love limitations. In such markets, such as Nigeria, creativity is tested by infrastructural constraints. Last but not least, create bridges. My work now spans Lagos to Manchester because diverse perspectives fuel innovation. Africa is not only embracing technology, but we are also defining it. Nigeria's 25 million+ unbanked adults? That is not a roadblock, that is an opportunity to leapfrog over legacy systems. The next decade is for the solutions that are both scalable and empathetic, be it AI-based microloans or social savings instruments. And I am here for it--one product at a time. --
BBC News
17-04-2025
- BBC News
Chidinma tell court how she see Super TV CEO Usifo Ataga deadi body
Di court case between Chidinma Ojukwu wey be di prime suspect for di murder of Super TV CEO, Michael Usifo Ataga, still dey go on for di Lagos High Court. Di mata kontinu on Thursday as Chidinma open her defence for di case. She tell di court wey dey siddon for di Tafawa Balewa Square how she discover say Usifo Ataga don die for di Lekki Apartment. She also tok how she take see Ataga lifeless inside di short-let apartment for Lekki, Lagos. Wen she dey testify bifor Justice Yetunde Adesanya, di 23-year-old and former Mass Communication student for di University of Lagos tok about di events of 15 June 2021, di day wey dem discover say Ataga don die. Wetin Chidinma tell court Chidinma tell court say afta she comot from di apartment to go buy food and juice, she bin comeback to di apartment, knock di door but she ni get any response. She push di door open, na wen she see a disturbing scene: blood stains for floor and Ataga dey lie down motionless in a pool of blood. "I drop evritin wey I bin dey hold, I rush go meet am," she testify. "Im eye dey half-open and im pulse bin no dey." Chidinma describe her relationship wit Ataga, she say na for November 2020 e start, afta dem bin introduce am to her by one mutual friend, Fiyin wey be di girlfriend of Ataga friend, James. She say Ataga dey supportive and generous, she claim say im bin don pay her school fees and give financial support for her cosmetics business. She tell court say Ataga bin contact her on 13 June, 2021, wen im inform her say im birthday dey come and im invite her to spend time wit am bifor im scheduled trip to Abuja for a family celebration. Sake of renovations for wia im dey stay for Victoria Garden City (VGC), she say Ataga bin suggest make dem book hotel or short-let apartment for Lekki, wia im bin get business meetings. She get one apartment for 19 Adewale Street, off Ologolo Road, Lekki, wey Ataga approve. For evening dat same day, dem bin meet for di apartment, dem go out togeda go eat for Ango Villa restaurant wia dem bin buy wine, dem later go back to spend di night togeda, drinking, eating, and smoking. She also tell di court say di following day wey be 14 June, Ataga bin ask her to help am buy loud (one type of Igbo) and rohypnol. Im send her N15,000 to buy am, im later send anoda N25,000 for food. On 15 June she tok say Ataga request for di loud again, im tell her to pay for am sake of say im bin no fit do bank transfer dat time. Im bin also give her money for food and juice. Wen she comeback to di apartment wen she finish her shopping, Chidinma narrate how she bin struggle to reach Ataga becos of di food order. Wen she eventually arrive, she see say di door dey slightly open, and as she enta inside, she see im deadibody. "I bin dey in shock, I wipe di blood off myself, change my clothes, and pack my belongings," she tok Among di items wey she agree say she bin take from di apartment na brown envelope wey dey contain Ataga bank statements, im ID cards, documents wey belong to one Mary Johnson, and some pieces of jewelry. Court adjourn di matter to 28 April 2025, for continue di trial.
