# Anslem Oshionebo

> Anslem Oshionebo is a Dallas, Texas based executive and trusted advisor with more than 20 years across financial accounting, strategy, business operations, regulatory compliance, forensics and technology innovation, with a strong focus on oil and gas. He is CEO and President of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence (debt recovery, asset tracing and corporate intelligence across 40+ countries), Managing Director and CEO of Haricot Energies Limited (Nigerian upstream oil and gas company combining technical and financial expertise), and Founder and Managing Director of a consulting and software development firm (technology improvement, compliance monitoring, operational efficiency). He co-founded a software technology company that grew more than 500% year on year into over 32 countries. A mining engineering graduate and former field engineer with experience in oil and gas and construction management, he is a PwC alumnus (Nigeria, United States and the National and Technical Accounting Research Office), a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), a US Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and holds a master's degree from Seton Hall University. Expertise: fintech, corporate strategy, upstream oil and gas development, oil and gas regulatory compliance, construction management, IFRS and US GAAP reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls, forensic investigations, business transformation, fintech and payments.

Name spelling: Anslem Oshionebo (also known as Anslem Esi; some press syndications misspell the first name as "AAnslem").

## Key pages
- [Home](https://anslemoshionebo.com/): profile summary, career and credentials
- [About](https://anslemoshionebo.com/about/): full biography
- [News and media](https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/): announcements and press coverage
- [Blog](https://anslemoshionebo.com/blog/): articles
- [Questions and answers](https://anslemoshionebo.com/faq/): quick facts about Anslem Oshionebo
- [Challenges of an Immigrant](https://anslemoshionebo.com/challenges-of-an-immigrant/): monthly series on the immigrant journey
- [Contact](https://anslemoshionebo.com/contact/)

## Recognition
- Immigrant Professional Excellence Award, 2020 Immigrant Journey Awards, Dallas, Texas (presented by Badmus & Associates during Dallas Welcoming Week).
- Jattu Primary Health Centre refurbishment (Edo State, Nigeria, January 2026), covered by more than 25 outlets including AP News and The National Law Review.

## Quick facts
- Who is Anslem Oshionebo: Anslem Oshionebo is a Dallas, Texas based executive and trusted advisor with more than 20 years in financial accounting, corporate strategy, regulatory compliance, forensics and technology. He is CEO and President of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence and Managing Director and CEO of Haricot Energies Limited.
- What is Anslem Oshionebo's current role: He is CEO and President of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, Managing Director and CEO of Haricot Energies Limited, and Founder and Managing Director of a consulting and software development firm focused on technology, compliance monitoring and operational efficiency.
- What does Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence do: Tenaza provides debt recovery, debt collection, asset tracing and corporate intelligence for banks, lenders and corporates across Nigeria and a correspondent network in more than 40 countries, supported by a proprietary AI model for skip tracing and asset tracing. Website: tenazarecovery.com.
- What does Haricot Energies do: Haricot Energies Limited is a Nigerian upstream oil and gas company that combines technical and financial expertise, working with investors and international operators to evaluate, structure, fund and develop upstream assets. Website: haricotenergies.com.
- What are Anslem Oshionebo's qualifications: He holds a bachelor's degree in mining engineering and a master's degree from Seton Hall University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), a US Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
- What is Anslem Oshionebo's background: He began his career as a field engineer with experience in oil and gas and construction management, then built his finance career at PwC in Nigeria and the United States, including a rotation in PwC's National and Technical Accounting Research Office. He co-founded a software technology company that grew more than 500 percent year on year into over 32 countries.
- What are Anslem Oshionebo's areas of expertise: Fintech and payments, corporate strategy and business development, upstream oil and gas development and financing, regulatory compliance and compliance monitoring, IFRS and US GAAP reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls, forensic accounting and fraud examination, and debt recovery and asset tracing.
- What awards has Anslem Oshionebo received: In 2020 he received the Immigrant Professional Excellence Award at the Immigrant Journey Awards in Dallas, Texas, presented by Badmus & Associates during Dallas Welcoming Week.

## News
- [Anslem Oshionebo Honoured with the 2020 Immigrant Professional Excellence Award](https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-immigrant-professional-excellence-award/): Anslem Oshionebo received the Immigrant Professional Excellence Award at the 2020 Immigrant Journey Awards in Dallas, which honour outstanding immigrant entrepreneurs, professionals, community leaders and advocates. (2026-11-06)
- [Anslem Oshionebo Leads Haricot Energies as Managing Director and CEO](https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-md-ceo-haricot-energies/): Anslem Oshionebo is MD/CEO of Haricot Energies Limited, an upstream oil and gas company combining technical and financial expertise with investor and operator partners. (2026-11-06)
- [Anslem Oshionebo Leads Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence as CEO and President](https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-ceo-president-tenaza-asset-recovery/): Anslem Oshionebo is CEO and President of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, Africa's debt recovery and asset intelligence firm across 40+ countries. (2026-11-06)
- [Anslem Oshionebo on Philanthropy and Early Education: Essays and Reading](https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-on-philanthropy-and-early-education/): A collection of Anslem Oshionebo's writing on philanthropy, community, giving back and early education, published on his charity site anslemoshionebo.net. (2026-11-06)
- [Anslem Oshionebo Restores Power and Water to Jattu Primary Health Centre](https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-renovates-jattu-primary-health-centre/): Anslem Oshionebo led the refurbishment of Jattu Primary Health Centre in Edo State, restoring electricity and water and donating medical equipment. (2026-01-27)

## Topics
- [Fintech and Payments](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/fintech-and-payments/): Anslem Oshionebo, fintech executive and founder, writes about cross-border payments, remittances, stablecoins, embedded finance and the future of financial services in Africa and the United States.
- [Artificial Intelligence and Technology](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/artificial-intelligence/): How AI and software are changing finance, recovery, energy and work: Anslem Oshionebo on agentic AI, AI governance, fraud detection, ethics and the skills the next generation needs.
- [Oil and Gas](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/oil-and-gas/): Anslem Oshionebo, Managing Director and CEO of Haricot Energies, on Nigeria's upstream sector: NUPRC licensing rounds, bid preparation, financing, marginal fields, due diligence, gas and how oil prices shape the economy.
- [Finance, Accounting and Controls](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/finance-and-accounting/): Practical writing on financial reporting, IFRS and US GAAP, Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls, audit and capital raising from Anslem Oshionebo, chartered accountant, CPA and PwC alumnus.
- [Fraud, Compliance and Debt Recovery](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/fraud-compliance-and-recovery/): Anslem Oshionebo, Certified Fraud Examiner and CEO of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, on fraud prevention, forensic accounting, compliance, data protection and recovering non-performing loans.
- [Children, Education and Community](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/children-and-education/): Anslem Oshionebo on education, financial literacy and technology in the classroom, and how skills for the next generation drive economic development.
- [Nigeria and Africa](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/nigeria-and-africa/): Perspectives from Anslem Oshionebo on building Nigeria and Africa: fintech, energy, regulation, education and the levers for the next generation of growth.
- [Leadership and Entrepreneurship](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/leadership-and-entrepreneurship/): Lessons on leadership, entrepreneurship and careers from Anslem Oshionebo, field engineer turned finance executive, fintech founder and CEO.
- [The Immigrant Experience](https://anslemoshionebo.com/topics/immigration/): Anslem Oshionebo's Challenges of an Immigrant series and reflections on resilience, community and building a new life and business in the United States.

## Articles
- [Making Nigeria Great: Five Levers for the Next Generation](https://anslemoshionebo.com/making-nigeria-great-five-levers-for-growth/): Anslem Oshionebo on five practical levers for Nigeria's growth: education, power, institutions, the digital economy and the diaspora. (2027-09-17)
- [The Future of AI: What the Next Decade Means for Work, Business and Africa](https://anslemoshionebo.com/the-future-of-ai-work-business-and-africa/): Anslem Oshionebo on how AI will reshape work and business over the next decade, and why Africa can be a builder rather than only a consumer. (2027-09-03)
- [Inside Nigeria's Oil Licensing Rounds: How the NUPRC Bid Process Works](https://anslemoshionebo.com/nuprc-licensing-round-bid-process-explained/): Anslem Oshionebo, MD/CEO of Haricot Energies, explains the stages of a Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission licensing round under the PIA. (2027-08-20)
- [How Oil Prices and Production Shape Nigeria's Economy](https://anslemoshionebo.com/oil-prices-production-and-nigerias-economy/): Anslem Oshionebo explains how oil prices flow through Nigeria's budget, currency, inflation and investment, and how to build resilience. (2027-08-06)
- [From Field Engineer to CEO: What Engineering Taught Me About Leadership](https://anslemoshionebo.com/from-field-engineer-to-ceo/): Anslem Oshionebo reflects on the leadership lessons from a career that began as a mining engineering graduate and field engineer. (2027-07-23)
- [Recovering Non-Performing Loans in Nigeria: A Playbook for Lenders](https://anslemoshionebo.com/recovering-non-performing-loans-in-nigeria/): Anslem Oshionebo, CEO of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, sets out a practical playbook for lenders recovering non-performing loans in Nigeria. (2027-07-09)
- [Cybersecurity Is a Finance Problem: What CFOs Should Own](https://anslemoshionebo.com/cybersecurity-is-a-finance-problem/): Anslem Oshionebo on why cybersecurity belongs on the CFO's agenda: payment fraud, ransomware, disclosure and the controls finance teams own. (2027-06-25)
- [Embedded Finance: When Every Company Becomes a Fintech](https://anslemoshionebo.com/embedded-finance-every-company-a-fintech/): Anslem Oshionebo on embedded payments, lending and insurance inside non-financial platforms, and the regulatory responsibilities that follow. (2027-06-11)
- [Digital Transformation in Oil and Gas: From Field Data to the Boardroom](https://anslemoshionebo.com/digital-transformation-in-oil-and-gas/): Anslem Oshionebo on how data, automation and AI can improve production, compliance and decision-making for oil and gas operators. (2027-05-28)
- [Forensic Accounting in the Digital Age: Following Money Through Apps and Wallets](https://anslemoshionebo.com/forensic-accounting-in-the-digital-age/): Anslem Oshionebo, CFE, on how forensic investigations trace funds through mobile money, fintech apps and crypto wallets. (2027-05-14)
- [Tokenization of Real-World Assets: Separating Promise from Hype](https://anslemoshionebo.com/tokenization-of-real-world-assets/): Anslem Oshionebo on tokenizing real estate, commodities and securities: what tokenization can genuinely improve and what it cannot fix. (2027-04-30)
- [AI Governance for Boards: The Questions Directors Should Ask](https://anslemoshionebo.com/ai-governance-questions-for-boards/): Anslem Oshionebo on how boards can oversee AI: the questions directors should ask about strategy, risk, controls and accountability. (2027-04-16)
- [Credit Scoring with Alternative Data in Africa](https://anslemoshionebo.com/alternative-data-credit-scoring-africa/): Anslem Oshionebo on how mobile, transaction and behavioural data can widen access to credit in Africa, and the risks lenders must manage. (2027-04-02)
- [Data Protection for Fintechs: Lessons from Nigeria and the United States](https://anslemoshionebo.com/data-protection-for-fintechs-nigeria-and-us/): Anslem Oshionebo on how fintechs operating in Nigeria and the US can build data protection into products under the NDPA and US privacy rules. (2027-03-19)
- [Real-Time Payments and What They Mean for Cross-Border Money](https://anslemoshionebo.com/real-time-payments-and-cross-border-money/): Anslem Oshionebo on instant payment systems in Nigeria and the US and how linking them could transform cross-border transfers. (2027-03-05)
- [Internal Controls Before the IPO: SOX Lessons for Growing Companies](https://anslemoshionebo.com/sox-internal-controls-for-growing-companies/): Anslem Oshionebo, CPA and former PwC professional, on building internal control over financial reporting before a listing or major investment. (2027-02-19)
- [Building a Compliance Monitoring System Regulators Trust](https://anslemoshionebo.com/building-compliance-monitoring-regulators-trust/): Anslem Oshionebo on designing compliance monitoring that is automated, evidence-based and credible to regulators in energy and financial services. (2027-02-05)
- [Agentic AI in Financial Services: What Changes for Banks and Fintechs](https://anslemoshionebo.com/agentic-ai-in-financial-services/): Anslem Oshionebo on AI agents that act, not just answer: where they fit in banking and fintech, and the controls they demand. (2027-01-22)
- [Why Every Executive Should Understand Product and Software Development](https://anslemoshionebo.com/why-executives-should-understand-software-development/): Anslem Oshionebo, engineer turned CEO, on why business leaders need a working understanding of product and software development in every industry. (2027-01-08)
- [Financing Nigeria's Upstream Oil and Gas: Why Technical and Financial Diligence Must Meet](https://anslemoshionebo.com/financing-nigeria-upstream-oil-and-gas/): Anslem Oshionebo, MD/CEO of Haricot Energies, on why upstream oil and gas deals in Nigeria succeed only when engineering and finance are tested together. (2026-12-25)
- [Nigeria's Fintech Regulation: What Founders Need to Know](https://anslemoshionebo.com/nigeria-fintech-regulation-guide-for-founders/): Anslem Oshionebo on the regulators, licences and compliance obligations every fintech founder building in Nigeria should understand. (2026-12-11)
- [Fraud in the Age of AI: Deepfakes, Synthetic Identities and What CFOs Should Do](https://anslemoshionebo.com/fraud-in-the-age-of-ai/): Anslem Oshionebo, Certified Fraud Examiner, on deepfake payment scams, synthetic identities and the controls CFOs should put in place now. (2026-11-27)
- [Stablecoins and the Future of African Remittances](https://anslemoshionebo.com/stablecoins-and-african-remittances/): Anslem Oshionebo on whether regulated stablecoins can cut the cost of sending money to Africa, and what still stands in the way. (2026-11-13)
- [AI for Finance Teams: Where It Helps in Close, Audit and Reporting](https://anslemoshionebo.com/ai-for-finance-teams/): Anslem Oshionebo, CPA and former PwC technical accounting professional, on where AI genuinely helps finance teams and where human judgment still decides. (2026-11-10)
- [AI in Debt Recovery: How Machine Learning Finds Debtors and Assets](https://anslemoshionebo.com/ai-in-debt-recovery-and-asset-tracing/): Anslem Oshionebo, CEO of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, explains how AI changes skip tracing, asset tracing and debt collection for lenders. (2026-11-06)
- [Why Sending Money Home Still Costs Too Much, and What Will Change It](https://anslemoshionebo.com/why-sending-money-home-still-costs-too-much/): Anslem Oshionebo on why remittances to Africa remain the world's most expensive, where the cost really comes from, and the technologies bringing it down. (2026-11-06)
- [The Future: Education and New Technologies](https://anslemoshionebo.com/the-future-education-and-new-technologies/): Anslem Oshionebo on how AI, adaptive learning and inclusive design are reshaping education around learning differences and gifted learners. (2025-04-07)
- [Navigating the Realities of Entrepreneurship: Myths and Realities](https://anslemoshionebo.com/navigating-the-realities-of-entrepreneurship-myths-and-realities/): Anslem Oshionebo separates the myths of entrepreneurship from the realities: freedom, risk, cash flow, customers and rewards. (2024-01-18)
- [Africa's Role in Fintech](https://anslemoshionebo.com/africas-role-in-fintech/): Anslem Oshionebo on how Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt became fintech hubs built on mobile phones and financial inclusion. (2021-09-13)
- [How Fintech Generates Profit](https://anslemoshionebo.com/how-fintech-generates-profit/): Anslem Oshionebo explains how fintech companies make money across crowdfunding, logistics and personal finance platforms. (2021-08-12)
- [Ep. 5 of Challenges of an Immigrant](https://anslemoshionebo.com/ep-5-of-challenges-of-an-immigrant/): Episode 5 of Anslem Oshionebo's Challenges of an Immigrant series: acceptance, sharing your culture and self-promotion in Western workplaces. (2021-08-03)
- [Ep. 4 of Challenges of an Immigrant](https://anslemoshionebo.com/ep-4-of-challenges-of-an-immigrant/): Episode 4 of Anslem Oshionebo's Challenges of an Immigrant series: leaving the comfort zone and building trust in informal work settings. (2021-06-29)
- [How Is Fintech Changing the Financial World?](https://anslemoshionebo.com/how-is-fintech-changing-the-financial-world/): Anslem Oshionebo on how fintech improves access to financial services, brings transparent pricing and draws in large companies. (2021-06-29)
- [Challenges of an Immigrant: Ep. 3](https://anslemoshionebo.com/challenges-of-an-immigrant-ep-3/): Episode 3 of Anslem Oshionebo's Challenges of an Immigrant series: drawing on inner strength and looking beyond your own community. (2021-05-27)
- [Anslem Oshionebo, Fintech Professional and Entrepreneur, Based in Dallas, Texas](https://anslemoshionebo.com/anslem-oshionebo-fintech-professional-entrepreneur-based-in-dallas-texas/): Profile of Anslem Oshionebo: Dallas-based fintech professional, engineer, FCA, CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner and community volunteer. (2021-05-03)
- [#ChallengesOfAnImmigrant Ep. 2 Pt. 2](https://anslemoshionebo.com/challengesofanimmigrant-ep-2-pt-2/): Episode 2 part 2 of Anslem Oshionebo's Challenges of an Immigrant series: accepting the inevitable, patience and joining a community. (2021-05-03)
- [How Covid-19 Has Affected Immigrants](https://anslemoshionebo.com/how-covid-19-has-affected-immigrants/): Anslem Oshionebo on how the Covid-19 pandemic affected immigrants in the United States: travel restrictions, jobs, healthcare and detention. (2021-04-22)
- [#ChallengesOfAnImmigrant: Ep. 2](https://anslemoshionebo.com/challengesofanimmigrant-ep-2/): Episode 2 of Anslem Oshionebo's Challenges of an Immigrant series: language, housing, work, status and staying engaged when it is hard. (2021-04-22)

## Organisations
- [Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence](https://tenazarecovery.com/)
- [Haricot Energies Limited](https://haricotenergies.com/)

## Profiles
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anslemo/)
- [X](https://x.com/AnslemOshionebo)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCroCQyPSUZ11nLxysa3lErw)
- [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/anslemoshionebo/)
- [Medium](https://anslemoshionebo.medium.com/)
- [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/anslemoshionebo)
- [about.me](https://about.me/anslemoshionebo)
- [Quora](https://www.quora.com/profile/Anslem-Oshionebo)
- [Charity work: anslemoshionebo.net](https://anslemoshionebo.net/)

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# Anslem Oshionebo Honoured with the 2020 Immigrant Professional Excellence Award
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-immigrant-professional-excellence-award/
Published: 2026-11-06

Anslem Oshionebo, CEO and President of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence and Managing Director and CEO of Haricot Energies, received the Immigrant Professional Excellence Award at the 2020 Immigrant Journey Awards in Dallas, Texas. The awards celebrate outstanding immigrant entrepreneurs, professionals, community leaders and advocates in North Texas.
Because the ceremony took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was held virtually and received less attention than it would have in an ordinary year. This article records the recognition and what it represents.
## About the Immigrant Journey Awards
The Immigrant Journey Awards are presented by Badmus & Associates, an immigration law firm based in Dallas. The 2020 ceremony was held online on Thursday, September 17, 2020, and streamed on Facebook Live and Zoom as part of Dallas Welcoming Week, under the theme "Creating Home Together". Supporting organisations included the Americas Chamber for Business, Communities Foundation of Texas, Jupiter Gardens, and the City of Dallas Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs.
Honours were presented in four categories:
- Immigrant Professional Excellence Award: Anslem Oshionebo and Dr. Fesaha Gebrehiwot
- Immigrant Entrepreneur Award: Veronica Sauto and Nehme William Elbitar
- Immigrant Spirit Award: Mohammed Farshori and Sudip Adhikari
- Immigrant Advocate Award: Adan Gonzalez and Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk
The programme also awards American Dream Scholarships to high school seniors who are immigrants or the children of immigrants.
The 2020 Immigrant Journey Awards honourees, held virtually on September 17, 2020.
## Recognising professional excellence
The Professional Excellence Award recognises immigrants whose careers demonstrate outstanding achievement and whose example opens doors for others. Anslem's path began in Nigeria, where he earned a degree in mining engineering and worked as a field engineer in oil and gas and construction management. He moved into finance with PwC in Nigeria and then the United States, including a rotation in the firm's National and Technical Accounting Research Office, and qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), a US Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
He went on to co-found a software technology company that grew more than 500 percent year on year and expanded into over 32 countries, and to found a consulting and software development firm focused on technology, compliance monitoring and operational efficiency. Today he leads Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, operating across more than 40 countries, and Haricot Energies, an upstream oil and gas company in Nigeria.
## Giving back to the immigrant community
Alongside his professional work, Anslem has written openly about the immigrant experience through his series Challenges of an Immigrant, which offers practical encouragement on language, culture, workplace visibility, discrimination and resilience. In Dallas he volunteers as a teacher for young children at his church and coaches youth soccer, and in Nigeria he supports education and community health projects, including the 2026 refurbishment of Jattu Primary Health Centre.
## Watch the ceremony
The recording of the 2020 Immigrant Journey Awards is available on YouTube. Anslem's recognition begins at about 32 minutes.
## New episodes of Challenges of an Immigrant
Building on the recognition, Anslem is publishing new monthly episodes of Challenges of an Immigrant, with lessons on character, belonging, courage and leadership for immigrants and the colleagues and leaders who work alongside them.
Read Anslem Oshionebo's full biography.

