In Nigeria, where over 38 million adults remain financially excluded, the journey toward inclusion is far from over. But amidst this challenge, Fortis Mobile Money Ltd, a Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed Mobile Money Operator, has carved out a leadership role, innovating around digital cash transfers to reach Nigeria’s unbanked and underbanked populations. In rural communities and hard-to-reach areas where traditional banking infrastructure does not exist or would not suffice, Fortis is proving that mobile money, if done right, can bridge the financial divide.
As a key Payment Service Provider (PSP) within social and humanitarian cash transfer programmes, and partnering with the Federal Government, Fortis Mobile Money is more than just a disbursement engine. It is an infrastructure of financial dignity, enabling access to digital wallets, debit cards, and simple tools for savings and spending among the most vulnerable in society.
Onyeka Ofodile, MD & CEO at Fortis Mobile Money, said, “We do not see ourselves as just moving money from one point to another. We are building an ecosystem that brings the financially excluded into the formal economy, step by step.”
Technology Meets Empathy In Cash Transfer Delivery
At the heart of Fortis Mobile Money’s success is its technology-enabled, agent-led model. The company employs a national network of mobile money agents trained in transaction handling, beneficiary support, financial literacy, and KYC (Know Your Customer) onboarding. These agents form the frontlines of inclusion, deployed to towns, villages, IDP camps, and marketplaces, often several hours away from the nearest bank branch.
Unlike many PSPs, Fortis has optimised its operations around offline-first environments. Beneficiaries do not need smartphones or internet access to receive funds. Through alternative transaction capabilities, real-time identity verification, and a biometric onboarding toolset, the company ensures that disbursements and provision of access can happen safely, transparently, and without digital exclusion.
This has been particularly effective in conflict-affected contexts in the Northeastern part of Nigeria and the North Central, where over 1,000,000 beneficiaries have been served in just under three years. Fortis’ success rate in such regions exceeds 97%, largely due to its agent training framework, offline transaction protocols, and pre-disbursement readiness assessments.
“We created protocols that prepare the environment before the Agent moves. From verifying locations, aligning with community leaders, identifying potential points of friction or hotspots, and confirming biometric data, we reduce last-mile risks before they arise,” Onyeka Ofodile added.
Beyond Disbursement: Building Daily Use Habits
One of the strongest markers of impact in financial inclusion is habit formation. Fortis has invested heavily in creating services and experiences that go beyond the one-time receipt of funds.
For instance, the company automatically opens a Fortis Wallet for every cash transfer recipient. This wallet, which can be accessed through a debit card or via Fortis agents, allows users to send money, pay bills, top up airtime, and perform other essential transactions.
What began as a way to deliver social benefits has evolved into a platform that enables everyday financial activity. According to recent internal data, over 55% of cash transfer recipients go on to perform additional wallet transactions, showing signs of retention, trust, and behavioural change.
This model has also created a feedback loop that improves targeting and personalisation. Through transactional data and customer engagement touchpoints, Fortis is working towards developing digital trust scores that will, in time, support credit scoring, micro-lending, and insurance underwriting for underserved Nigerians.
Partnerships That Power Inclusion
No single entity can achieve nationwide financial inclusion alone. Fortis understands this, which is why it maintains strategic collaborations across both public and private sectors.
Its historical partnership with the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and development partners like the World Bank, Save The Children, and the International Committee of the Red Cross provides access to beneficiary pipelines and governance mechanisms for social transfers.
Meanwhile, its liquidity and banking partnership with Commercial Banks allows for greater reach, float management, and support for account linking in areas where Fortis Mobile Money is not licensed to offer loans or credit products directly.
This multi-layered strategy ensures Fortis transfers funds and establishes financial infrastructure in underserved communities.
Furthermore, some commercial bank agents are now embedded into the Fortis field operations, supporting cash disbursement points with liquidity and serving as extensions of the Fortis service promise. Fortis and partner organisations are also working on a joint financial literacy campaign, targeted at newly onboarded beneficiaries, which will launch across the six geopolitical zones in the coming months.
“Our view is that partnerships multiply impact. Inclusion is an ecosystem opportunity,” Onyeka said.
Financial Literacy As Infrastructure
It is not enough to give someone access to finance. They must know how to use it. Fortis Mobile Money has trained over 1,000 field staff and community champions who conduct financial literacy sessions in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin English across their areas of operations. These sessions, covering topics such as withdrawals, deposits, agent relationships, fraud awareness, and safe card usage, are often held before or after debit card distribution or disbursement events.
In some states, these sessions have become community events, bringing together women’s cooperatives, market traders, youth groups, and traditional leaders.
Baba Abba Mohammed, Fortis Product Support Lead, said, “Some of our beneficiaries had never seen a debit card before. Today, they are using it at POS terminals in the market. When you explain finance in their language, you give them power.”
Towards Full Digital Participation
Looking ahead, Fortis is building a product roadmap that expands its value proposition. By mid-2026, the company plans to launch micro-savings and micro-insurance features targeted at low-income earners. These products will be offered directly within the Fortis Wallet, with flexible contributions as low as ₦100 per week.
There are also plans to pilot a cooperative-based credit programme, where group savings data will be used to assess creditworthiness and unlock access to nano-loans.
On the technology side, Fortis is investing in AI-driven fraud detection, automated dispute resolution, and an open API framework that will allow third-party service providers to integrate offerings directly into the wallet experience.
All these developments aim to embed Fortis into the daily financial lives of Nigerians who have long been excluded.
A Model For Inclusive Finance In Africa
The Fortis Mobile Money story is a testament to what can happen when innovation, empathy, and policy alignment come together. It is a story of market women in Nasarawa buying fertiliser with their Fortis cards, of internally displaced persons in Borno saving ₦500 a week for their children’s future, of agents trekking five kilometres to bring digital finance to the last village on the map.
It is a story of financial dignity delivered at scale.
“For us, financial inclusion is not about ticking off CBN KPIs. It is about building a Nigeria where no one is invisible to the financial system,” Onyeka noted.
With every wallet opened, every card issued, and every naira disbursed with care, Fortis Mobile Money is turning that vision into a reality.