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# Anslem Oshionebo Leads Haricot Energies as Managing Director and CEO
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-md-ceo-haricot-energies/
Published: 2026-11-06

Anslem Oshionebo serves as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Haricot Energies Limited, and leads the company's team as Project Lead on its upstream opportunities. He brings more than two decades of experience across finance, strategy and oil and gas consulting. A mining engineering graduate with a strong grounding in natural resources, including oil and gas, he combines technical fluency with commercial judgment across the US and Nigerian markets, setting the team's direction and aligning financial strategy with operational delivery, stakeholder management and regulatory compliance.
## Technical and financial expertise in one company
Haricot Energies is an oil and gas company built on dual-track expertise. Its team brings more than 130 years of combined experience across upstream exploration, drilling and well engineering, geology and geophysics, regulatory compliance and corporate finance, with a track record spanning Nigeria, the United States and international markets. In a sector where technical credibility and financial discipline rarely sit in the same room, Haricot brings both.
## Backed by capital partners
Haricot operates in active partnership with venture capital firms, investment institutions and established international oil and gas companies, including Hephzibah and Regions Oil and Gas. Those partnerships give the company the reach to structure, fund and deliver upstream assets from evaluation through development.
## Positioned for Nigeria's licensing rounds
The company is positioned to compete for and deliver upstream opportunities across onshore, shallow water and deep offshore terrains, including licensing rounds administered under Nigeria's Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) framework. Its senior leadership team of finance, engineering and geoscience professionals each brings 15 to more than 20 years of industry experience, several with backgrounds in Big Four advisory practices, international oil and gas operators and regulatory bodies in Nigeria and the United States.
## Capabilities
Technical:
- Seismic acquisition and interpretation
- Basin evaluation and reservoir characterization
- Drilling programme design and well integrity management
- Exploration risk assessment
Financial and regulatory:
- Project finance and capital raising
- Commercial structuring of upstream contracts
- Financial modelling and valuation
- Regulatory reporting and compliance strategy
- Enterprise risk management
## Why it matters
Anslem's own career mirrors the company's model. He began as a field engineer with experience in oil and gas and construction management, built his finance career at PwC in Nigeria and the United States, and has advised oil and gas companies on regulatory compliance, licensing, reporting obligations and operational strategy. That combination is what lenders, investors and regulators look for when deciding which upstream assets get developed.
Learn more at haricotenergies.com.

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# Anslem Oshionebo Leads Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence as CEO and President
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-ceo-president-tenaza-asset-recovery/
Published: 2026-11-06

Anslem Oshionebo serves as CEO and President of Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, a debt recovery, debt collection, asset tracing and corporate intelligence firm operating across more than 40 countries through its correspondent network.
Tenaza is built for creditors that need more than a collection letter: banks, lenders, corporates and investors holding non-performing loans and judgments that require structured recovery. The firm combines field investigation, legal process and its own proprietary AI model for skip tracing and asset tracing, used to locate debtors and assets across Nigeria and the wider network. The firm's working promise is captured in its line: We grip. We hold. We recover.
## Why a finance professional leads a recovery firm
Recovery is a financial problem before it is a legal one. Anslem's career in audit, forensic accounting and fraud examination, including his years with PwC in Nigeria and the United States, his CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner credentials and his status as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), and his experience leading forensic investigations and fraud examinations, informs how Tenaza values portfolios, traces funds and builds cases that hold up.
His experience in international payments adds a direct understanding of how money moves across borders, which is central to tracing assets that move between jurisdictions.
## Technology at the core
Having started his career as an engineer and later built software and payments products, Anslem has led the development of Tenaza's technology stack, from case management and client intake to investigator tooling, so that the firm's recovery work is measurable, auditable and fast.
Learn more at tenazarecovery.com.

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# Anslem Oshionebo on Philanthropy and Early Education: Essays and Reading
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-on-philanthropy-and-early-education/
Published: 2026-11-06

Alongside his work in finance, technology and energy, Anslem Oshionebo writes regularly about philanthropy, community service and children's education on his charity and non-profit site, anslemoshionebo.net, whose motto is "Philanthropy, creating a better society". These pieces are a good place to start.
## Starting your philanthropic journey
Practical first steps for anyone who wants to give with purpose: choosing a cause, starting small and building consistency. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## Empowering Africa's future: the vital importance of education
Why education is the foundation of Africa's progress, and why every child deserves the tools to learn. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## How nonprofits impact local communities
The role non-profit organisations play in strengthening neighbourhoods, families and opportunity. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## Easy steps to be active in your community
Simple ways anyone can get involved, from volunteering to mentoring. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## Incorporating philanthropy in your business
How companies can build giving into the way they work. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## The best philanthropy books everyone should read
A reading list for people who want to understand effective giving more deeply. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## Joy in the midst of little
A reflection on gratitude and generosity. Read it on anslemoshionebo.net.
## Why early education is imperative for success
The case for investing in the earliest years of learning, which also underpins Anslem's volunteer teaching and his support for the Anslem Esi Foundation. Read it on Tumblr.
## In practice
That thinking became action in January 2026, when Anslem led the refurbishment of Jattu Primary Health Centre in Edo State, restoring electricity and clean water and donating medical equipment.

---

# Anslem Oshionebo Restores Power and Water to Jattu Primary Health Centre
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/news/anslem-oshionebo-renovates-jattu-primary-health-centre/
Published: 2026-01-27

In January 2026, Anslem Oshionebo partnered with fellow philanthropists to refurbish the Jattu Primary Health Centre in Jattu-Uzairue, Edo State, Nigeria. The project marked the first anniversary of the passing of his father, the late Rev. Felix Oshionebo, and was dedicated to the community his father loved.
## Electricity restored after more than eight years
The health centre had operated without electricity for more than eight years. Restoring power means medical equipment can be used safely, medicines can be stored properly, services can continue after dark and emergencies can be handled with far greater confidence. Community leaders described the return of electricity as one of the project's most important achievements.
## Clean water for the centre and its neighbours
The long-dormant borehole was rehabilitated and expanded, with new storage tanks and taps installed along the perimeter fence. The water system serves both the health centre and the surrounding community, giving hundreds of families access to clean water.
## Equipment for maternal and child health
Anslem personally donated an examination couch, a diabetes monitoring machine, a blood pressure machine, a wheelchair and a baby-weighing scale, strengthening maternal and child health services and day-to-day patient care.
Speaking about the project, Anslem said the renovation honours his father's memory and his commitment to Jattu, and expressed the hope that the improvements will bring lasting healthcare benefits to the community.
## Coverage
The announcement, first reported by Afenmai News and distributed through EIN Presswire on 27 January 2026, was carried by outlets in Nigeria, the United States and beyond, including:
- EIN Presswire- AP News- The National Law Review- MENAFN- EIN News- EIN News: Nigeria- Abuja Tribune- Nigeria Daily Journal- The Nigeria Reporter- PR Wire India- Expertini Wire (PDF)- KGET 17 (Bakersfield, CA)- FOX40 (Sacramento, CA)- 8 News Now (Las Vegas, NV)- KHON2 (Honolulu, HI)- WKRN (Nashville, TN)- WREG (Memphis, TN)- Queen City News (Charlotte, NC)- WAVY (Norfolk, VA)- KSN (Wichita, KS)- KSNT (Topeka, KS)- KTAL (Shreveport, LA)- myArkLaMiss (Monroe, LA)- NWA Homepage (Arkansas)- Four States Homepage (Joplin, MO)- Big Country Homepage (Abilene, TX)- KCAU 9 (Sioux City, IA)

---

# Making Nigeria Great: Five Levers for the Next Generation
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/making-nigeria-great-five-levers-for-growth/
Published: 2027-09-17

Nigeria has everything a great nation needs: more than 200 million people, one of the youngest populations in the world, abundant natural resources, entrepreneurial energy and a diaspora that excels across the globe. The task is to turn that potential into broad prosperity. I live and work between the United States and Nigeria, and I believe five levers matter most.
## 1. Educate every child
Too many Nigerian children are out of school, and too many in school are not learning enough. Foundational literacy and numeracy, trained and well-paid teachers, and access to technology in classrooms will decide the country's future more than any oil price.
## 2. Fix power
Reliable electricity is the foundation of manufacturing, healthcare, education and the digital economy. When we restored power to the Jattu Primary Health Centre after more than eight years, the whole community felt the difference. Multiply that across the country and the economic gain is enormous. Gas, renewables and distributed generation all have a role.
## 3. Strengthen institutions
Investors, local and foreign, need predictable rules, enforceable contracts and fair courts. Transparent regulation, such as competitive licensing rounds in the upstream sector, builds confidence. So does consistent enforcement against fraud and corruption. In debt recovery, I see daily how much faster capital flows when contracts are respected.
## 4. Back the digital economy
Nigeria's fintech sector is already one of the most dynamic in the world. Broadband, data protection, sensible regulation and access to capital can extend that success into healthcare, agriculture, logistics and education.
## 5. Harness the diaspora
Nigerians abroad send home billions of dollars every year and carry skills from every profession. Lower remittance costs, easier investment channels and programmes that bring diaspora expertise home can multiply that contribution.
## What business leaders can do
- Invest in people: apprenticeships, graduate programmes and continuous training raise skills across the economy.
- Pay taxes and report transparently: strong public finances depend on a broad, compliant tax base.
- Buy local where quality allows: supply chains built in Nigeria create jobs and capability.
- Adopt good governance: credible boards and audited accounts attract investment.
- Mentor and give back: experience shared with young professionals compounds over a generation.
## Measuring progress
Ambition needs measurement. Useful indicators include school completion and learning outcomes, hours of reliable electricity per day, the time and cost to start a business, the share of adults with financial accounts, foreign direct investment and diaspora remittances flowing into investment rather than only consumption. Tracking these publicly builds accountability.
## Why I remain optimistic
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, a young and entrepreneurial workforce, abundant energy resources and a vibrant creative and technology sector. Nigerian professionals lead companies across the world. The task is to connect that talent and those resources with stable institutions and reliable infrastructure. Progress will not come from a single policy or leader. It comes from millions of people doing their part well, every day.
## A leader's view: start where you stand
Large national goals can feel distant from everyday work. Yet each lever depends on decisions made in companies, schools, communities and homes. A business owner who trains apprentices contributes to education and skills. A company that installs solar power and shares surplus with neighbours contributes to energy access. A professional who files taxes honestly and reports transparently strengthens institutions. A diaspora professional who mentors a young Nigerian or invests in a local business connects global experience with local opportunity.
Leaders can also influence policy constructively: participating in consultations, supporting industry associations, sharing data and offering practical solutions. Criticism is easy; contributing to solutions is harder and more valuable.
My own work spans debt recovery, upstream oil and gas, compliance technology and community projects in Nigeria. Each of these, in its own way, contributes to the levers described here: stronger financial institutions, energy development, better compliance and investment in people. Nigeria's progress will be the sum of many such contributions, made consistently over years. That is why I remain committed to building, investing and giving back.
## Greatness is built daily
National greatness is not declared. It is built by millions of people doing their work with integrity: teachers, engineers, accountants, entrepreneurs and public servants. Each of us can contribute in our own field, starting now.
## Common questions
What are the biggest drivers of growth for Nigeria?
Education and skills, reliable power, strong institutions, the digital economy and investment from the Nigerian diaspora.
How can the Nigerian diaspora contribute to growth?
Through investment, skills transfer, mentorship, trade links and channelling remittances into productive businesses and assets.

---

# The Future of AI: What the Next Decade Means for Work, Business and Africa
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/the-future-of-ai-work-business-and-africa/
Published: 2027-09-03

Every major technology has changed how we work, but few have moved as quickly as artificial intelligence. In a few years it has gone from research labs to everyday tools that write, analyse, code, translate and reason. The question is no longer whether AI will change our work, but how we prepare for it.
## Work will be redesigned, not simply replaced
Most jobs are bundles of tasks. AI will take over many routine tasks, such as drafting, summarising, data entry and first-level analysis, and leave people with the judgment, relationships and accountability. Professionals who learn to direct AI will be far more productive than those who ignore it.
## Every business will need an AI strategy
In finance, recovery, energy and payments, I already see AI used to trace assets, detect fraud, reconcile accounts and interpret technical data. Companies that adopt it with sound governance will move faster and serve customers better. Those that wait will compete against firms with lower costs and better insight.
## Africa's opportunity
Africa has the youngest population in the world, a strong mobile culture and problems that AI can help solve: access to healthcare, credit, education and agriculture advice in local languages. The continent leapfrogged landlines with mobile phones and built world-class mobile money. It can do the same with AI if it invests in:
- Skills: AI literacy in schools and universities, not just computer science departments.
- Data: local datasets in local languages, governed under strong data protection law.
- Infrastructure: reliable power, connectivity and computing capacity.
- Policy: regulation that protects people without freezing innovation.
## Which tasks change first
AI is strongest at tasks involving text, pattern recognition and routine analysis: drafting documents, summarising information, answering standard questions, classifying data and generating code. Jobs built mostly on those tasks will change quickly. Roles that combine judgment, relationships, physical work and accountability will change more slowly, with AI acting as an assistant. The practical question for each worker is: which of my tasks can AI help with, and how do I use the time saved?
## An AI plan for a small or mid-sized business
- List the processes that consume the most staff time.
- Pick two where AI tools already exist, such as customer support replies or invoice processing.
- Set a policy on approved tools and confidential data.
- Train staff and measure the results for three months.
- Expand to new processes based on evidence, not hype.
## What African governments can do
- Invest in broadband, electricity and affordable devices.
- Build digital public infrastructure such as identity and payments.
- Support local language datasets so AI works for African users.
- Update curricula to include digital skills and critical thinking.
- Create clear, proportionate rules that protect citizens without blocking innovation.
## A leader's view: lead the change, do not delegate it
AI adoption is often delegated to IT departments or innovation teams. That is a mistake. AI changes how work is done, how decisions are made and what skills an organisation needs, which makes it a leadership responsibility. Executives should use AI tools themselves, understand their strengths and limitations, and set clear expectations for their teams.
Leaders should also be honest with employees about change. Uncertainty breeds fear and resistance. Explain which tasks will change, how the organisation will retrain people and what new roles may emerge. Involve staff in identifying where AI can help; they often know best where time is wasted. Celebrate examples where AI freed people for more valuable work.
Finally, leaders should measure. Track time saved, quality improvements, customer satisfaction and errors. Not every AI initiative will succeed, and that is acceptable if lessons are learned quickly. The organisations that benefit most from AI will not be those with the biggest budgets, but those whose leaders combine curiosity, discipline and care for their people. For African businesses, that combination offers a chance to leapfrog older processes and compete globally.
## Keep humans responsible
The most important principle is simple: AI can recommend, but people must remain accountable for decisions that affect lives and livelihoods. With that principle in place, the next decade can bring Africa more opportunity than any before it.
## Common questions
Will AI take jobs in Africa?
AI will automate some tasks and change many jobs, but it will also create new roles. Countries and workers that invest in digital skills are best placed to benefit.
How can a small business start using AI?
Start with one or two time-consuming tasks, use approved tools, set a data policy, train staff and measure results before expanding.

---

# Inside Nigeria's Oil Licensing Rounds: How the NUPRC Bid Process Works
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/nuprc-licensing-round-bid-process-explained/
Published: 2027-08-20

Since the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has run competitive licensing rounds to award oil and gas blocks to qualified investors. The 2025 round, which opened in December 2025, offered 50 blocks across onshore, shallow water and deep offshore terrains. Having prepared for these processes at Haricot Energies, I find many companies underestimate how structured they are. This overview is based on the 2025 round; every round publishes its own guidelines, which always govern.
## 1. Registration
Applicants register on the NUPRC bid portal and pay a registration fee. Only companies incorporated in Nigeria can receive awards, although foreign companies can participate, typically through Nigerian entities or consortia.
## 2. Pre-qualification
The Commission assesses legal standing, financial capacity, technical capability and health, safety and environment credentials. In the 2025 round, financial thresholds were set by terrain, with higher requirements for deep offshore than for onshore and shallow water, and the operator needed relevant petroleum operating experience.
## 3. Data access
Pre-qualified applicants lease geological, geophysical and well data for the blocks they want to evaluate. This is where the technical team earns its keep: the bid is only as good as the interpretation behind it.
## 4. Technical and commercial bids
Bidders submit a technical bid, including the proposed work programme, and a commercial bid, including the signature bonus offered. In 2025, signature bonuses ranged from 3 million to 7 million US dollars per block, a bid guarantee was required, and each bidder was limited to two blocks.
## 5. Evaluation
Technical bids are evaluated first. Only bidders who pass the technical threshold have their commercial bids opened, at a public bid conference.
## 6. Award and conditions
Winners receive offer letters and must pay the signature bonus within a set period, then meet further conditions such as work programme guarantees and performance bonds before the licence is granted. Defaulting winners lose the award, and reserve bidders may be invited.
## Typical documents for pre-qualification
- Certificate of incorporation and corporate documents of the bidding entity.
- Evidence of shareholding, ownership and beneficial owners.
- Audited financial statements and evidence of financial capacity, such as bank reference letters.
- Technical capability: experience of the operator or technical partner and key personnel.
- Tax clearance and other statutory compliance certificates.
- Health, safety, environment and community policies.
- Payment receipts for application and processing fees.
Always check the specific guidelines published for each round, because requirements and fees change.
## How bids are evaluated
Technical bids are typically assessed on the proposed work programme, the quality of geological interpretation and the capability of the team. Commercial bids focus on the signature bonus offered and other commercial terms. The highest scoring combination wins, subject to the bidder meeting all conditions. Bidders that propose ambitious work programmes without credible funding risk losing the asset later if commitments are not met.
## After the award
Winning is the beginning. Awardees must pay the signature bonus within the stated deadline, execute the licence, submit work programmes and budgets, and begin meeting commitments. Delays in payment can lead to the award being withdrawn. Planning the funding for the signature bonus, often several million dollars per block, is one of the most important parts of bid preparation.
## What this means for bidders
The process rewards companies that combine credible technical teams, verifiable funding and clean documentation. Assembling those three after a round opens is usually too late.
## Common questions
What is the NUPRC?
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, established under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, regulates Nigeria's upstream oil and gas sector, including licensing rounds.
What is a signature bonus?
A payment made by the winning bidder to the government when a petroleum licence is awarded. It must be paid within the deadline set in the round guidelines.
Can foreign companies bid in Nigerian licensing rounds?
Bids are generally made through Nigerian-registered entities. Foreign companies often participate through a local subsidiary or partnership, subject to each round's guidelines.

---

# How Oil Prices and Production Shape Nigeria's Economy
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/oil-prices-production-and-nigerias-economy/
Published: 2027-08-06

Few numbers matter more to Nigeria's economy than the price of a barrel of oil. Crude oil provides the majority of the country's export earnings and a large share of government revenue, so a move in global prices ripples through the budget, the naira, inflation and investment. Understanding those links is the first step to designing policies and businesses that can withstand them.
## The fiscal channel
The federal budget is built on a benchmark oil price and a production assumption. When prices or output fall short, revenue falls short, borrowing rises and capital projects are cut first. When prices rise, the windfall is only useful if it is saved or invested rather than consumed.
## The currency channel
Oil exports are a major source of the foreign exchange that supports the naira. Lower oil earnings tighten FX supply, which pushes up import costs and inflation and makes it harder for businesses to plan.
## The production channel
Price is only half of revenue; volume is the other half. Nigeria has often produced below its potential because of underinvestment, pipeline losses and security challenges. Raising reliable production can matter as much as any price movement.
## The investment channel
Upstream investment follows expected prices, fiscal terms and regulatory confidence. The Petroleum Industry Act and competitive licensing rounds aim to improve that confidence, but capital will compare Nigeria with every other basin in the world.
## A simple illustration
Suppose the national budget assumes an oil price of 75 dollars and production of 1.7 million barrels per day. If the price rises to 85 dollars but production falls to 1.4 million barrels, oil revenue can still come in below plan, because lost volume outweighs the higher price. If both price and production rise, revenue and foreign exchange inflows improve quickly. This is why production security, investment and reducing losses are as important as the price on international markets.
## What this means for businesses
- Plan for currency movements: businesses that import inputs should model the effect of a weaker naira on costs and prices.
- Watch government spending cycles: contractors and suppliers to government feel oil revenue swings directly.
- Use natural hedges: earning some revenue in foreign currency, or matching costs and revenues in the same currency, reduces risk.
- Keep liquidity: periods of foreign exchange scarcity reward companies with cash and access to credit lines.
## Signals worth tracking
Business leaders can follow a few indicators to anticipate change: monthly crude production figures published by the regulator, the Brent price, foreign exchange reserves, the official and parallel exchange rates, and the federal budget's oil price benchmark. Together they give an early view of pressures on the naira, public spending and demand.
## A leader's view: plan for cycles
Business leaders in Nigeria cannot control oil prices, but they can prepare for their effects. Build budgets with several price and exchange rate assumptions. Keep debt at levels the business can service in a downturn. Diversify customers and revenue sources. Maintain relationships with banks before credit is needed. Leaders who plan for cycles make better decisions when conditions change.
My work in upstream oil and gas through Haricot Energies, and earlier in finance and strategy, has shown me that resilience is built in good times. The organisations and governments that save, invest and strengthen their balance sheets when prices are high are the ones best placed to protect jobs and growth when prices fall.
## Building resilience
- Save windfalls: stabilisation funds smooth revenue across price cycles.
- Diversify revenue: non-oil taxes, gas, agriculture, manufacturing and services.
- Develop gas for domestic use: power and industry create value at home.
- Price risk properly in business plans: companies should test their models at low and high price scenarios, not just the current price.
Oil market dynamics are not an academic exercise for Nigeria. It shapes jobs, prices and opportunities for every household. Understanding it is the first step to managing it better.
## Common questions
How do oil prices affect the naira?
Oil and gas provide most of Nigeria's export earnings. Higher prices and production bring more dollars into the economy and support the naira; lower prices or production reduce dollar inflows and weaken it.
Why does Nigerian oil production matter as much as the price?
Revenue depends on price multiplied by volume. Lost production from underinvestment, outages or theft can offset the benefit of higher prices.

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# From Field Engineer to CEO: What Engineering Taught Me About Leadership
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/from-field-engineer-to-ceo/
Published: 2027-07-23

I began my career as a field engineer, with a degree in mining engineering. Since then I have worked in audit and technical accounting at PwC, led an international payments company, co-founded a software company and now lead businesses in debt recovery, oil and gas, and consulting. People sometimes ask how an engineer ended up as a finance executive and CEO. The truth is that engineering never left. It shaped how I lead.
## Respect the physics
In the field, wishful thinking does not move rock or oil. Plans must respect reality. In business, the equivalent is cash flow, regulation and customer behaviour. Strategies that ignore them fail, however elegant they look.
## Measure before you decide
Engineers measure, test and verify. That habit made the move into accounting natural. Good decisions rest on reliable data, and leaders should know where their numbers come from.
## Safety and controls are part of the work
On a site, safety procedures are not paperwork; they keep people alive. In finance, controls play the same role. I learned to treat compliance as part of how the work gets done, not something added afterwards.
## Systems thinking
A failure in one part of a system often starts somewhere else. Businesses are the same: a customer complaint may begin in onboarding, a fraud loss in a weak approval process. Leaders need to look upstream.
## Teams win, not individuals
Field work is collaborative and multidisciplinary. So is every complex engagement I have led since, combining finance, legal, technical and operational expertise. The leader's job is to make those disciplines speak the same language.
## The move from engineering to finance
Changing careers felt like a risk at the time. I had technical skills and field experience, and I was starting again in a profession with its own language and qualifications. What I found was that the two disciplines complement each other. Engineering taught me how assets work. Accounting taught me how value is measured, reported and protected. Together they gave me a perspective that few people in either field have: I can sit with engineers to discuss a development plan and with bankers to discuss how it will be financed.
## Five habits I carried from the field
- Walk the site. Reports never tell the whole story. Visit operations, talk to the people doing the work.
- Write down the assumptions. Every plan rests on them, and most failures come from an assumption no one tested.
- Plan for failure modes. Ask what happens when something breaks, not only when things go right.
- Respect safety and controls. They are part of doing the job well, never an obstacle.
- Debrief honestly. After every project, ask what worked, what did not and what we will change.
## Advice for engineers who want to lead
Learn finance. Understand how projects are valued, financed and reported. Learn to communicate clearly with non-technical people. Seek roles that stretch you beyond your specialty. And stay curious. The skills that make a good engineer, structured thinking, attention to detail and respect for evidence, are exactly the skills organisations need in their leaders.
## Leading across disciplines
Today I lead companies in asset recovery, upstream oil and gas, and compliance technology. Each requires a different technical vocabulary, but the leadership principles are the same: understand the work, measure what matters, respect controls, build strong teams and keep learning. My engineering background helps me ask practical questions; my finance background helps me test the answers. Leaders who can move between disciplines connect people and ideas that might otherwise never meet.
## Keep learning
Each move in my career meant learning a new field: accounting standards, software development, payments regulation, recovery law, upstream finance. The willingness to start again as a learner is, I think, the most valuable habit any leader can keep.
## Common questions
Can engineers become good CEOs?
Yes. Engineers bring structured thinking, respect for evidence and an understanding of operations. Adding finance, communication and people leadership skills prepares them for executive roles.
What did Anslem Oshionebo study?
He holds a bachelor's degree in mining engineering and a master's degree from Seton Hall University, and is an FCA (ICAN), CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner.

---

# Recovering Non-Performing Loans in Nigeria: A Playbook for Lenders
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/recovering-non-performing-loans-in-nigeria/
Published: 2027-07-09

Non-performing loans tie up capital, reduce lending capacity and weigh on profitability. Nigerian banks, microfinance institutions and digital lenders all carry them. The institutions that recover the most do not rely on persistence alone. They follow a structured process. This is the playbook we use at Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence.
## 1. Segment the portfolio
Not every account needs the same treatment. We segment by balance, age, security, borrower type and traceability. Some accounts will settle after a professional conversation; others need legal action; others require tracing before anything else can happen.
## 2. Verify the paper
Recovery depends on documentation: loan agreements, security documents, guarantees, statements and correspondence. Gaps should be identified and closed early, because they decide what legal options exist.
## 3. Trace the debtor and the assets
Debtors move, change numbers and transfer assets. Our proprietary AI model links records across registries, courts, property and digital sources to locate debtors and identify assets that can be attached, across Nigeria and our correspondent network in more than 40 countries.
## 4. Engage professionally
Most recoveries are negotiated. Clear demand letters, realistic restructuring options and firm timelines produce settlements. Respectful, lawful conduct protects the lender's reputation and complies with consumer protection rules.
## 5. Escalate when needed
Where negotiation fails, the right legal route depends on the security and the evidence: enforcement of security, judgment and execution, or insolvency proceedings. Asset intelligence gathered earlier makes enforcement far more effective.
## 6. Measure and report
Lenders should see recovery rates, costs and timelines by segment, so they can price risk better and improve origination. As a chartered accountant and fraud examiner, I insist that every recovery is documented to audit standard.
## Settlement options that work
- Restructuring: longer tenor or lower instalments for borrowers with income but temporary difficulties.
- Discounted settlement: a lump sum below the full balance, approved within a clear policy.
- Asset sale by agreement: the borrower sells pledged or other assets with proceeds paid to the lender.
- Debt-for-asset swap: the lender takes ownership of an asset in settlement, where it can realise value.
Each option should be assessed on net present value against the realistic alternative, including legal costs and time.
## The legal and regulatory landscape
Nigerian lenders can enforce security through the courts and, for eligible assets, through the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria framework. The Central Bank of Nigeria's Global Standing Instruction allows participating banks to recover from a defaulting borrower's accounts at other banks for qualifying loans. Credit bureau reporting creates incentives to repay. Recovery agents must also follow consumer protection rules, including those enforced by the FCCPC on digital lending conduct.
## Prevention is the best recovery
Lessons from recoveries should flow back to credit teams: which industries, products or documentation gaps produced losses? Better onboarding, stronger security documentation and early warning monitoring reduce future non-performing loans more than any recovery strategy.
## A leader's view: treat recovery as a business function
Many lenders treat recovery as an afterthought: a function that receives problem accounts and is judged on what it brings back. Leading institutions treat it as a core business function, with strategy, technology, data and talent. The difference shows in results. Structured recovery programmes recover more, faster, with lower costs and fewer disputes.
Leaders should set clear policies: when accounts move to recovery, who can approve settlements and at what discounts, when to engage external agents and when to litigate. They should measure recovery rates by segment, cost of recovery, time to resolution and complaint levels. They should also ensure that recovery practices respect borrowers and comply with consumer protection rules; aggressive tactics damage reputation and attract regulatory penalties.
Choosing external partners carefully matters too. A good recovery partner brings investigation capability, legal expertise, technology and a network for tracing assets across borders. They report transparently and follow the lender's standards. At Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, our work combines data-driven tracing with field investigation and legal process, because recovery succeeds when each step is done properly and in the right order.
## The result
A structured process turns a bad-debt portfolio from a write-off into a recoverable asset. We grip. We hold. We recover.
## Common questions
How do Nigerian banks recover bad loans?
Through negotiation and restructuring, enforcement of security, the Global Standing Instruction for eligible loans, AMCON for qualifying assets, credit bureau reporting and court action.
What is the Global Standing Instruction?
A Central Bank of Nigeria framework that lets participating banks recover qualifying defaulted loans from the borrower's accounts at other banks.

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# Cybersecurity Is a Finance Problem: What CFOs Should Own
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/cybersecurity-is-a-finance-problem/
Published: 2027-06-25

Cybersecurity is often treated as an IT issue. But the targets of most attacks are financial: payment systems, vendor bank details, payroll and the data that regulators and investors rely on. The consequences are financial too: losses, ransom demands, fines, disclosure obligations and damage to valuation. CFOs cannot delegate the topic entirely.
## Where finance is the front line
- Payment fraud: business email compromise and deepfake instructions aim directly at people who can move money.
- Vendor master data: unauthorised changes to bank details are one of the most common routes to loss.
- Ransomware: attacks on finance systems can halt invoicing, payroll and reporting.
- Disclosure: US public companies must disclose material cybersecurity incidents and describe their risk management and governance in SEC filings.
## Controls the CFO should own
- Verification of every change to supplier and employee bank details through known contacts.
- Dual approval and payment limits that cannot be bypassed for urgency.
- Segregation of duties in ERP and banking systems, with regular access reviews.
- Tested backups and recovery plans for finance systems, including manual fallback for critical payments.
- A decision process for assessing whether an incident is material and must be disclosed.
## Quantify the risk
Boards understand risk in financial terms. Finance teams can help security leaders estimate potential losses, prioritise investment and assess cyber insurance cover against realistic scenarios.
## Quantifying cyber risk in money
Boards understand money better than technical severity ratings. Estimate, for the main scenarios, the likely cost of an incident: ransomware stopping operations for a week, a payment fraud, a data breach affecting customers. Include lost revenue, recovery costs, legal costs, regulatory fines and reputational impact. Compare that with the cost of controls that reduce the likelihood or impact. The result is an investment discussion the board can engage with.
## Incident response is a finance process too
- Who can authorise emergency spending on recovery experts?
- How will payroll and supplier payments continue if systems are down?
- Who contacts the bank, insurers and regulators, and within what time?
- Where are offline copies of critical financial records and contact lists?
Answer these before an incident and test the answers in an exercise at least once a year.
## Cyber insurance
Insurers now require evidence of controls such as multi-factor authentication, backups and endpoint protection before offering cover. Treat the application process as a free assessment: where you cannot answer yes, you have found a weakness. Review exclusions carefully, especially for social engineering fraud, which is often covered only with specific conditions.
## A leader's view: the CFO and CISO partnership
Cybersecurity works best when finance and security leaders act as partners. The chief information security officer understands threats and technical controls. The chief financial officer understands where money moves, what losses the business can absorb and how to prioritise investment. Neither can manage cyber risk alone.
A practical partnership includes a few regular routines. Meet monthly to review incidents, near misses and control gaps in plain language. Agree a short list of scenarios that matter most to the business and estimate their financial impact together. Use those estimates to rank security investments by risk reduction per dollar. Review insurance coverage jointly at each renewal. Run a joint exercise each year that simulates a payment fraud or ransomware attack and tests both technical recovery and financial continuity.
The board benefits too. Instead of separate technical and financial reports, directors receive one view of cyber risk expressed in money, with clear actions and owners. That clarity leads to better decisions and steadier funding. In finance, we are used to asking what could go wrong and how we would know. Applying that same discipline to cyber risk is one of the most valuable things a finance leader can do for their organisation.
## Partnership, not ownership
The best outcomes come when the CFO and the chief information security officer work as partners: security brings technical expertise, finance brings control discipline and a clear view of what matters most to the business.
## Common questions
Why should the CFO care about cybersecurity?
Because cyber incidents cause financial losses through fraud, ransom, downtime, fines and legal costs, and payment controls sit in finance.
What cyber controls matter most for finance teams?
Multi-factor authentication, payment verification and dual approval, segregation of duties, secure backups and regular training on social engineering.

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# Embedded Finance: When Every Company Becomes a Fintech
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/embedded-finance-every-company-a-fintech/
Published: 2027-06-11

Ride-hailing apps offer wallets. E-commerce platforms offer pay-later. Software for small businesses offers loans. This is embedded finance: financial services delivered inside a non-financial product, at the moment the customer needs them. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of fintech, and it is changing who competes with banks.
## Why it works
The platform already has the customer's attention and data. Offering payment, credit or insurance at the point of need removes friction and increases conversion. For the platform, financial services add revenue and loyalty.
## How it is built
Most platforms do not hold their own licences. They partner with licensed banks, lenders or insurers, often through banking-as-a-service providers that supply the technology connecting the two.
## Where the risk sits
Regulators have made it clear that outsourcing the licence does not outsource responsibility. Weak compliance in some partnerships has led to regulatory action against the banks involved, and platforms have been caught up in the consequences.
- Customer due diligence: who onboards the customer, and to what standard?
- Ledger accuracy: whose records show what each customer owns?
- Complaints and disclosures: who is responsible when something goes wrong?
- Credit risk: who carries losses, and how are collections handled?
## Examples you already use
Ride-hailing apps that pay drivers instantly, online stores that offer instalment payments at checkout, accounting software that offers invoice financing and travel sites that sell insurance with a ticket are all embedded finance. The customer stays in one experience while a licensed financial institution provides the service behind the scenes.
## The business case
- New revenue: platforms earn a share of payment, lending or insurance revenue.
- Higher conversion: easier payment and financing options increase sales.
- Loyalty: customers who manage money inside a platform are less likely to leave.
- Better data: transaction data improves product decisions and credit assessment.
## Due diligence on banking-as-a-service partners
Choosing the partner is the most important decision. Check the partner's licences, regulatory history, financial strength, technology reliability, compliance support and how customer funds are safeguarded. Agree clearly who handles customer verification, complaints, fraud and regulatory reporting. Several high-profile failures in recent years came from unclear responsibilities and weak reconciliation of customer funds, which harmed customers and platforms alike.
## A leader's view: decide what you will own
When a platform adds financial services, the most important leadership decision is not which partner to choose. It is deciding which parts of the customer relationship the company will own and which it will hand to others. Customers will hold the brand they see responsible for their money, whatever the contract says. If a payment fails or an account is frozen, they will complain to the platform, post about the platform and leave the platform.
That means leaders must own four things directly, even when a bank holds the licence:
- Customer communication: clear terms, honest fee disclosure and fast answers when something goes wrong.
- Reconciliation: a daily match between the platform's records, the partner's records and the bank balances that hold customer money.
- Complaints: a named team, response targets and reporting to management.
- Exit planning: what happens to customer funds and data if the partner relationship ends.
Start with one product that fits naturally into the customer journey, such as payments at checkout or working capital for sellers. Measure adoption, losses and complaints for six months. Expand only when the numbers and the controls both support it. Embedded finance rewards patience: the companies that grow it carefully keep the trust that made customers use their platform in the first place.
## Advice for platforms
Treat financial services as a regulated business, not a feature. Choose partners carefully, define responsibilities in contracts, invest in reconciliation and compliance, and make sure the customer experience is honest about fees and risks. Customers forgive slow features far more readily than lost money.
## Common questions
What is embedded finance?
Offering financial services such as payments, lending, accounts or insurance inside a non-financial company's product, usually through a licensed partner.
Does a company need a licence for embedded finance?
Usually the licensed partner holds the licence, but the platform must still meet contractual, consumer protection and compliance obligations.

---

# Digital Transformation in Oil and Gas: From Field Data to the Boardroom
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/digital-transformation-in-oil-and-gas/
Published: 2027-05-28

Oil and gas has always been a data-intensive industry: seismic surveys, well logs, production rates, pressures and maintenance records. Yet in many operations, especially among smaller and indigenous operators, that data sits in separate systems, spreadsheets and paper files. Digital transformation is about connecting it so that decisions in the field and in the boardroom rest on the same facts.
## Where value comes from
- Production optimisation: real-time monitoring of wells and facilities to spot underperformance early.
- Predictive maintenance: sensor data and models that flag equipment likely to fail before it causes downtime.
- Subsurface insight: machine learning that speeds up interpretation of seismic and well data.
- Compliance and reporting: automated production, royalty and regulatory reporting from a single source of truth.
- Financial control: linking operational data to cost, revenue and cash forecasts.
## Start with data foundations
AI cannot fix inconsistent data. The first steps are unglamorous: agreeing definitions, cleaning historical records, connecting field systems and assigning owners to key datasets.
## Bridge field and finance
I began my career as a field engineer and later moved into finance and compliance. The most valuable projects connect those worlds, so that a change in well performance immediately shows up in forecasts, reserves reporting and lender reporting.
## Security is part of the design
Connecting operational technology increases exposure to cyber attacks. Segmented networks, access controls and incident response plans must come with every digital project.
## Use cases with clear returns
- Predictive maintenance: sensors on pumps and compressors warn of failures before they stop production.
- Production optimisation: well data analysed daily helps engineers adjust choke settings and artificial lift.
- Automated regulatory reporting: production, flaring and royalty data flow directly into required reports.
- Digital permits and safety: electronic permit-to-work systems reduce paperwork and improve safety compliance.
- Remote monitoring: control rooms supervise distant facilities, reducing travel and exposure in insecure areas.
## A roadmap for mid-sized operators
Phase 1: agree data definitions, digitise key records and connect production data to a central system. Phase 2: automate reporting to management, partners and regulators. Phase 3: introduce analytics for maintenance and production. Phase 4: apply AI where data quality and use cases justify it. Each phase should pay for itself before the next begins.
## People make it work
Technology fails when field staff see it as extra work. Involve operators and engineers in design, train them properly and show them how the tools make their jobs easier. When a field supervisor sees that a tablet replaces three paper forms, adoption follows naturally.
## A leader's view: fund outcomes, not technology
Digital programmes in oil and gas often begin with a technology purchase and end with unused licences. Leaders avoid this by funding outcomes. Instead of approving a data platform, approve a target: reduce unplanned downtime on a facility by a specific percentage, cut regulatory reporting time from weeks to days, or improve production allocation accuracy. Technology is then chosen to deliver that result and judged by it.
Governance matters as much as tools. Assign an executive sponsor with authority across operations, finance and IT. Create a small team that combines engineers, data specialists and finance staff. Review progress monthly against the outcome, not the project plan. Stop initiatives that do not deliver and redirect resources to those that do.
For Nigerian operators, digital capability also strengthens relationships with regulators, partners and lenders. Accurate, timely production and financial data builds credibility, speeds approvals and supports financing. Investors increasingly expect to see live operational metrics, not just quarterly reports. My own background spans field engineering, finance and compliance software, and the lesson I see repeatedly is that the operators who connect field reality to financial decisions fastest make the best decisions.
## For Nigerian operators
As indigenous companies take on more of Nigeria's upstream assets, digital capability is becoming a competitive advantage in attracting financing and partners. Lenders and investors want reliable data, and operators that can provide it on demand stand out. That is part of the approach we take at Haricot Energies.
## Common questions
What is digital transformation in oil and gas?
Using data, sensors, software and automation to improve production, safety, maintenance, cost control and reporting across upstream, midstream and downstream operations.
Where should an oil company start with digital transformation?
With data foundations: consistent definitions, digitised records and connected production data. Analytics and AI deliver value only on reliable data.

---

# Forensic Accounting in the Digital Age: Following Money Through Apps and Wallets
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/forensic-accounting-in-the-digital-age/
Published: 2027-05-14

Money used to move through a small number of banks, leaving paper trails that investigators knew how to read. Today it moves through mobile wallets, payment apps, virtual cards and crypto exchanges, often across borders in minutes. Forensic accounting has had to change with it. As a Certified Fraud Examiner who has led fraud investigations and now leads an asset tracing firm, I see both the new challenges and the new evidence.
## The trail is still there
Digital money is not invisible. Every app and wallet provider keeps records: account holders, devices, IP addresses, linked bank accounts and transaction histories. Blockchains record every crypto transfer permanently. The challenge is not a lack of data but its fragmentation across many providers and jurisdictions.
## Modern techniques
- Data analytics: analysing entire transaction populations to spot patterns, round amounts, unusual timing and links between accounts.
- Blockchain analysis: following crypto flows across addresses to exchanges where identities are known.
- Device and identity linking: connecting accounts through shared devices, phone numbers and documents.
- Open source intelligence: company registries, court records, property records and public profiles.
## Legal process matters
Most valuable records are held by third parties. Obtaining them requires court orders, regulator cooperation or mutual legal assistance across borders. Evidence must be gathered lawfully and preserved properly if it is to support recovery or prosecution.
## Speed decides outcomes
Funds can be moved again within hours. Early freezing orders and rapid engagement with exchanges and payment providers often decide whether money is recovered or lost.
## Anatomy of a digital investigation
- Scope: define the allegation, period, people and entities involved.
- Preserve: secure emails, devices, accounting data and bank records before they are altered.
- Analyse: use data analytics to test entire populations of transactions for anomalies such as round sums, duplicates, unusual timing and payments to related parties.
- Trace: follow funds through bank accounts, payment apps, mobile wallets and, where relevant, blockchain addresses.
- Interview: speak to witnesses and subjects with evidence in hand.
- Report: present findings clearly enough to support civil recovery, disciplinary action or prosecution.
## Common fraud schemes found in data
- Fictitious suppliers sharing bank details or addresses with employees.
- Payroll ghosts: employees who no longer work but are still paid.
- Expense reimbursements split to stay below approval limits.
- Manual journal entries posted at unusual times by unusual users.
- Revenue recorded at period end and reversed shortly after.
## Skills for the next generation of forensic accountants
The profession now needs accountants who can query databases, understand how payment systems and digital wallets work, read blockchain data and communicate findings to lawyers and boards. Professional credentials such as the Certified Fraud Examiner designation, combined with technical training, prepare practitioners for this work.
## A leader's view: prepare before an allegation arrives
The quality of an investigation is often decided before it starts. Organisations that have retained emails and transaction data, documented their processes and controlled access to systems give investigators a clear trail. Those with scattered records, shared passwords and deleted mailboxes make the truth harder to establish and recovery less likely.
Leaders can prepare in practical ways:
- Set data retention policies that preserve financial records, emails and system logs for an appropriate period.
- Maintain a whistleblowing channel that people trust, with a clear process for handling reports.
- Agree in advance who leads investigations, which external specialists to call and how legal privilege will be protected.
- Train managers to escalate concerns without tipping off suspects or destroying evidence.
When an allegation arrives, respond quickly but carefully. Preserve evidence first, then investigate. Avoid confronting suspects before data is secured. Keep the circle of knowledge small. Communicate with the board and, where required, regulators and auditors. As a Certified Fraud Examiner, I have seen that calm, structured responses produce better outcomes than hurried ones, both for establishing the facts and for recovering losses.
## The skill set has widened
Today's forensic teams combine accountants, data scientists, investigators and lawyers. The fundamentals are the same as ever: follow the money, document everything and let the evidence speak. The tools are simply faster.
## Common questions
What does a forensic accountant do?
A forensic accountant investigates financial irregularities, traces funds, quantifies losses and presents evidence suitable for legal proceedings or disciplinary action.
Can cryptocurrency transactions be traced?
Yes. Public blockchains record every transaction, and specialist analytics tools can follow funds between addresses and identify when they reach regulated exchanges.

---

# Tokenization of Real-World Assets: Separating Promise from Hype
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/tokenization-of-real-world-assets/
Published: 2027-04-30

Tokenization means representing ownership of an asset, such as a bond, a fund unit, real estate or a commodity, as a digital token on a shared ledger. Major asset managers and banks have launched tokenized funds and bonds, and the idea is spreading to emerging markets. In Nigeria, the Investments and Securities Act 2025 recognises digital assets as securities, which brings tokenized offerings under the Securities and Exchange Commission's oversight.
## What tokenization can improve
- Settlement: transfers can settle in minutes instead of days.
- Fractional ownership: high-value assets can be divided into smaller units, widening access.
- Operations: ownership records, distributions and corporate actions can be automated.
- Transparency: a shared record reduces reconciliation between parties.
## What it cannot fix
A token is only as good as the legal rights behind it and the asset it represents. Tokenizing a property does not resolve a title dispute. Tokenizing a commodity does not prove the commodity exists. Liquidity does not appear just because an asset is digital; buyers still have to want it.
## Questions investors should ask
- What legal claim does the token give me, and in which jurisdiction is it enforceable?
- Who holds the underlying asset, and how is that verified?
- Is the offering registered or exempt, and with which regulator?
- How can I sell, and to whom?
## How a tokenized asset is structured
Most tokenized real-world assets follow a similar structure. A legal entity, often a special purpose vehicle, owns the underlying asset: a building, a bond, a fund or a commodity. Tokens represent shares in that entity or rights to its cash flows. A custodian holds the asset or its title documents, a transfer agent or smart contract records ownership, and regulators supervise the offering as they would any security. The token is only as strong as the legal chain connecting it to the real asset.
## Where tokenization is gaining traction
- Government bonds and money market funds: large asset managers have launched tokenized funds that settle quickly and can be used as collateral.
- Private credit: tokenization can broaden the investor base for loans to businesses.
- Real estate: fractional ownership can lower minimum investments, though liquidity remains limited.
- Commodities: tokens backed by stored gold or other commodities offer easier transfer.
## Africa's opportunity
For African markets, tokenization could widen access to investment and help businesses raise capital from diaspora investors. Nigeria's Investments and Securities Act 2025 brought digital assets more clearly within the securities regulator's remit, giving a framework for compliant offerings. The opportunity is real, but only for projects that combine strong assets, clear legal structures and transparent reporting.
## A leader's view: start with the problem, not the token
Executives are often approached with proposals to tokenize an asset, a fund or even a company. The first question should be: what problem does this solve? If the answer is faster settlement, broader investor access, lower administrative costs or better collateral mobility, tokenization may help. If the answer is that tokenization is fashionable or will make an illiquid asset suddenly liquid, caution is warranted.
Leaders evaluating a tokenization project should involve legal, tax, compliance, finance and technology teams from the start. Securities law will usually apply. Custody arrangements must be clear. Accounting treatment for the tokens and the underlying assets must be settled. Investor protections, disclosures and ongoing reporting must meet regulatory standards. Technology choices, such as which blockchain and which smart contract design, carry security and operational risks that must be managed.
Pilot projects with limited scope, such as tokenizing a portion of a fund for institutional investors, help organisations learn without excessive risk. From my perspective as a forensic accountant and fintech practitioner, the most important safeguard is simple: the legal and accounting records must always match the blockchain records, and an independent party must verify that the assets exist. Without that, tokenization adds complexity without adding trust.
## A forensic accountant's view
New structures attract both innovation and fraud. Every tokenized product should face the same diligence as a traditional security: audited reserves or assets, clear governance and independent verification. Where those exist, tokenization can make markets more efficient. Where they do not, it can make losses faster.
## Common questions
What is tokenization of real-world assets?
Creating digital tokens on a blockchain that represent ownership or rights in real assets such as bonds, funds, property or commodities.
Is tokenized property a good investment?
It depends on the underlying asset, legal structure, custody, fees and how easily tokens can be sold. Tokenization does not make a weak asset strong.

---

# AI Governance for Boards: The Questions Directors Should Ask
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/ai-governance-questions-for-boards/
Published: 2027-04-16

AI has moved from pilot projects into core operations: customer service, credit decisions, fraud detection, recruitment and reporting. Boards are accountable for the risks that come with it, yet many directors are unsure what to ask. Oversight does not require technical expertise. It requires the same discipline boards apply to any material risk.
## Strategy
- Where is AI being used today, and which uses are material to customers, revenue or compliance?
- What value are we getting, and how is it measured?
- Where are competitors ahead, and is that a risk to our position?
## Risk
- Which AI uses could harm customers, employees or the company if they fail?
- How do we prevent bias, errors and misuse in automated decisions?
- What data do these systems use, and do we have the right to use it?
- How exposed are we to AI-enabled fraud and cyber attacks?
## Controls
- Is there an inventory of AI systems with a named owner for each?
- Are models tested before release and monitored afterwards?
- Where must a human approve an AI-driven decision?
- Can we explain a decision to a regulator or a customer who challenges it?
## Accountability
- Which executive owns AI risk, and how often does the board hear from them?
- Does internal audit have the skills to review AI controls?
- How are we tracking emerging regulation in the markets where we operate?
## What a board AI report should contain
- An inventory of AI systems in use, including third-party tools, with a risk rating for each.
- The business value delivered: time saved, revenue, risk reduction.
- Incidents and near misses, and what was learned.
- Regulatory developments in each market where the company operates.
- Status of policies, training and model testing.
- Planned investments and the skills the organisation still needs.
A short, consistent report each quarter allows directors to see trends rather than isolated updates.
## Building board capability
Boards do not need data scientists, but they need enough understanding to challenge management. Practical steps include an annual education session, a director with technology or risk experience, access to independent advisers and site visits to see how AI is actually used in operations. Some boards assign AI oversight to the audit or risk committee; others create a technology committee. Either works if responsibilities are clear.
## Red flags directors should notice
- Management cannot say where AI is being used across the business.
- No one owns AI risk at an executive level.
- Staff use public AI tools with confidential data and no policy exists.
- AI decisions affecting customers cannot be explained.
- Vendors' AI features are switched on without review.
## A leader's view: start with an honest inventory
When I speak with leadership teams about AI governance, the first exercise is always the same: list every place AI is used in the organisation. The results usually surprise them. Beyond the official projects, they find AI features switched on in software they already license, staff using public chatbots to draft documents, and vendors using AI to process their data. Governance cannot start until leaders know what exists.
Once the inventory is complete, classify each use by impact. A tool that drafts internal meeting notes is low risk. A model that decides credit limits, flags transactions for investigation or screens job applicants is high risk and deserves testing, documentation and human oversight. This proportionate approach lets organisations move quickly on low-risk uses while applying care where it matters.
Boards should then set expectations: an acceptable use policy for staff, a review process for new high-impact systems, regular reporting and clear accountability. None of this requires directors to become technologists. It requires the same disciplines boards already apply to financial reporting and risk: know what exists, understand what could go wrong, insist on controls and evidence, and hold management accountable. Good AI governance is good governance applied to a new kind of system.
## Set the tone
Boards that ask these questions regularly send a clear message: AI is welcome, but it will be governed. That balance lets management move quickly without creating risks that surface later as losses, lawsuits or regulatory action.
## Common questions
What is the board's role in AI governance?
The board sets the strategic direction and risk appetite for AI, ensures management has clear ownership and controls, and monitors performance, incidents and compliance.
What questions should directors ask about AI?
Where are we using AI, what value does it deliver, what could go wrong, who is accountable, how are decisions explained and how do we comply with regulation in each market?

---

# Credit Scoring with Alternative Data in Africa
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/alternative-data-credit-scoring-africa/
Published: 2027-04-02

Millions of adults across Africa have income, spending patterns and reliable habits, but no formal credit history. Traditional scoring sees them as invisible. Alternative data, combined with machine learning, has changed that, and it has put credit in the hands of people banks once ignored.
## What counts as alternative data
- Mobile money and bank transaction histories.
- Airtime and utility payment patterns.
- Merchant and supplier payment records for small businesses.
- Device and application data, where lawfully collected with consent.
## Why it works
Regular income, stable spending and consistent repayment of small obligations are strong signals of creditworthiness. Models can learn these patterns and make decisions in minutes, which is what made mobile lending possible at scale.
## Where it goes wrong
From my work in debt recovery, I see the other side of fast lending. Models trained on short histories can overestimate repayment capacity when conditions change. Aggressive lending to people without the means to repay creates portfolios that later need recovery, and aggressive collection practices damage borrowers and the industry's reputation. Regulators in Nigeria have responded with stronger oversight of digital lenders and their conduct.
## Building responsible models
- Consent and transparency: borrowers should know what data is used.
- Fairness testing: check outcomes across groups to avoid hidden bias.
- Affordability: score capacity to repay, not only willingness.
- Monitoring: watch model performance and recalibrate when the economy shifts.
- Humane collections: professional, lawful engagement when loans go bad.
## Affordability comes first
Being able to predict who will repay is not the same as lending responsibly. A model might find that a customer repays on time, while missing that they are borrowing from several apps to do so. Responsible lenders check affordability: income stability, existing obligations and the effect of the new loan on the borrower's budget. Credit bureau checks, where available, help prevent stacking of loans across multiple lenders.
## Explaining decisions to customers
When an application is declined or a limit is low, customers deserve a clear explanation and a path to improve: repay existing loans, build a transaction history or provide additional information. Explainable models make this possible. They also help lenders respond to regulators and resolve complaints quickly.
## A checklist for responsible digital lending
- Use only data customers have consented to share, and explain how it is used.
- Test models for unfair outcomes by gender, age and location.
- Show the full cost of the loan before acceptance, including fees.
- Use respectful collection practices; never shame borrowers or contact their friends.
- Report repayments to credit bureaus so good borrowers build a record.
- Monitor model performance monthly and retrain when conditions change.
Digital lending has brought millions of Africans into formal credit. Doing it responsibly ensures that inclusion leads to opportunity, not debt traps.
## A leader's view: credit is a long-term relationship
Digital lenders that focus only on approval speed and loan volume often see losses rise sharply as they scale. Those that treat credit as a long-term relationship perform better. They start with small loans, increase limits as customers repay, reward good behaviour with better terms and help struggling customers early rather than pushing them into default.
Leaders should watch the right metrics: not only approval rates and disbursement volume, but also repayment rates by cohort, the share of customers borrowing from multiple lenders, complaints, collection practices and customer lifetime value. A lending book that grows quickly with deteriorating cohorts is a warning sign.
Partnerships can strengthen responsible lending. Sharing data with credit bureaus helps prevent over-indebtedness. Working with regulators on standards for digital lending builds trust in the whole sector. Collaborating with employers, cooperatives and merchant platforms can provide richer data and more stable repayment channels. As someone who has worked in both credit recovery and fintech, I see clearly that the cost of irresponsible lending is borne twice: first by borrowers who fall into debt, and then by lenders who must recover it. Responsible design prevents both.
## The prize
Done well, alternative data can bring tens of millions of people and small businesses into formal credit. Done badly, it creates debt traps. Lenders that combine data science with sound credit discipline will capture the opportunity and keep the trust of regulators.
## Common questions
What is alternative data in credit scoring?
Information beyond traditional credit files, such as mobile money activity, bill payments, transaction histories and business sales data, used with consent to assess creditworthiness.
Is alternative data credit scoring fair?
It can widen access to credit, but models must be tested for bias, check affordability and be explainable to customers and regulators.

---

# Data Protection for Fintechs: Lessons from Nigeria and the United States
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/data-protection-for-fintechs-nigeria-and-us/
Published: 2027-03-19

Fintechs run on data: identity documents, bank statements, transaction histories, device information. That data is what makes fast onboarding and smart credit decisions possible. It is also what regulators, customers and attackers care about most. Companies operating across Nigeria and the United States face two different legal frameworks, and the safest approach is to design for both from the start. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
## Nigeria
The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and set rules on lawful processing, consent, data subject rights, security and cross-border transfers. Organisations processing significant volumes of personal data have registration and compliance obligations with the Commission.
## United States
There is no single federal privacy law. Financial institutions are covered by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act's privacy and safeguards rules, and a growing number of states have their own consumer privacy laws. Breach notification rules vary by state.
## Principles that work in both
- Collect less: only the data the product genuinely needs.
- Know where it lives: a data map showing systems, vendors and countries.
- Be clear with customers: plain-language notices and real choices.
- Secure by default: encryption, access controls, logging and tested incident response.
- Manage vendors: contracts and checks for every processor that touches customer data.
- Delete on schedule: retention rules applied in practice, not just in policy.
## A data protection programme in eight steps
- Map what personal data you collect, where it is stored and who can access it.
- Identify the legal basis for each use, such as consent, contract or legal obligation.
- Publish a clear privacy notice in plain language.
- Limit collection to what you need and set retention periods.
- Secure data with encryption, access controls and monitoring.
- Review vendors and include data protection terms in contracts.
- Prepare a breach response plan, including regulator notification timelines.
- Train staff and appoint a responsible data protection officer where required.
## Cross-border data transfers
Fintechs that operate in both Nigeria and the United States often move data between countries for processing, support or analytics. Nigeria's law places conditions on transfers outside the country, and US state laws impose their own obligations. Document every cross-border flow, the safeguards used and the contractual protections in place. When regulators ask, a clear record is the best defence.
## Privacy as a product feature
Customers increasingly choose financial providers they trust with their data. Clear consent screens, easy account deletion, transparency about how data is used and fast responses to customer requests are not only compliance tasks. They build loyalty and reduce complaints. In financial services, trust is the product, and data protection is part of it.
## A leader's view: privacy by design
Data protection is cheapest and most effective when built into products from the start. Retrofitting privacy controls into an existing product is expensive and often incomplete. Leaders should require that every new product or feature passes a privacy review before launch: what data does it collect, why, where is it stored, who can access it, how long is it kept and how is it deleted?
Leaders also need to manage vendors carefully. Fintechs rely on cloud providers, identity verification services, analytics tools and marketing platforms, each of which may process customer data. Contracts should specify data protection obligations, security standards, breach notification and audit rights. Vendor risk reviews should be repeated periodically, not only at onboarding.
Finally, leaders should prepare for incidents. Even well-protected companies suffer breaches. A tested response plan, clear decision rights and pre-drafted communications allow a company to contain damage, notify regulators and customers within required timelines and maintain trust. In my experience across compliance, forensics and technology, transparency after an incident is often what determines whether customers stay. Companies that communicate clearly and act responsibly recover; those that hide problems rarely do.
## Trust is a growth strategy
Customers hand financial data only to companies they trust. A strong privacy posture shortens bank partnership negotiations, reassures investors and reduces the cost of incidents. At Tenaza we registered with the data protection regulator because the information we handle in recovery and tracing work demands that discipline.
## Common questions
What is the Nigeria Data Protection Act?
The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 is Nigeria's main data protection law. It sets principles for processing personal data, gives individuals rights over their data and established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
Does the United States have a national privacy law?
No single comprehensive federal law exists. Financial data is covered by laws such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, alongside a growing number of state privacy laws.

---

# Real-Time Payments and What They Mean for Cross-Border Money
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/real-time-payments-and-cross-border-money/
Published: 2027-03-05

Domestic payments in many countries are now instant. Nigeria's NIBSS Instant Payment system made real-time bank transfers part of everyday life years ago. In the United States, the Federal Reserve launched FedNow in 2023 alongside the private RTP network. Yet sending money between countries can still take days and cost several percent. Having run an international money transfer business, I see the gap between domestic speed and cross-border friction as one of the biggest opportunities in payments.
## Why domestic got fast first
Inside one country there is one currency, one central bank and one set of rules. Cross-border payments involve two currencies, foreign exchange, correspondent banks, sanctions screening in more than one jurisdiction and different operating hours.
## Linking instant systems
Central banks and international bodies are working on connecting domestic instant payment systems so that a transfer can move from one to another directly. Regional efforts in Africa aim to let payments settle between countries in local currencies without routing through other currencies first. If these links scale, the cost and delay of cross-border payments can fall sharply.
## What still has to be solved
- FX: fair, transparent conversion with enough liquidity.
- Compliance at speed: screening and monitoring that work in seconds, not hours.
- Data standards: common message formats such as ISO 20022 so information travels with the payment.
- Fraud: instant and irrevocable payments are attractive to fraudsters, so confirmation of payee and behavioural monitoring become essential.
## Examples of instant payment systems
Nigeria's NIBSS Instant Payment system made real-time bank transfers routine for millions of Nigerians. India's Unified Payments Interface processes billions of transactions every month. Brazil's Pix became one of the most widely used payment methods in the country within a few years. In the United States, FedNow and the RTP network are expanding real-time payments. These systems show that instant, low-cost domestic payments are achievable at scale.
## Linking systems across borders
The next step is connecting them. Bilateral links between national systems already allow instant transfers in some corridors, and international efforts aim to connect multiple systems through shared hubs. In Africa, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System is designed to let payments between African countries settle in local currencies, reducing reliance on dollars and correspondent banks.
## What businesses should do now
- Review treasury processes: instant payments change how much cash you need to hold and how you forecast it.
- Upgrade fraud controls: real-time payments are hard to reverse, so verification must happen before sending.
- Use richer data: modern payment messages carry more information, which improves reconciliation.
- Review providers: compare cross-border partners on speed, total cost and transparency.
## A leader's view: prepare treasury for instant money
When payments settle instantly, treasury management changes. Cash forecasts must be updated more frequently, because money arrives and leaves at any hour, including weekends. Liquidity buffers may shrink, since businesses no longer need to hold cash for multi-day settlement. Supplier relationships can change too: some suppliers will offer discounts for instant payment, and some customers will expect to pay instantly and receive goods immediately.
Leaders should review payment policies with these shifts in mind. Who can initiate instant payments, and with what limits? How are new beneficiaries verified before the first payment? What monitoring operates outside business hours? Instant payments are difficult to recall, so prevention is the only reliable protection against fraud and error.
For businesses operating across Africa and between Africa and other regions, faster cross-border settlement can reduce working capital tied up in transit, improve supplier relationships and lower foreign exchange risk by shortening exposure periods. Treasurers should track developments in national and regional payment links, test new providers and build the capability to take advantage as corridors become faster and cheaper. The organisations that prepare now will benefit first.
## What it means for businesses
Treasury teams will be able to manage cash across countries with less idle balance. Exporters will be paid faster. Families will receive remittances in seconds. Companies that redesign their processes around real-time money, rather than end-of-day batches, will gain a lasting advantage.
## Common questions
What is an instant payment system?
A payment system that transfers money between accounts within seconds, at any time of day, with immediate confirmation to the sender and recipient.
Why are cross-border payments slower than domestic ones?
They pass through multiple banks, currencies, time zones and compliance checks. Linking national instant payment systems is one way to speed them up.

---

# Internal Controls Before the IPO: SOX Lessons for Growing Companies
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/sox-internal-controls-for-growing-companies/
Published: 2027-02-19

Companies preparing to list, raise institutional capital or sell to a public acquirer eventually face the same question: can management prove its financial statements are reliable? For US-listed companies, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act turns that question into a formal requirement for internal control over financial reporting. Having led control design assessments, gap analyses and remediation for public companies, I advise growing businesses to start early.
## Why start before you have to
Building controls under deadline pressure is expensive and disruptive. Building them as the company grows is cheaper, and it improves the quality of management information along the way. Investors notice the difference in due diligence.
## Scope by risk
Start with the accounts and processes most likely to contain a material misstatement: revenue, cash, payroll, inventory, significant estimates and the financial close. Not every process needs the same depth of control.
## Design the key controls
- Segregation of duties between initiating, approving and recording transactions.
- Account reconciliations, reviewed and evidenced every period.
- Review of journal entries, especially manual and late entries.
- Controls over estimates and judgments, with documented assumptions.
- IT general controls: access, change management and backups for financial systems.
## Evidence everything
A control that is performed but not evidenced does not exist in the eyes of an auditor. Sign-offs, dates and support should be retained in a consistent format.
## Test, find gaps, remediate
A dry-run assessment before external scrutiny reveals design gaps and operating failures while there is still time to fix them. Remediation plans should have owners and dates, and progress should be reported to the audit committee.
## A practical timeline
18 to 24 months before an IPO or major transaction: assess current processes, identify significant accounts and document key flows: revenue, purchasing, payroll, treasury, financial close and IT general controls.
12 to 18 months before: design missing controls, assign owners and start operating them. Fix segregation of duties issues, often the hardest problem in smaller finance teams.
6 to 12 months before: test controls, remediate failures and retest. Prepare management's documentation as if an auditor will review it tomorrow.
## Common deficiencies in growing companies
- Manual journal entries without independent review.
- Too many people with administrator access to the accounting system.
- Revenue recognised on contracts without documented review of terms.
- Reconciliations prepared late or without evidence of review.
- Spreadsheets used for key calculations without version control or checks.
## Beyond compliance
Strong internal controls are not only for public companies. Private companies with good controls close their books faster, produce reliable numbers for lenders and investors, detect fraud earlier and command better valuations in a sale. Buyers and investors price uncertainty, and well-controlled finance functions remove a large part of it.
## A leader's view: controls are a leadership choice
Internal controls are often treated as a finance department project. In reality, they reflect leadership choices about how the company operates. When executives override approval processes for urgent deals, bypass purchasing rules or tolerate late reconciliations, they signal that controls are optional. When they follow the same rules as everyone else, ask for evidence and reward people who raise problems, they build a control culture that auditors and investors can rely on.
The tone at the top matters most in growing companies, where informal practices that worked for a small team become risks as the business scales. A founder who approved every payment personally cannot do so at five hundred employees. Delegation of authority, segregation of duties and documented reviews replace personal oversight. Leaders who embrace this transition early avoid painful findings later.
Technology helps. Modern accounting systems enforce approval workflows, restrict access by role and keep audit trails automatically. Automated reconciliation and continuous monitoring reduce manual effort and catch errors faster. During my years at PwC, including work on Sarbanes-Oxley engagements, the companies that handled the transition best were those whose leaders saw controls as a foundation for growth, not a burden imposed by regulators.
## The payoff
Strong controls are not just a filing requirement. They reduce fraud risk, speed up the close and give leadership numbers it can trust, whether the company is reporting under US GAAP or IFRS.
## Common questions
What is SOX compliance?
SOX compliance refers to meeting the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including management's assessment of internal control over financial reporting and, for larger companies, an auditor's attestation.
Do private companies need SOX controls?
They are not legally required, but private companies preparing for an IPO, acquisition or institutional investment benefit greatly from building them early.

---

# Building a Compliance Monitoring System Regulators Trust
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/building-compliance-monitoring-regulators-trust/
Published: 2027-02-05

Most organisations do not fail compliance because they ignore the rules. They fail because they cannot prove, quickly and consistently, that they followed them. Through my consulting and software development firm, I have helped clients in energy, financial services and the public sector move compliance from spreadsheets and memory to systems that produce evidence on demand.
## Start with an obligations register
Every regulatory requirement, licence condition and reporting deadline should live in one register, with an owner, a frequency and a description of what evidence proves compliance. In oil and gas this includes licensing conditions, production and royalty reporting and submissions to sector regulators. In financial services it includes AML, data protection and prudential returns.
## Map obligations to controls
For each obligation, define the control that satisfies it: a reconciliation, an approval, a system check, a filing. Then decide which controls can be automated and which need human judgment.
## Automate the monitoring, not the judgment
Software should watch deadlines, pull data from source systems, run checks and raise exceptions. People should investigate exceptions and decide what they mean. That division keeps the system fast without pretending that every compliance question has a mechanical answer.
## Evidence is the product
When a regulator or auditor asks a question, the answer should be a report, not a project. Good systems store who did what, when and on what data, and keep that record unchanged.
## Report upward
Boards and executive teams need a simple view: obligations met, exceptions open, deadlines ahead and trends. That view turns compliance from a back-office task into a management discipline.
## An example from the energy sector
An upstream operator may face hundreds of obligations: production reporting to the regulator, royalty and tax filings, environmental monitoring, host community trust contributions, local content reporting, health and safety requirements and licence conditions. Without a system, these live in spreadsheets and individual inboxes. Deadlines are missed when people change roles.
A monitoring system lists each obligation with its source, owner, frequency and due date. It sends reminders, collects evidence (submissions, receipts, sign-offs) and shows a dashboard of status: on time, at risk or overdue. Management sees exceptions immediately rather than at year end.
## Metrics that matter
- Percentage of obligations with a named owner and a mapped control.
- Filings submitted on time, by regulator.
- Open findings from regulators and auditors, and their age.
- Controls tested in the period, and the failure rate.
- Time to close remediation actions.
## Choosing technology
The right tool depends on scale. Smaller organisations can start with a well-structured register and workflow in a shared system. Larger ones benefit from dedicated governance, risk and compliance software that integrates with operational and financial systems. Whatever the tool, the design principles are the same: one source of truth, clear ownership, automatic reminders and evidence stored where auditors and regulators can review it quickly.
## A leader's view: compliance as a competitive advantage
Many executives see compliance as a cost to be minimised. The organisations that perform best treat it as a source of advantage. Regulators grant approvals faster to companies with clean records. Partners and lenders prefer counterparties with strong compliance. Customers trust companies that handle obligations transparently. And strong monitoring catches operational problems early, before they become expensive.
Leaders build this advantage by giving compliance real authority and resources, integrating it with operations rather than isolating it, and reviewing compliance metrics as seriously as financial ones. They also invest in technology that reduces manual effort, so compliance teams spend time on judgment rather than chasing spreadsheets.
My consulting and software development firm builds compliance monitoring technology for energy, financial services and public sector clients. The pattern I see is consistent: organisations that can show regulators exactly what their obligations are, who owns them, how they are controlled and what evidence exists spend less time defending themselves and more time growing. Trust with regulators is earned through consistent evidence over time.
## Keep it current
Regulation changes. The obligations register needs an owner who tracks new rules and updates controls before they take effect. My years monitoring regulatory developments at PwC taught me that the change process matters as much as the controls themselves.
## Common questions
What is a compliance monitoring system?
A system that tracks an organisation's regulatory obligations, assigns owners, monitors deadlines and controls, collects evidence and reports status to management.
Why do regulators value compliance evidence?
Evidence shows that controls actually operate. Organisations that can produce it quickly earn trust, face fewer findings and resolve inspections faster.

---

# Agentic AI in Financial Services: What Changes for Banks and Fintechs
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/agentic-ai-in-financial-services/
Published: 2027-01-22

The first wave of generative AI in finance was conversational: tools that answer questions, summarise documents and draft text. The next wave is agentic. AI agents can plan a task, use software tools and take actions: gather documents, reconcile accounts, open a case, prepare a payment for approval. That is a bigger change, because an agent does not just inform a decision. It can make one.
## Where agents fit first
- Customer onboarding: collecting documents, checking them against registries and flagging gaps before a human reviews the file.
- Collections and recovery: prioritising accounts, preparing outreach and assembling evidence packs for legal action.
- Operations: chasing exceptions in reconciliations and payments and routing them to the right team.
- Compliance monitoring: reviewing alerts, gathering context and writing a first draft of the investigation note.
In each case the pattern is the same: the agent does the gathering and the first pass, and a person makes the call.
## The risks are operational, not theoretical
An agent with access to systems can make mistakes at machine speed. It can act on bad data, misread an instruction or be manipulated by malicious content in a document or email. In a regulated institution, every one of those failures is also a compliance failure.
## Controls that should come first
- Least privilege: agents get the narrowest access needed, and no ability to move money or change master data without human approval.
- Full logging: every action, input and tool call recorded and reviewable.
- Approval gates: clear thresholds where a person must sign off.
- Testing and monitoring: agents tested against known scenarios before release and monitored for drift afterwards.
- Accountability: a named owner for each agent, just as for any key control.
## What makes an agent different from a chatbot
A chatbot answers a question. An agent pursues a goal. Given the task "prepare the supplier payment run", an agent might gather approved invoices, check them against purchase orders, flag mismatches, draft the payment file and request approval. It uses tools, follows steps and adapts when something unexpected happens. That ability to act is what creates value, and what creates risk.
## A control framework for AI agents
- Identity: each agent has its own credentials, never shared human accounts.
- Least privilege: agents can read and draft widely, but actions that move money or change customer records require human approval.
- Boundaries: define clearly which systems, data and actions are in scope.
- Logging: every step the agent takes is recorded and reviewable.
- Testing: agents are tested on realistic scenarios, including attempts to trick them through manipulated inputs.
- Ownership: a named business owner is accountable for each agent's performance.
## Use cases worth starting with
Good first projects are internal, high-volume and easy to verify: preparing know-your-customer files for analyst review, reconciling payments, drafting suspicious activity narratives for compliance officers, summarising regulatory changes and answering staff questions from policy documents. Each saves time while keeping a person in control of the final decision. Customer-facing agents that can move money should come later, once the organisation has experience and evidence that its controls work.
## A leader's view: accountability does not transfer to the machine
When an AI agent makes a mistake, customers, regulators and courts will hold the institution responsible, not the software. Leaders should therefore approve agent deployments with the same seriousness as any process that affects customers or money, with clear owners, documented controls and regular review. Speed matters, but accountability matters more.
## Start with the boring work
The highest returns come from repetitive, well-defined processes where the cost of a mistake is low and easy to catch. Institutions that prove value there, with strong controls, will be ready to extend agents into more sensitive work. Those that start with the riskiest use cases will spend the next year explaining incidents to their regulators.
## Common questions
What is agentic AI?
Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can plan and carry out multi-step tasks using tools and data, rather than only responding to a single prompt.
Is agentic AI safe for banks?
It can be, with strict permissions, human approval for money movement, complete logging, testing against manipulation and clear accountability.

---

# Why Every Executive Should Understand Product and Software Development
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/why-executives-should-understand-software-development/
Published: 2027-01-08

Every company is now a software company, whether it sells payments, debt recovery services or oil and gas advisory. The executives who lead well in this environment are not necessarily programmers, but they understand how software gets built, what makes it fail and how to make good decisions about it. I started my career as an engineer, moved into software and technology development, and later led product and software development for international payments and compliance technology. These are the principles I rely on.
## Software is never finished
A building is completed. Software is maintained, secured, updated and extended for as long as the business uses it. Budgets that treat technology as a one-off project rather than a running cost create fragile systems and frustrated teams.
## Small releases beat big launches
Shipping small, frequent improvements and measuring their effect reduces risk and reveals what customers actually value. Big-bang launches hide problems until it is expensive to fix them.
## Data is a product decision
What you collect, how you structure it and who can see it determines what you can automate, analyse and prove later. Executives should ask early what data a new system creates and how it will be governed, especially under data protection law.
## Security and compliance belong in the design
In regulated businesses, controls designed into the workflow are cheaper and stronger than controls added after an incident or an audit finding. My years in audit taught me to ask how a system proves that the right thing happened, not only whether it did.
## Build, buy or partner
Build what differentiates you. Buy what is standard. Partner where speed matters more than control. At Tenaza, we built our own case management, intake and AI tracing tools because they are core to how we recover debts, and we rely on proven platforms for everything else.
## Questions every executive should ask their technology team
- What problem are we solving, for whom, and how will we measure success?
- What is the smallest version we can release to learn from real users?
- What data will this collect, and how is it protected?
- How do we deploy changes, and how quickly can we roll back if something breaks?
- What happens if a key developer leaves? Is the system documented?
- What are the ongoing costs after launch: hosting, licences, support and security?
## Reading a technology roadmap
A good roadmap shows outcomes, not just features. Instead of "build reporting module", it says "reduce month-end reporting time from five days to two". It shows dependencies, risks and the trade-offs being made. If a roadmap has no room for maintenance, security updates or technical debt, it is unrealistic. As a rule of thumb, mature products spend a meaningful share of engineering time keeping existing systems healthy.
## Lessons from building software across 32 countries
When I co-founded a software company that expanded into more than 32 countries, three lessons stood out. First, local regulation shapes the product as much as customer preferences do, so compliance belongs in the design. Second, simple products scale; every special case adds cost forever. Third, the best ideas often came from customer support teams, who heard user problems first. Executives who listen to those teams make better product decisions.
## Learn the vocabulary
Leaders do not need to write code, but they should understand terms such as API, technical debt, uptime, release cycle and model drift well enough to ask good questions. AI makes this more important: executives who understand how models are trained, tested and monitored will deploy them responsibly and get more value from them.
The gap between business strategy and technology execution is where most transformation programmes fail. Executives who close that gap personally give their companies a lasting advantage.
## Common questions
Why should executives understand software development?
Because most products, processes and customer experiences now depend on software. Leaders who understand the basics make better investment, risk and prioritisation decisions.
Should we build or buy software?
Buy for common needs where you do not differentiate, such as accounting or HR. Build where the software is part of your competitive advantage. Partner when speed and specialist expertise matter more than control.

---

# Financing Nigeria's Upstream Oil and Gas: Why Technical and Financial Diligence Must Meet
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/financing-nigeria-upstream-oil-and-gas/
Published: 2026-12-25

Nigeria's upstream sector has changed shape. International oil companies have divested large onshore and shallow-water assets, the Petroleum Industry Act has reset the regulatory framework, and indigenous companies now hold a growing share of production. The opportunity is real. So is the financing gap. As Managing Director and CEO of Haricot Energies, I spend most of my time on the question that decides whether a field gets developed: can it be financed?
## Two languages, one deal
Engineers speak in reserves, well performance, facilities and decline curves. Financiers speak in cash flow, debt service cover, security and exit. Deals stall when the two are prepared separately: a technically sound development plan with an unbankable structure, or an elegant financing model built on optimistic production. I began my career as a field engineer and later trained as an accountant at PwC, and the most valuable thing I can do on a deal is make those two languages describe the same asset.
## What lenders and investors test
- Reserves and resources: independent certification, and how much is proved and producing versus undeveloped.
- Evacuation: how crude or gas actually reaches market, at what cost and with what downtime risk.
- Title and approvals: licence status, consents and compliance with the regulator.
- Development plan and cost: realistic timelines and contingencies.
- Cash flow under stress: low price, delayed first oil and higher costs, modelled together.
- Governance: who controls the special purpose vehicle, how cash is ring-fenced and how disputes are resolved.
## Structures that work
Reserve-based lending, crude-backed facilities, farm-ins, joint ventures and special purpose vehicles each fit different stages of an asset. The right choice depends on what the asset can carry today and what it can prove tomorrow. Over-leveraging an early-stage field is one of the most common ways good assets fail.
## Local content and capacity
Nigerian content obligations are not just compliance. Building local engineering, services and financial capacity lowers costs over time and strengthens the sector's resilience.
## A simple financing stack
Consider a field development needing 120 million dollars. A realistic structure might combine 30 to 40 percent equity from the sponsor and partners, a reserve-based lending facility secured on certified reserves, and an offtake prepayment from a crude buyer in exchange for future cargoes. Each layer has different requirements. Equity investors want returns and governance rights. Banks want certified reserves, hedging and covenants. Offtakers want reliable delivery and security over cargoes.
The art is aligning them so that the project can survive a period of lower prices or delayed production without breaching covenants.
## What a bankable development plan contains
- Independent reserve certification with clear categories (proved, probable, possible).
- A phased drilling and facilities plan with realistic timelines and costs.
- A firm evacuation route, with tariffs, losses and a backup option.
- A financial model linking production, prices, costs, fiscal terms and debt service.
- Sensitivities: lower prices, higher costs, delays and lower production.
- Environmental, social and community plans that meet the Petroleum Industry Act and lender standards.
## The role of governance
Lenders and investors increasingly judge upstream companies on governance: audited accounts, a credible board, clear related-party policies and transparent reporting to regulators. Indigenous operators that invest in governance early reduce their cost of capital, because investors price uncertainty. Good governance is not paperwork; it is a financing advantage.
## The bottom line
Capital is available for Nigerian upstream assets that are prepared properly. That means honest technical work, disciplined financial modelling and documentation that holds up to scrutiny. That is the standard Haricot works to, drawing on a team with more than 130 years of combined experience across exploration, drilling, geoscience, regulatory compliance and corporate finance.
## Common questions
What is reserve-based lending?
Reserve-based lending is a loan secured on the value of an oil and gas company's certified reserves, with the borrowing limit recalculated regularly as prices and production change.
What do lenders look for in Nigerian upstream projects?
Certified reserves, a credible development plan, reliable evacuation, a valid licence, an experienced operator, strong governance and a model that survives low-price scenarios.

---

# Nigeria's Fintech Regulation: What Founders Need to Know
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/nigeria-fintech-regulation-guide-for-founders/
Published: 2026-12-11

Nigeria is one of the most exciting fintech markets in the world, and one of the most demanding to operate in. Founders who treat regulation as a launch-day checkbox learn expensive lessons. Those who design for it from the start build companies that banks, investors and customers trust. This is a practical overview, not legal advice, and every venture should take advice from Nigerian counsel on its specific model.
## Know your regulator
- Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN): licenses and supervises payments, switching, mobile money, payment solution services and banking activities.
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): oversees investment products, crowdfunding and, under the Investments and Securities Act 2025, digital assets, which the Act recognises as securities.
- Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC): enforces the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which governs how customer data is collected, processed and transferred.
- Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC): regulates consumer lending practices and debt collection conduct, including digital lenders.
- NFIU and the AML framework: reporting of suspicious transactions and compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations.
## Pick the right licence for the model
A payment app, a lender, a wallet provider and an investment platform need different licences, capital and governance. Many founders partner with a licensed institution at first. That is a legitimate route, but responsibilities must be clear in the contract, and regulators will still expect the fintech to meet its share of compliance.
## Open banking is coming
The CBN issued operational guidelines for open banking in March 2023, and implementation has taken longer than first planned. When it is fully live, consent-based data sharing through standard APIs will change credit scoring, onboarding and payments. Founders should build consent management and API security now.
## Compliance that scales
- Appoint a capable compliance officer early, and give them authority.
- Build customer due diligence, sanctions screening and transaction monitoring into the product, not around it.
- Keep records audit-ready from day one; my audit background makes me insist on this.
- Track regulatory circulars closely; Nigerian rules change quickly.
## A launch checklist for founders
- Define the business model precisely. Do you hold customer funds, move money, lend, invest on behalf of customers or only provide software? The answer decides the licence.
- Map the regulators. Payments and banking fall mainly under the Central Bank of Nigeria. Investment and digital asset activities fall under the Securities and Exchange Commission. Personal data falls under the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. Consumer lending also involves the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
- Consider partnering first. Many startups launch through a licensed partner bank or payment company, then apply for their own licence once the model is proven.
- Build the compliance foundations. Appoint a compliance officer, write anti-money laundering and data protection policies, and set up transaction monitoring before you scale.
- Plan capital. Licences carry minimum capital requirements, and regulators expect evidence that the money is in place.
## Common mistakes
- Launching a product that holds customer funds without the right licence or partner.
- Collecting more personal data than needed, or sharing it without proper consent.
- Treating compliance as a one-time application rather than an ongoing programme.
- Underestimating timelines, which can stretch to many months.
## Working with regulators
Nigerian regulators increasingly use sandboxes, consultations and published frameworks. Engage early, respond to consultations and keep regulators informed of material changes. A reputation for transparency is valuable when you need approvals later.
## The opportunity
Strict regulation is a moat for companies that respect it. Investors and partner banks reward fintechs that can show clean governance, and customers stay with brands they trust with their money.
## Common questions
Who regulates fintech in Nigeria?
The Central Bank of Nigeria for payments, banking and lending licences; the Securities and Exchange Commission for investment and digital asset activities; the Nigeria Data Protection Commission for personal data; and the FCCPC for consumer protection, including digital lending.
Can a startup launch without a licence in Nigeria?
A startup that does not hold customer funds or provide regulated services may operate as a technology provider, often in partnership with a licensed institution. Regulated activities require the appropriate licence.

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# Fraud in the Age of AI: Deepfakes, Synthetic Identities and What CFOs Should Do
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/fraud-in-the-age-of-ai/
Published: 2026-11-27

Fraud has always followed technology. Generative AI has simply lowered the cost of a convincing lie. Deloitte has projected that fraud losses enabled by generative AI in the United States could rise from about $12 billion in 2023 to $40 billion by 2027. As a Certified Fraud Examiner, I see the same pattern in Nigeria, the United States and every market in between: the attacks are more polished, faster and aimed at the people who can move money.
## The new playbook
Deepfake executives. A cloned voice on a phone call, or a convincing video call, instructs a finance officer to make an urgent, confidential payment. Staff who would question an email trust a familiar face and voice.
Synthetic identities. Fraudsters combine real and invented data, plus AI-generated photos and documents, to open accounts, borrow and disappear. Because there is no real victim to complain, the losses surface late, often as bad debt.
Polished phishing and invoice fraud. Business email compromise no longer has spelling mistakes. AI writes in the supplier's tone and inserts new bank details at the right moment.
## Controls that still work
- Call-back verification on any change to supplier bank details, using a number already on file, never one supplied in the request.
- Dual authorisation for payments above a threshold, with no exceptions for urgency or seniority.
- Code words or out-of-band confirmation for instructions from executives.
- Stronger onboarding with liveness checks, document verification and data consistency tests to stop synthetic identities.
- Continuous monitoring of transactions and journal entries, so anomalies are caught in days, not at year end.
## Culture is a control
The most effective defence is an organisation where a junior employee feels safe saying "I will call you back to confirm" to the CEO. Train for it, reward it and model it from the top.
## A real-world pattern
A finance officer receives a video call invitation from what appears to be the chief financial officer, with several familiar colleagues on screen. The CFO explains that a confidential acquisition requires urgent transfers. Everyone on the call looks and sounds right. The officer makes several payments. Days later, the company discovers that every participant on the call was generated by AI. Cases like this have been reported publicly, with losses running into millions of dollars.
The lesson is not that staff were careless. It is that verification cannot depend on recognising a face or voice any more.
## A 30-day action plan for CFOs
- Week 1: map every way money can leave the business: payments, supplier changes, payroll changes, refunds and card spending.
- Week 2: set verification rules for each path, including call-backs to known numbers, dual approval thresholds and cooling-off periods for new payees.
- Week 3: train finance, procurement, HR and executive assistants with realistic examples, including deepfake audio.
- Week 4: test the controls with a simulated attack, then fix the gaps you find.
## Insurance, reporting and recovery
Review whether your crime and cyber insurance policies cover social engineering fraud, and what conditions apply. Agree in advance who calls the bank, who preserves evidence and who notifies insurers and law enforcement. When an incident happens, those first hours are too valuable to spend deciding who does what.
## When prevention fails
Speed decides recovery. Notify the bank immediately to attempt a recall, preserve evidence, report to the authorities and engage specialists who can trace where the money went. At Tenaza, tracing funds across borders is our daily work, and the first 48 hours are almost always the most valuable.
## Common questions
What is a deepfake fraud?
A deepfake fraud uses AI-generated audio or video to impersonate a trusted person, often an executive, to persuade staff to transfer money or share information.
How can companies prevent deepfake payment fraud?
Use controls that do not rely on recognising a person: call-backs to known numbers, dual approval, code words and cooling-off periods for new or changed payees.
What should I do if my company is defrauded?
Contact your bank immediately to request a recall, preserve evidence, notify insurers and law enforcement, and engage asset tracing specialists quickly.

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# Stablecoins and the Future of African Remittances
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/stablecoins-and-african-remittances/
Published: 2026-11-13

Africa remains the most expensive region in the world to send money to. Senders still lose close to 8 percent of a $200 transfer to Sub-Saharan Africa on average, according to World Bank data, against a UN target of 3 percent. Having led an international money transfer company, I have watched every new technology promise to fix that. Stablecoins are the first in a long time that could change the economics of the rails themselves.
## Why stablecoins matter for remittances
A stablecoin is a digital token designed to hold a steady value, usually one US dollar, backed by reserves. It moves on a blockchain in minutes, at any hour, for a small network fee. For a remittance company, that can replace the slowest and most expensive parts of a transfer: correspondent banking hops and prefunded accounts sitting idle in every payout country.
## Regulation is catching up
The United States passed the GENIUS Act in 2025, creating a federal framework for payment stablecoins with reserve and disclosure requirements. In Nigeria, the Investments and Securities Act 2025 recognises digital assets as securities and brings them under the oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Clear rules make it possible for licensed businesses, rather than only informal traders, to use these rails.
## What still stands in the way
- The last mile. Families need naira, cedis or shillings in a bank account or mobile wallet. Off-ramps with deep local liquidity and fair exchange rates are still the hard part.
- Foreign exchange policy. Central banks manage currency flows closely, and any remittance model must respect official FX rules and reporting.
- Compliance. Stablecoin transfers still require customer identification, sanctions screening and transaction monitoring. Speed does not remove obligations.
- Consumer protection. Recipients need to understand what they hold and how to convert it safely.
## How a stablecoin-powered transfer works
- A sender in the United States pays dollars into a licensed money transfer app.
- The provider converts the dollars into a dollar-backed stablecoin and sends it on a blockchain to a partner in Nigeria.
- The partner converts the stablecoin into naira at a quoted rate.
- The recipient receives naira in a bank account or mobile wallet, often within minutes.
The sender and recipient never handle crypto directly. The stablecoin is simply the settlement rail between two licensed businesses.
## The risks to manage
- Reserve quality. A stablecoin is only as good as the assets backing it. Providers should use coins with transparent, regularly audited reserves.
- Compliance. Blockchain transfers must still meet anti-money laundering, sanctions and travel rule requirements.
- Exchange rate and liquidity. Converting into local currency requires deep, reliable liquidity at fair rates.
- Operational security. Private keys and wallets must be protected like cash in a vault.
## What to watch next
In the United States, federal stablecoin legislation passed in 2025 created a framework for payment stablecoin issuers. In Africa, regulators are taking different approaches, from licensing digital asset service providers to restricting certain activities. Companies that build with regulators, not around them, will be the ones allowed to scale. For families, the result should be lower costs and faster transfers; for businesses, faster settlement and better cash management.
## The likely path
Most customers will never see a stablecoin. They will use a familiar app that quietly settles on stablecoin rails in the background and pays out in local currency. The companies that win will pair that infrastructure with licensing, treasury management and trusted local payout partners. If that happens, the cost of sending money home could finally fall toward the target the world set years ago.
## Common questions
What is a stablecoin?
A stablecoin is a digital token designed to hold a stable value, usually one US dollar, backed by reserves such as cash and short-term government securities.
Will stablecoins make remittances cheaper?
They can reduce settlement cost and time, but savings reach customers only if local currency payout, liquidity and compliance are also efficient.

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# AI for Finance Teams: Where It Helps in Close, Audit and Reporting
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/ai-for-finance-teams/
Published: 2026-11-10

Every finance leader is being asked the same question: what is our AI strategy? Having spent years in audit and in PwC's National and Technical Accounting Research Office before running companies, my answer is practical. Start where the work is repetitive, high-volume and checkable, and keep judgment where judgment belongs.
## Where AI already earns its keep
Reconciliations. Matching bank lines, intercompany balances and subledgers is the classic job for machine learning. Models learn the patterns behind matches that rules miss, and humans review the exceptions.
Accounts payable and receivable. Invoice capture, coding suggestions, duplicate detection and cash application are now mature uses that shorten the close and reduce errors.
Anomaly detection. Scanning every journal entry, rather than a sample, for unusual timing, amounts, users or accounts is a step change for internal audit and fraud prevention.
Drafting. Generative AI is useful for first drafts of variance commentary, policy summaries and board pack narratives, provided someone who understands the numbers edits the result.
## Where judgment still decides
Revenue recognition, lease and financial instrument classification, impairment, going concern and complex transactions all require applying standards to facts. AI can retrieve the relevant guidance and summarise a contract, but the conclusion must be owned by a qualified professional who can explain it to an auditor and a regulator. Treating a model's answer as an accounting position is a control failure.
## Controls for an AI-enabled finance function
- Document which processes use AI, what data they see and who reviews the output.
- Keep audit trails: inputs, outputs, reviewer and approval.
- Test models periodically against known answers, the same way you test any key control.
- Keep confidential financial data out of tools that do not meet your data protection obligations.
## A 90-day plan for a finance team
Days 1 to 30: choose and measure. List the ten most time-consuming tasks in the monthly close. Pick two that are repetitive and rule-based, such as bank reconciliations or accounts payable coding. Measure the current time and error rate.
Days 31 to 60: pilot with controls. Run the AI tool in parallel with the existing process. Review every output. Document how the tool works, who approves its results and how exceptions are handled.
Days 61 to 90: decide and scale. Compare time saved and error rates. If the pilot succeeds, move it into production with a review step and update the process documentation. Then choose the next two tasks.
## Skills finance professionals need now
- Data literacy: understanding where data comes from and how to test its completeness and accuracy.
- Prompting and review: asking AI tools precise questions and checking answers against source documents.
- Process design: redesigning workflows so people focus on analysis and judgment.
- Control thinking: knowing what could go wrong and how to detect it.
## What auditors will look for
If AI tools affect financial reporting, external auditors will want to understand them. Expect questions about access controls, change management, how outputs are reviewed and how the tool's accuracy was tested. Teams that document these points from the start make audits faster and avoid control deficiencies.
## A leader's view: redesign roles, not only tasks
When AI saves hours in the close, leaders should decide deliberately how that time is used: deeper analysis for business partners, stronger controls, faster forecasting or development for staff. Without that decision, saved time disappears into other routine work. Finance leaders who redesign roles around judgment and insight turn AI productivity into better decisions for the whole business.
## Start small, measure, scale
The best programmes pick one painful process, measure hours and error rates before and after, and expand only when the numbers prove it. Finance teams that adopt AI this way gain capacity for the work that matters most: analysis, partnership with the business and better decisions.
## Common questions
Can AI close the books?
AI can automate many close tasks such as reconciliations, matching and draft commentary, but accountants still need to review results, make estimates and approve entries.
Is it safe to use AI with financial data?
Yes, with approved enterprise tools, access controls, data protection agreements and a clear policy on what data may be shared.

---

# AI in Debt Recovery: How Machine Learning Finds Debtors and Assets
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/ai-in-debt-recovery-and-asset-tracing/
Published: 2026-11-06

Debt recovery used to depend on persistence: letters, phone calls and investigators knocking on doors. Persistence still matters, but the firms that recover the most today are the ones that know where to knock first. That is where artificial intelligence has changed the industry.
At Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, where I serve as CEO and President, we built our own AI model for skip tracing and asset tracing because off-the-shelf tools were not designed for African data, and because our work spans Nigeria and a correspondent network in more than 40 countries.
## Skip tracing: finding the person
A debtor who has moved, changed numbers or closed accounts leaves fragments behind: company registrations, court filings, property records, social and professional profiles, phone and address histories. Individually each fragment is weak. Machine learning is good at linking weak signals, matching name variants and spellings, scoring the probability that two records describe the same person and ranking the leads most likely to succeed. Investigators then spend their time on the strongest leads rather than the longest list.
## Asset tracing: finding what can be recovered
Locating a debtor is only half the work. Recovery depends on identifying assets that can be attached: property, vehicles, shareholdings, receivables and funds moved to related parties. AI helps map ownership networks, flag transfers that look designed to put assets out of reach and connect entities across jurisdictions. My training as a forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner taught me that money usually tells the truth even when people do not; AI simply reads the trail faster.
## Prioritising a portfolio
Banks and lenders rarely hand over one account. They hand over portfolios of thousands of non-performing loans. Predictive scoring lets a recovery firm segment that portfolio: accounts likely to settle with a structured conversation, accounts that need legal action, and accounts where tracing is required before anything else. That changes recovery rates and costs at the same time.
## Guardrails matter
Power without discipline creates risk. Responsible recovery means lawful data sources, compliance with data protection law, human review of every decision that affects a person, and professional, respectful engagement with debtors. Tenaza is registered with Nigeria's data protection regulator for that reason.
## How a modern recovery workflow runs
- Portfolio intake. The lender shares account data. The first step is cleaning it: matching identities, correcting addresses and removing duplicates.
- Enrichment. Models compare the data against permitted public and commercial sources to find current contact details, employment and business interests.
- Scoring. Each account receives a recoverability score based on contactability, assets, ability to pay and legal position.
- Strategy by segment. High-score accounts receive negotiation and settlement offers. Accounts with hidden assets go to investigation. Disputed or complex accounts go to legal review.
- Field and legal action. Investigators verify assets on the ground, and lawyers act where enforcement is justified.
- Feedback. Outcomes are fed back into the models, so the next portfolio is prioritised better.
## What lenders should ask a recovery partner
- Which data sources do you use, and are they lawful in each jurisdiction?
- How do you verify AI findings before acting on them?
- How do you treat vulnerable debtors and handle disputes?
- What reporting will we receive, and how often?
- Can you trace assets across borders, and through which network?
A credible partner answers these questions clearly and in writing.
## Why this matters for the wider economy
Non-performing loans tie up capital that banks could lend to businesses and households. Faster, fairer recovery frees that capital, lowers the cost of credit and encourages lenders to serve more customers. Technology does not replace the human judgment involved in recovery, but it makes the process faster, more accurate and more consistent.
## The result
AI does not replace investigators, lawyers or negotiators. It gives them better maps. For lenders carrying bad debt, that means faster recoveries, clearer evidence and fewer dead ends. In Tenaza's own words: we grip, we hold, we recover.
## Common questions
What is skip tracing?
Skip tracing is the process of locating a person who cannot be reached at their last known address, using public records, commercial data and investigation.
Can AI recover debts on its own?
No. AI helps find people and assets and prioritise accounts, but negotiation, verification and legal action still require experienced professionals.
Is asset tracing legal?
Yes, when it uses lawful data sources and follows data protection, privacy and debt collection rules in each jurisdiction.

---

# Why Sending Money Home Still Costs Too Much, and What Will Change It
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/why-sending-money-home-still-costs-too-much/
Published: 2026-11-06

Sending money home should be simple. For millions of families it is the most important payment of the month: school fees, medical bills, rent and food. Yet it remains surprisingly expensive. World Bank data has shown for years that Sub-Saharan Africa is the costliest region in the world to send money to, with the average cost of sending $200 close to 8 percent, well above the global average and far from the 3 percent target in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Nigeria alone receives around $20 billion a year in remittances.
Having spent years in international payments, I have seen this problem from the inside. Here is where the cost really comes from, and what is finally changing it.
## The cost is in the plumbing
Most of the price of a remittance is not the fee on the screen. It is the foreign exchange spread, correspondent banking charges, money pre-positioned in payout accounts and the cost of moving liquidity between markets. A cheaper transfer needs fewer intermediaries, faster settlement and careful treasury management.
## Why Africa pays more
- Fewer direct corridors: many payments still route through other currencies and banks before reaching an African account.
- Currency volatility: providers price in the risk of exchange rate swings.
- Last-mile cost: paying out to banks, wallets and agents across large countries is expensive.
- Limited competition: in some corridors, a few providers set prices.
## What is bringing costs down
- Digital transfers: app-based transfers are consistently cheaper than cash-based services.
- Instant payment systems: fast domestic rails make the payout leg quicker and cheaper.
- Regulated stablecoins: new settlement rails could cut correspondent costs and idle balances.
- Mobile money: wallets reach families without bank accounts.
- Transparency: comparison tools let senders see the total cost, not just the fee.
## Tips for families sending money
- Compare the total amount received, not just the transfer fee; the exchange rate often matters more.
- Send larger amounts less often when possible, since fixed fees fall as a share of the transfer.
- Use regulated, reputable providers and keep receipts.
## A worked example: where the money goes
Take a transfer of 200 dollars from Dallas to Lagos. A typical traditional route might charge a fixed fee of 5 to 10 dollars, then convert at an exchange rate 2 to 4 percent worse than the mid-market rate. On 200 dollars, a 3 percent margin is another 6 dollars. The recipient may then pay a cash pickup fee or travel to an agent. Together, the family can lose 15 dollars or more, close to 8 percent of the amount sent.
A digital provider that sends directly to a bank account or mobile wallet, with a small fee and a narrow margin, can bring that total below 3 percent. Over a year of monthly transfers, the difference can be worth more than a month of school fees.
## Why compliance adds cost, and why it matters
Every licensed money transmitter must verify customers, screen transactions against sanctions lists and monitor for money laundering. These checks protect families and the financial system, but they require people, data and technology. When banks see a corridor as high risk, some withdraw entirely, which reduces competition and keeps prices high. The answer is not weaker compliance. It is better, cheaper compliance through shared identity infrastructure, digital verification and real-time monitoring, so trusted providers can serve more customers at lower cost.
## What policymakers can do
- Connect payment systems so money can move between instant payment networks without multiple intermediaries.
- Require clear disclosure of the total cost, including exchange rate margins, before a customer pays.
- Support digital identity so customers can be verified quickly and safely.
- Encourage competition by licensing qualified providers on predictable timelines.
## The prize
Every percentage point saved on remittances to Africa puts billions of dollars more into household budgets, school fees and small businesses. Bringing the cost of sending money home down to the global target is one of the most direct ways technology can improve lives across the continent.
## Common questions
Why is it expensive to send money to Africa?
Transfers often pass through several correspondent banks, carry exchange rate margins, require costly compliance checks and end in cash payout networks. Fewer competitors in some corridors also keep prices high.
What is the cheapest way to send money to Nigeria?
Compare licensed digital providers by the total amount the recipient receives, including the exchange rate. Transfers to a bank account or mobile wallet are usually cheaper than cash pickup.
What is the global target for remittance costs?
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals target an average cost below 3 percent by 2030.

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# The Future: Education and New Technologies
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/the-future-education-and-new-technologies/
Published: 2025-04-07

Education is moving away from the one-size-fits-all classroom. The model taking its place is more personal, more robust and more inclusive: it treats learning differences as part of how a student learns rather than as obstacles to be managed. That shift includes highly gifted and talented learners, who are just as poorly served by a single pace and a single format.
Technology is accelerating the change. Educators and institutions now have tools that adapt to students instead of asking every student to adapt to the tool. With the arrival of practical AI, the pace of that change has stepped up again. A child who used to sit bored at the back of a class, either lost or far ahead, can now be met where they are.
## Technology that adapts to the learner
Artificial intelligence, adaptive learning software and virtual reality are changing what a lesson can be. These tools adjust to a student's pace and preferences, give real-time feedback and keep learners engaged. Resistance from some administrators is real, but the case for change is strong.
For students with dyslexia, ADHD or autism, the gains can be dramatic. Text-to-speech, speech-to-text, visual scheduling and interactive modules open alternative paths to the same material, so that the student is judged on understanding and not on one narrow way of showing it. Gifted students benefit in the same way: adaptive platforms let them move ahead without waiting for the rest of the class.
## From remediation to strengths
The older model focused on fixing what a student could not do. The better model starts from what a student does well and builds outward. That requires collaboration between teachers, specialists and families, with each child's plan shaped by the people who know them best.
## The skills that matter next
Technology will keep changing, so the most durable skills are human ones: emotional intelligence, creativity, communication and problem-solving. Schools that teach these alongside content will prepare students for work that does not exist yet.
## What schools and parents can do now
- Teach how to learn. Children who can find information, check sources and practise effectively will keep learning long after school.
- Use technology for practice and feedback. Adaptive apps are excellent for maths drills, reading practice and languages, freeing teachers to focus on discussion and support.
- Build digital responsibility. Screen time limits, privacy awareness and respectful online behaviour are part of modern education.
- Keep projects real. Group projects that solve local problems teach collaboration, planning and presentation skills.
## Artificial intelligence in the classroom
AI tutors can explain a concept in several ways, generate practice questions and give instant feedback. Used well, they extend what a teacher can do. Used badly, they let students skip the thinking that builds understanding. Schools should set clear rules: AI can help students practise and check work, but assessments must show what the student understands. Teaching students to question AI answers is itself an important skill.
## Closing the access gap
Technology can widen inequality if only some children have devices and internet access. Shared devices, offline-capable apps, solar charging and partnerships with businesses and foundations help close the gap. The investment is worthwhile: a child who learns to use technology confidently today can participate in the global digital economy tomorrow.
## High-tech and high-touch
The future of education will not be decided by software alone. It depends just as much on attentive teachers, engaged parents and a commitment to equity, so that every child, wherever they start, has access to tools that fit how they learn. That belief also drives my support for early education through the work I have written about on early learning and the learning materials the Anslem Esi Foundation provides to school children in Nigeria.
## Common questions
How will technology change education?
Adaptive tools will personalise practice, AI tutors will give instant feedback and teachers will spend more time on discussion, coaching and projects.
Should children use AI for schoolwork?
Yes for practice, explanations and checking work, with clear rules that assessments must show the child's own understanding.

---

# Navigating the Realities of Entrepreneurship: Myths and Realities
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/navigating-the-realities-of-entrepreneurship-myths-and-realities/
Published: 2024-01-18

People are constant consumers. We look for products and services that entertain us, nourish us and make life easier, and that steady demand is what pulls entrepreneurs into business. Over years of working with founders across different cultures and markets, one question keeps coming up: why do people choose to start a business at all, and do they understand what they are signing up for?
## What an entrepreneur actually is
Definitions vary. Some describe the entrepreneur as the person who carries the risk of a venture. Others focus on the pursuit of profit. Both are true, and both understate the work. An entrepreneur is someone who takes responsibility for an outcome no one has guaranteed, and keeps making decisions with incomplete information.
## Myth: owning a business means more freedom
Many people start a business to escape a boss. In practice, the owner answers to more people, not fewer: customers, lenders, investors, regulators, suppliers and staff. Schedules are often longer than in employment, and weekends disappear during the early years.
## Myth: a good idea is enough
A business survives on cash, not on ideas. Managing cash flow, timing payables and receivables, and keeping enough runway for the slow months decide whether a good idea lives long enough to succeed. My background in accounting and financial forensics taught me early that most failures are visible in the numbers long before they are visible anywhere else.
## Myth: build what you love and customers will come
Personal passion and customer need are not the same thing. The ventures that last solve a problem customers already know they have, at a price they are willing to pay. Founders must be willing to listen, test and change course.
## Reality: rewards are real but unpredictable
Entrepreneurship can create wealth, jobs and lasting value. It can also take years before it pays its founder anything. Anyone considering it should plan for that uncertainty personally as well as professionally.
## Cash flow is the first reality
Most new businesses do not fail because the idea was bad. They fail because they run out of cash. Customers pay later than expected, costs arrive earlier, and growth itself consumes money through inventory, staff and marketing. Before launching, build a simple twelve-month cash flow forecast and test it against a slower case: half the expected sales and twice the expected delay in payments. If the business survives that case, you have a margin of safety.
## Test before you build
A common mistake is spending months building a product before speaking to customers. Reverse the order. Describe the offer, set a price and ask potential customers to commit, through a pre-order, a letter of intent or a pilot. Their behaviour tells you more than their opinions. If no one will commit, refine the offer before investing heavily.
## Build your support system
Entrepreneurship is demanding. Three kinds of support make it sustainable:
- Advisers: an accountant, a lawyer and an experienced founder who will tell you the truth.
- Peers: other founders at a similar stage who understand the pressure.
- Family: clear conversations about time, money and risk before you start.
## Know your numbers
Every founder should know, without looking it up: monthly revenue, gross margin, monthly cash burn, cash in the bank and how many months that cash lasts. These five numbers drive almost every important decision, from hiring to fundraising.
## Preparing for the journey
None of this is a reason not to start. It is a reason to start prepared: understand the market, respect cash flow, stay open-minded and adapt as conditions change. The founders who do well are rarely the ones with the best first idea. They are the ones who keep learning.
## Common questions
What is the biggest myth about entrepreneurship?
That owning a business means more freedom. In practice founders answer to customers, investors, lenders, regulators and staff, and usually work longer hours than employees.
What should I do before starting a business?
Validate demand with real customers, build a cash flow forecast with a downside case, save a financial cushion and line up trusted advisers.

---

# Africa's Role in Fintech
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/africas-role-in-fintech/
Published: 2021-09-13

In recent years, countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have become financial technology hubs. Africa's fintech wave is built on the mobile phone. Where traditional banking infrastructure was thin, entrepreneurs built low-cost platforms that most residents can reach from a basic handset.
## Nigeria
Nigeria has one of the most active fintech markets on the continent. Branch, a mobile lending application, became one of the best-known examples: credit decisions made from phone data, with loans disbursed in minutes to people who had never held a bank loan. Payments, remittances and digital banking companies have followed in large numbers.
## Kenya
Kenya's story is inseparable from M-PESA, Safaricom's mobile money service. By letting people send and store money by text message, it changed how millions of households save, pay and receive income, and it created a foundation on which other Kenyan fintech companies now build.
## South Africa
South Africa combines relatively high internet access with high mobile phone ownership. Companies such as Jumo used mobile channels to offer savings and credit products to customers that conventional banks found too costly to serve.
## Egypt
In Egypt, fintech has become a lever for financial inclusion, supported by banking regulations designed to bring more people into the formal financial system.
## Why Africa is a fintech leader, not a follower
In many markets, fintech competes with established banks. In much of Africa, it often serves customers that traditional banks never reached. That is why mobile money spread so quickly: it solved a real problem for people without bank accounts. Africa's young population, high mobile phone adoption and large informal economy create demand for simple, affordable financial tools.
Investors noticed. African fintech companies attracted a large share of the continent's startup funding over the past decade, and several reached valuations above one billion dollars.
## What the next phase requires
- Interoperability. Customers need to move money easily between banks, wallets and countries. Instant payment systems and cross-border initiatives such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System are steps in that direction.
- Clear and consistent regulation. Licensing that is predictable encourages investment and protects customers.
- Trust and fraud prevention. Growth brings fraudsters. Strong identity verification and monitoring are essential.
- Local currency finance. Many businesses earn in local currency but raise capital in dollars, which creates currency risk.
## Opportunities for builders and investors
The most promising areas include business payments, credit for small and medium enterprises, insurance, savings and investment products, and the infrastructure that other fintechs build on: identity, compliance and payment processing. Teams that combine local market knowledge with strong compliance and technology will be best placed to build lasting companies.
## A leader's view: build for the continent, not just one market
Many African fintechs start in one country and later discover that expanding across borders is harder than expected. Each market has its own regulators, licences, payment systems, currencies, consumer habits and competitors. Leaders who plan for regional growth from the start make better early decisions.
Practical steps include designing technology that can support multiple currencies and languages, building compliance programmes that meet the strictest standards likely to apply, choosing banking and payment partners with regional reach, and hiring people who understand target markets. Leaders should also be realistic about timing: obtaining licences and building local partnerships can take a year or more per market.
The African Continental Free Trade Area creates a long-term opportunity for businesses that can operate across borders. Payments, trade finance, logistics finance and foreign exchange services are essential to making intra-African trade work. Fintechs that solve these problems will support the continent's integration while building large businesses. Having worked on international payments and compliance technology across many countries, I believe Africa's next generation of fintech leaders will be defined by their ability to combine innovation with the regulatory discipline required to operate across multiple markets.
## What it means for the continent
Fintech can do more than modernize payments. It can connect African markets to each other, lower the cost of moving money across borders and lift millions of people into the formal economy. The remittance corridor is one of the clearest places where that promise is already being delivered.
## Common questions
Which African countries lead in fintech?
Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt are generally seen as the leading fintech markets, each with large customer bases, active investors and growing regulatory frameworks.
Why did mobile money succeed in Africa?
It met a real need: people without bank accounts could send, receive and store money from a basic mobile phone, through agents close to home.

---

# How Fintech Generates Profit
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/how-fintech-generates-profit/
Published: 2021-08-12

Fintech attracts enormous attention, yet many fintech companies are still not profitable, even after building large user bases and mature technology. Some need to raise capital again as soon as they reach scale. So how do fintech companies actually generate profit?
## Crowdfunding platforms
Crowdfunding platforms earn primarily through fees. They draw on large pools of money from users rather than relying on third-party loans, and they convert contributions into funding for startups and projects. Some also match startups with investors. Because their funding base is broad, they can keep fees low and still earn on volume. Since crowdfunding is an investment mechanism, platforms also have to manage investor losses carefully, and many choose to absorb some customer losses rather than face penalties.
## Logistics platforms
Logistics and freight platforms charge fees on the transactions that run through them, and some add on-demand delivery services at a premium. Demand-based pricing lets them balance delivery speed against cost, which improves margins at busy times.
## Personal finance platforms
Personal finance applications bring a user's accounts into one view and build on that position with wealth management, budgeting and lending-related products. Revenue comes from premium subscriptions, from partner products such as credit cards and insurance, and from the insight that aggregated financial data provides when used responsibly and lawfully.
## The main revenue models
- Transaction fees and foreign exchange margins. Payment and remittance companies charge a fee per transfer and often earn a margin on currency conversion.
- Interest spread. Lenders earn the difference between the cost of funds and the rate charged to borrowers, minus credit losses.
- Interchange. Card issuers receive a small share of each card payment from merchants.
- Subscriptions and software fees. Business tools for accounting, payroll or compliance charge monthly fees.
- Platform and marketplace fees. Crowdfunding, investment and insurance platforms earn commissions for matching customers with providers.
## The economics that decide success
Revenue is only half of the story. Three numbers decide whether a fintech business is sustainable. The first is customer acquisition cost: how much it costs to win a customer through marketing and incentives. The second is lifetime value: how much gross profit the customer generates over the relationship. The third is the cost of risk: fraud losses, credit losses and compliance spending. A healthy business earns several times more from a customer over their lifetime than it costs to acquire and serve them.
Many fintechs grew quickly by subsidising customers, then struggled when funding became expensive. The companies that last are disciplined about unit economics from early on.
## Hidden costs to plan for
Licensing, audits, anti-money laundering programmes, data protection, cyber security and customer complaints handling all cost money. So do chargebacks and fraud. Building these costs into the model from day one avoids unpleasant surprises when regulators or partner banks ask questions.
## A leader's view: profitability is a design decision
Fintech companies that reach profitability usually make deliberate choices early. They choose customer segments where they can earn enough per customer to cover acquisition and service costs. They price transparently but not below cost. They build automation into operations so that costs grow more slowly than revenue. They invest in risk management because fraud and credit losses can erase margins quickly.
Leaders should review unit economics regularly, by product and by customer segment. Some customers will be profitable from the first month; others may never be. Understanding the difference allows better decisions about marketing, pricing and product design. Diversifying revenue, for example by adding business services, lending or subscriptions to a payments product, can improve resilience.
For investors and boards, the key questions are straightforward. Does each customer generate more value than they cost? Are fraud, credit and compliance costs fully reflected in the numbers? Is growth funded sustainably? From my experience in finance and as a technology founder, the fintechs that last are those whose leaders understand these numbers as well as they understand their technology.
## The outlook
Fintech is still an emerging industry and profitability varies widely. What is clear is that investment in fintech startups has grown strongly, and the business models that combine low acquisition costs, recurring revenue and disciplined compliance are the ones that last.
## Common questions
How do payment apps make money?
Most payment apps earn transaction fees, foreign exchange margins on cross-border transfers, interchange on card spending, and interest on balances or lending products.
Why do some fintechs lose money?
Usually because acquiring customers costs more than those customers generate, or because fraud, credit and compliance costs were underestimated.

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# Ep. 5 of Challenges of an Immigrant
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/ep-5-of-challenges-of-an-immigrant/
Published: 2021-08-03

When you arrive in a new environment, it is natural to expect acceptance. We are all human, and in principle we are all equal. In practice, it rarely works that way. George Orwell put it memorably in Animal Farm: some animals are more equal than others. So why do newcomers expect established groups, with long-held ideas and cultures, to accept them quickly?
Acceptance has to be built. That means taking the time to understand the culture you are joining, and sharing enough about your own culture that others can understand you. You cannot force acceptance, and kindness goes further than insistence.
Think of a bakery. You smell fresh bread from down the street long before you walk in and buy it. Sometimes you smell it from afar with no money in your pocket. Acceptance works the same way: people are drawn in gradually, by what they notice about you over time.
## Two ways of seeing work
Many African cultures are deeply religious and respectful. There is trust that God has a plan, and an expectation that good work will speak for itself. Promoting yourself can look boastful or proud.
In many Western workplaces, the assumption is different. You were hired for the skills and experience you already have. Advancement depends heavily on relationships, networking and visibility, and talking about your work is read as confidence in it.
Neither view is wrong. They are different perspectives. What matters is knowing which one your environment runs on. When you share your background openly and take the time to understand how others see things, you put yourself on the path to greater success.
## How to talk about your work without feeling boastful
If you were raised to let your work speak for itself, self-promotion can feel uncomfortable. Reframe it as reporting, not boasting. Your manager needs to know what you achieved to make good decisions about the team. A simple habit helps: at the end of each week, write three lines on what you delivered, what you learned and what you need. Share it with your manager. It is factual, useful and builds a clear record of your contribution.
In meetings, focus on outcomes for the team or client: "We closed the reconciliation two days early, which gave the controller time to review the variances." That is not bragging. It is information people value.
## Learn the unwritten rules
Every organisation has unwritten rules about how decisions are made, who influences them and how disagreement is expressed. Find a mentor who has been there for a few years and ask directly: how do people get noticed here, and what mistakes do newcomers make? Most people are glad to help when asked respectfully.
## Keep the best of both perspectives
Humility, respect and faith are strengths. So are confidence, visibility and networking. The goal is not to abandon one view for the other but to combine them: do excellent work, describe it clearly and treat everyone with respect. People who manage that balance often become the leaders others trust most, because they are both capable and grounded.
## Questions for reflection
- Do I expect acceptance immediately, or am I investing in building it?
- How often do I share what I am working on with my manager and team?
- Who could explain the unwritten rules of my workplace to me?
## A note for leaders
Leaders can help newcomers by making expectations explicit. If visibility and self-advocacy matter for promotion, say so. Create regular one-to-one conversations where employees can share progress without feeling boastful. Recognise achievements publicly, so quieter team members are not overlooked simply because they do not promote themselves. Assess performance on outcomes, not on how loudly someone speaks in meetings.
Many talented professionals from cultures that value humility are underestimated because they wait for their work to be noticed. Organisations that see past style to substance gain capable, loyal people. Those that do not lose them to competitors who do. Acceptance is built from both sides: newcomers learning the culture, and the culture making room for newcomers.
#ChallengesOfAnImmigrant #StayStrong #BeBold

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# Ep. 4 of Challenges of an Immigrant
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/ep-4-of-challenges-of-an-immigrant/
Published: 2021-06-29

I regularly meet immigrants from many backgrounds who feel they have not been accepted in their new society. As a result, they gravitate toward people from their own culture or people who look like them, and stay in that circle of comfort. It is understandable, but it can make us forget why we migrated in the first place. That purpose should be what pushes us to seek acceptance more widely.
You cannot control how other people behave. You can control how you respond. The differences are real: culture, accent, food, sports, fraternities, and the psychological weight of racism. Making friends is hard when there is a language barrier and limited understanding of the local culture. It takes an open mind and patience, often more patience than others are showing you. People who have not lived the immigrant experience will not fully understand the struggle, so stay positive and keep your goals in view.
## Where opinions are formed
Going back to the beginning of your journey helps. You made a deliberate decision to migrate, so make your reactions and the energy you bring just as deliberate. People who do not know your background cannot understand you better than those who do, and it is up to you to close that gap.
In corporate life, opinions form quickly, and often in informal settings: happy hours, team lunches, conversations in the corridor. Work cultures differ between Africa, Asia and Europe, and it took me time to see this. A former boss told me plainly that opinions about your performance are formed in the hallway, and that I should be present in those spaces.
So I started organizing them myself: happy hours, lunches and social events. They gave colleagues a chance to know me and my background, instead of judging me only on the part of my work they happened to see.
## Why the hallway matters
In many workplaces, formal performance reviews only confirm impressions that were formed months earlier: in a project meeting, at lunch, in a quick conversation after a presentation. People who are absent from those moments are judged on less information. Immigrants, who may already feel like outsiders, are more likely to skip them, and that absence can be mistaken for lack of interest or lack of confidence.
The fix is not to become someone you are not. It is to be present, consistently, in a way that fits your personality. If large gatherings are uncomfortable, invite two colleagues for coffee. If small talk feels forced, ask about their work and listen carefully. Presence builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust.
## Be the host, not only the guest
Waiting for invitations puts your integration in someone else's hands. Hosting reverses that. When I began organising lunches and team events, colleagues saw a different side of me: someone who cared about the team, had interesting stories and brought people together. It also gave me a natural way to share my culture, through food, music and stories, on my own terms.
## Return to your purpose
When rejection or isolation feels heavy, go back to the reason you migrated: a better education, a better career, a safer future for your family. That purpose is bigger than any single uncomfortable moment. Let it guide your response. Stay positive, stay present and keep building relationships one conversation at a time.
## Questions for reflection
- Where are opinions about my work being formed, and am I present there?
- What informal gathering could I organise this month?
- When I feel rejected, how does remembering my purpose change my response?
## Presence is a strategy
Being present does not require being the loudest person in the room. It means showing up consistently, contributing thoughtfully and making it easy for others to know you. Over months, presence builds a reputation that formal reviews then reflect. Many immigrants who rose to leadership roles describe the same turning point: the moment they stopped waiting to be invited and started creating the spaces where relationships form.
It also helps to find allies. Colleagues who appreciate your work can speak for you in rooms you are not in. Build those relationships by helping others, sharing credit and being reliable. Over time, your network becomes one of your strongest professional assets.
See you next week. #ChallengesOfAnImmigrant

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# How Is Fintech Changing the Financial World?
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/how-is-fintech-changing-the-financial-world/
Published: 2021-06-29

Fintech is the combination of finance and technology. It has been growing for years, but COVID-19 turned it into a necessity. Lockdowns limited in-person contact, yet payroll, payments, lending and insurance all had to keep running. Cashless payments, robo-advisors, crowdfunding platforms and digital currencies filled the gap.
## Improving accessibility
Traditional banking has never offered equal access. Estimates at the time put the number of adults worldwide without a bank account at more than two billion. Fintech changes that: a person can buy insurance or take out a loan from a laptop, and transfer money, borrow and pay bills from a mobile phone, wherever they are. That access makes a real difference to families who depend on remittances.
## Transparent pricing
For a long time, providers set prices and customers accepted whatever charges appeared. Fintech has pushed the industry toward precise, upfront pricing, where customers see the full cost before they commit and hidden fees become harder to justify. Pay-as-you-go models and tools that help users save money give consumers more control.
## How fintech actually lowers costs
Traditional financial services carry heavy fixed costs: branches, paper processes, manual checks and legacy systems. Fintech companies rebuild those processes digitally. Customers open accounts on a phone, identity checks run automatically, payments settle through software rather than teams of clerks, and customer service is partly self-service. When the cost of serving one more customer falls close to zero, products that were uneconomic for small accounts suddenly make sense.
This is why mobile money transformed financial inclusion in parts of Africa. People who would never have walked into a bank branch could send, receive and save money from a basic phone.
## The trade-offs leaders must manage
Speed and convenience bring new risks:
- Fraud moves faster. Instant payments mean stolen funds can leave the system in minutes, so monitoring has to be real-time too.
- Regulation is catching up. Licensing, consumer protection and data protection rules are tightening across markets. Companies that treat compliance as part of the product grow more safely.
- Operational resilience matters. When financial services run on software, outages and cyber attacks become financial events.
## What this means for businesses and individuals
For businesses, fintech offers cheaper payments, faster access to working capital and better data on customers. For individuals, it offers lower fees and more control. For both, the key questions are the same: is the provider licensed, are the costs clear, and how is my data protected? The best fintech companies are happy to answer all three.
## A leader's view: what traditional institutions should do
Banks and insurers sometimes see fintech as a threat to be resisted. The more successful ones treat it as a source of ideas and partners. They modernise their own customer journeys, open their systems through secure APIs, partner with fintechs for specialised capabilities and invest in startups that complement their strategy. They also use their strengths: trust, balance sheets, regulatory experience and existing customer relationships.
For fintech leaders, the lesson runs the other way. Speed and design win early customers, but trust, risk management and regulatory relationships determine who lasts. Many fintechs now hold banking licences or partner closely with banks, and the line between the two continues to blur.
For business leaders in every industry, fintech is a toolkit. Faster payments improve cash flow. Digital lending can bridge working capital gaps. Automated accounting and compliance software reduce costs. Embedded payments can create new revenue streams. The question is not whether fintech will change your business, but how you will use it to serve customers better. Over two decades working across finance, compliance and technology, I have seen that the organisations that benefit most are those that combine new tools with strong controls and a clear understanding of their customers.
## From startups to the largest companies
Fintech began as a startup space, but large companies are now deeply involved. Alibaba's Alipay and Apple Pay are obvious examples. Billions of dollars have been invested in fintech globally in recent years, and that investment continues to grow as financial services become software.
## Common questions
What is fintech?
Fintech, short for financial technology, means using software and data to deliver financial services such as payments, lending, savings, insurance and investing more efficiently than traditional methods.
Is fintech safe?
Licensed fintech companies are supervised by regulators and must follow consumer protection, anti-money laundering and data protection rules. Check that a provider is licensed in your market before using it.

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# Challenges of an Immigrant: Ep. 3
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/challenges-of-an-immigrant-ep-3/
Published: 2021-05-27

Every step we take shows why we left our comfort zone and why we are on the path to success. Draw on your inner strength. Remember the composure it took to get through the airport on your first day without panicking.
Remember where you came from: the mosquito bites, the long walks to school, the search for the next meal. Remember shouting "Up NEPA!" when the electricity finally came back on. Those moments, the hard ones and the happy ones, add up to resilience. None of them stopped you from pursuing your education or your dreams, and that memory should help you stay focused now. Your experience makes you an agent of change, and what you know is valuable to your new home.
## Bring your best skills forward
Leaving your comfort zone brings obstacles. Many immigrants come in search of opportunity, so present your best skills to employers and to everyone you meet. Learning a new language and adjusting to new cultures is hard, and those challenges are why immigrant communities form: they make people feel welcome.
## Community, and beyond it
A community that reminds you of home gives comfort and familiarity, and that matters a great deal. Do not confine yourself to it. Cultural enclaves are a short-term support, and you will eventually have to adapt to your wider surroundings. There is nothing wrong with keeping a familiar lifestyle, but immerse yourself in your new environment too. Staying only inside a subculture limits your mobility and your possibilities.
My aim with this series is to help you see your presence and your skills clearly, so that you gain confidence. Recognize your strength. Celebrate the small victories. They are steps toward larger success.
## Translate your story into strengths employers understand
Many immigrants undersell their experience because it happened somewhere unfamiliar to their new employers. Translate it. Walking miles to school becomes persistence. Studying through power cuts becomes the ability to deliver under constraints. Supporting relatives while studying becomes financial discipline and responsibility. These are the qualities every hiring manager wants, described in language they recognise.
On a CV or in an interview, pair each strength with a result: a project delivered, a cost saved, a team built. Results travel across cultures better than titles do.
## Use community as a launch pad
Your cultural community gives you comfort, advice and early support. Use it to launch, not to limit. A useful test is to look at your calendar for the month. If every social and professional interaction is within one community, add one event outside it. Over a year, that small habit produces a network that opens doors your community alone cannot.
## Keep a record of progress
Immigrant journeys are long, and it is easy to focus only on what has not happened yet. Keep a simple record of milestones: the first job, the first promotion, the first certification, the first friend from a different background, the first time you helped someone newer than you. Reviewing it on hard days is a powerful reminder of how far you have come.
Resilience is not the absence of difficulty. It is the habit of continuing anyway, and every small victory strengthens that habit.
## Questions for reflection
- Which experiences from home have made me stronger, and how do I describe them to others?
- Is my network growing beyond my own community?
- What small victory can I celebrate this week?
## Strength you can share
Resilience grows when it is shared. Many people who arrived years ago remember how lonely the first months felt and how much one helpful person mattered. Become that person for someone else. Answer questions about housing, schools, banking or job applications. Share what you wish someone had told you. Invite a newcomer to an event or introduce them to a contact. These small acts strengthen communities and remind you of your own progress.
Your journey also matters to the society you have joined. Immigrants bring skills, ideas, businesses and connections that enrich their new homes. When you bring your best skills forward, you change perceptions not only of yourself but of everyone who shares your background. That is a responsibility, but also an opportunity. Every success story makes the path easier for those who follow.

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# Anslem Oshionebo, Fintech Professional and Entrepreneur, Based in Dallas, Texas
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/anslem-oshionebo-fintech-professional-entrepreneur-based-in-dallas-texas/
Published: 2021-05-03

Anslem Oshionebo is a Dallas-based fintech professional, engineer and entrepreneur. He is driven by a simple idea: technology should make financial services faster, cheaper and fairer for everyone, including families who send money across borders. His background in engineering, accounting, finance, strategy and financial forensics shapes how he builds and leads businesses.
## Education and early career
Anslem earned a bachelor's degree in engineering and began his career as a field engineer, gaining experience in oil and gas and construction management. He later returned to school for a master's degree at Seton Hall University and earned his CPA license. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA). He worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he developed training materials, taught technical subjects, consulted for clients, wrote thought leadership and helped uphold regulatory standards.
## Community values
Outside work, Anslem is committed to his Dallas, Texas community. He believes life is about people coming together, helping one another and supporting each other's wellbeing, and he takes part in several philanthropic efforts.
## Teaching preschoolers
He volunteers teaching four-year-old children at a local church. He values access to learning and believes early education prepares children for everything that follows.
## Coaching soccer
As a licensed coach, he volunteers with a local soccer team. He sees sport as an accessible and enjoyable route to health, and he works to teach his players good sportsmanship alongside fitness.
## Supporting the Anslem Esi Foundation
Anslem supports the Anslem Esi Foundation, which provides learning materials to school children in Nigeria. Many children still lack access to quality education, and he hopes this support will widen educational opportunity in Nigeria and beyond.
## A career built across disciplines
Anslem began as a field engineer after earning a degree in mining engineering, gaining hands-on experience in oil and gas and construction management. He then moved into finance, building his career at PwC in Nigeria and the United States, including a rotation in the firm's National and Technical Accounting Research Office. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), a Certified Public Accountant in the United States and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
That combination is unusual. Engineers learn to respect physical constraints and measure before acting. Accountants learn to follow evidence and test controls. Technologists learn to build, release and improve quickly. Anslem brings all three to the businesses he leads today: Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence, where he is CEO and President, and Haricot Energies, where he is Managing Director and CEO.
## Why fintech
Financial technology sits where his experience meets: regulation, controls, software and the real needs of customers. Cross-border payments, compliance monitoring and fraud prevention all require someone who understands both the technology and the rules it operates under. He co-founded a software company that grew more than 500 percent year on year and expanded into over 32 countries, and he continues to build compliance and monitoring technology through his consulting and software development firm.
## Leadership as service
Outside work, Anslem teaches young children at his church, coaches youth soccer and supports education projects in Nigeria. He sees a direct link between those roles and executive leadership: patience, clear instructions, encouragement and holding standards consistently. Teams, like young players, respond to leaders who show up, explain the why and celebrate progress.
Read more about his background on the About page.
## What he focuses on today
Today, Anslem's work concentrates on four areas where his combined experience adds the most value. In fintech, he focuses on payments, compliance technology and fraud prevention. In corporate strategy, he helps leadership teams align strategy with execution, strengthen controls and improve performance. In business development, he structures partnerships between investors, operators and local companies. In upstream oil and gas, through Haricot Energies, he leads opportunities from evaluation through financing and development.
His writing on this site reflects those priorities: practical guidance on fintech regulation, AI in finance, fraud prevention, debt recovery, upstream licensing and financing, and leadership. Each article draws on experience gained across engineering, audit, forensic work, technology and executive leadership in the United States and Nigeria.
## Recognition
In 2020, Anslem received the Immigrant Professional Excellence Award at the Immigrant Journey Awards in Dallas, which honour outstanding immigrant entrepreneurs, professionals, community leaders and advocates. In 2026 he led the refurbishment of the Jattu Primary Health Centre in Edo State, Nigeria, a project covered by more than 25 media outlets.

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# #ChallengesOfAnImmigrant Ep. 2 Pt. 2
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/challengesofanimmigrant-ep-2-pt-2/
Published: 2021-05-03

I want to finish last week's thought on accepting the inevitable. Distancing yourself from colleagues or neighbors because of how they behave, or because of discrimination, does not change the situation. I knew I was the only Black immigrant in the room, and I could not change that. I chose to go to the dinners and the happy hours anyway. Missing out because of discrimination would have let it win.
It is hard, and some days you will not want to engage at all. Success takes patience and a willingness to look past your first feelings. Three things helped me.
## People may not know your accent
Many people, especially in the United States, have limited exposure to other languages, accents and dialects. Keeping that in mind takes some of the frustration out of being asked to repeat yourself.
## You are not the problem
Some people are closed off to foreigners because they do not know what to expect or how to communicate. Their reluctance is not your fault. You are not a burden, an alien or invisible. Someone unwilling to make the effort is not someone you need. Friendly people exist in every country, and they are worth continuing to look for.
## Join a community
The best route to integration is to join something: group sports, a book club, a volunteer organization. Each one creates natural opportunities to make friends.
Choose the positive side of every relationship. See you next week. #ChallengesOfAnImmigrant
Migrants are strong, and they make up a large share of the people building their new society's growth. Be a source and an instrument of change.
## Turn unfamiliarity into curiosity
When someone asks you to repeat yourself for the third time, it is easy to feel judged. Often the other person is simply working hard to understand a sound they have not heard before. Treat the moment as a bridge rather than a wall. A light response such as "I grew up speaking three languages, so let me say that another way" invites curiosity instead of embarrassment. Many lasting friendships start with exactly that kind of exchange.
Curiosity works both ways. Ask colleagues about their hometowns, traditions and sports. People feel respected when you show interest in their world, and they become more interested in yours.
## Confidence comes from preparation
In professional settings, preparation offsets any language anxiety. Prepare the two or three points you want to make before a meeting. Bring numbers and examples. Send a brief summary afterwards. Over time, colleagues associate you with clarity and reliability, and your accent becomes part of your personal brand rather than a barrier.
## Where to start building community
- Professional associations: accounting, engineering and finance bodies run events where expertise matters more than background.
- Faith and volunteer groups: serving alongside others builds trust faster than almost anything else.
- Sport and children's activities: coaching, cheering at matches and helping at school events connect families across cultures.
- Alumni networks: universities and former employers have members in most major cities.
Pick one and commit for six months. Belonging is rarely offered; it is built through repeated presence.
## Questions for reflection
- Where do I feel most misunderstood, and what one step could make me easier to understand there?
- Which community outside my own culture could I join this month?
- Who helped me when I arrived, and who can I help now?
## A note for colleagues and managers
If you work with someone new to the country, small actions make a big difference. Ask them to repeat something without sighing. Pronounce their name correctly, and ask if you are not sure. Invite them to lunch, to the team event, to the conversation in the corridor. Ask about their background with genuine interest. Explain unwritten rules that you take for granted, such as how meetings run or how decisions get made. These gestures cost nothing, and they often decide whether a talented newcomer stays and thrives or quietly leaves.
Diversity in a workplace is valuable only when people feel included enough to contribute fully. Immigrants bring different perspectives, languages, networks and resilience. Teams that welcome those strengths solve problems better and serve a wider range of customers. Inclusion is not only kind; it is good business.

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# How Covid-19 Has Affected Immigrants
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/how-covid-19-has-affected-immigrants/
Published: 2021-04-22

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted everyone, but its effect on immigrants received far less attention. For people born outside the United States, the virus threatened both their health and their immigration status. This piece draws on reporting by the American Immigration Council at the time of writing.
## Travel restrictions and visa suspensions
Borders around the world began to close in early 2020, and the United States introduced a series of travel restrictions on people who had recently been in countries with active outbreaks. The State Department then suspended routine visa services at embassies and consulates worldwide, halting family-based immigrant visas and nonimmigrant visas for skilled workers, students and visitors.
## Undocumented immigrants
For people living in the United States without legal status, the fear was sharper. Many avoided hospitals because they worried about exposing their identity, and many had no health insurance. When the job market collapsed, immigrants made up a large share of those who lost work.
## Immigration detention
Detainees faced a much higher risk of infection. Social distancing was impossible, soap was limited, hand sanitizer often had to be purchased and masks were rarely provided. Thousands of positive cases and several deaths were reported in ICE detention centers.
The pandemic showed how quickly a crisis can turn an immigrant's health, livelihood and legal standing into a single, connected risk. Policy and community support need to account for that.
## Why immigrants carried a heavier load
Immigrants are over-represented in the jobs that kept economies running during lockdowns: healthcare, food production, delivery, cleaning and care work. Those jobs could not be done from home, so exposure to the virus was higher. At the same time, many immigrant workers had less access to paid sick leave, savings or family support nearby. A health shock could quickly become a financial shock.
Remittances also came under pressure. Families abroad depended on money sent home, and when work hours were cut, senders had to choose between their own rent and support for parents or siblings. Many kept sending anyway, often by cutting their own spending further. That quiet sacrifice is one of the least told stories of the pandemic.
## Lessons that still apply
Crises reveal which preparations matter. Three stand out for any immigrant household:
- An emergency fund. Even one to three months of expenses changes how a family experiences a job loss or illness.
- Digital skills. People who could work, learn and access services online adapted faster. Basic digital literacy is now essential, not optional.
- Documented status and records. Keep immigration documents, tax records and important papers organised and backed up, so you can access support quickly when it is available.
## Community made the difference
Churches, mosques, associations and informal networks delivered food, translated government guidance, shared job leads and checked on the elderly. Those networks are an asset to the wider society, not just to immigrants. The best way to honour what they did is to keep them strong in normal times: join, contribute and connect them with local institutions, so the next crisis finds communities ready.
## A reflection for leaders and employers
The pandemic showed how much economies depend on immigrant workers, often in roles that receive little recognition. Employers can respond with practical steps that build loyalty and resilience. Offer clear information on benefits and sick leave in plain language. Provide flexible arrangements where the work allows it. Support employees whose families live abroad, especially during emergencies when travel is restricted. Recognise publicly the contribution of front-line staff, many of whom are immigrants.
Leaders can also look at their own organisations. Are immigrant employees represented in training and promotion opportunities? Are qualifications from other countries properly recognised? Do managers understand the pressures of supporting family members in another country? Small changes in policy and attitude can make a large difference to how people experience work.
For immigrants themselves, the pandemic was a reminder of both vulnerability and strength. Many lost income, faced separation from loved ones and carried heavy responsibilities. Yet communities organised quickly, shared resources and supported each other across borders. That resilience is worth remembering and building on. The next challenge will look different, but the habits that helped then, preparation, community and adaptability, will help again.

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# #ChallengesOfAnImmigrant: Ep. 2
URL: https://anslemoshionebo.com/challengesofanimmigrant-ep-2/
Published: 2021-04-22

Your new environment may discriminate against you. Do not withdraw from it, because withdrawal only appears to validate the discrimination. Being new to a city, a country, a workplace or a group of people can be awkward. Expect it, and stay present.
## Language
Language is one of the biggest challenges immigrants face. A language barrier limits job prospects and social integration, and it makes it harder to help children succeed at school. Adjusting to a new culture fully takes time.
## Work, housing and status
Securing work to support a family is usually the first priority. Affordable housing is hard to find, especially in Western countries, and harder still for families in low-paying or exploitative jobs. Without secure immigration status, even basic services become difficult to access, and fear of deportation keeps some people from seeking medical care for physical or mental health needs.
## Everyday adjustments
Even transportation takes adjustment, particularly when driving rules and habits differ from home.
## Language is a skill, not a verdict
An accent is often treated as a measure of intelligence. It is not. It is evidence that you think in more than one language, which is an advantage in any global business. The practical response is to keep improving clarity, not to erase who you are. Speak a little slower in meetings, summarise your key point at the end, and follow important conversations with a short written note. Clear writing removes most of the misunderstandings an accent can create.
Children often adapt faster than their parents. Let them help you with local expressions, and in return keep your home language alive with them. Bilingual children grow into adults who can work across markets.
## Build a plan for the first two years
Most of the stress of arrival comes from trying to solve everything at once. A simple plan helps:
- First 90 days: secure income, a stable address, a bank account, a phone number and transport. Learn how credit scores work, because they affect housing, insurance and loans.
- First year: get qualifications recognised, take one local course or certification, and build three professional relationships outside your own community.
- Second year: move from survival work toward career work, start saving consistently and give back to someone who arrived after you.
Write the plan down and review it every quarter. It turns an overwhelming experience into a series of achievable steps.
## Discrimination: respond with evidence, not withdrawal
When you are treated unfairly, the instinct is to retreat into a safe circle. That is understandable, but over time it limits your opportunities and lets the unfair story stand unchallenged. A better response is to stay visible and let your work, reliability and character become the evidence. Keep records when something serious happens, use the formal channels available to you, and find allies inside the organisation. Most people judge by what they see repeatedly, so give them something consistent and positive to see.
## Questions for reflection
- Which of the four pressure points (language, work, housing, status) is hardest for me right now?
- What is one practical step I can take on it this month?
- Where am I withdrawing when I should be staying present?
## Help is part of the plan
Asking for help is not weakness. Community organisations, faith groups, libraries, professional associations and alumni networks exist to support newcomers. Many offer language classes, job readiness programmes, legal information and mentoring at little or no cost. Use them early, before small problems become large ones.
Keep perspective too. The first year in a new country is often the hardest. Routines, relationships and confidence build over time. People who stay engaged, keep learning and treat setbacks as temporary usually find that their situation improves steadily. Remember why you came, keep your plan in front of you, and face each challenge directly. The challenge will still be there if you avoid it; facing it is how you move past it.
## Face it, do not avoid it
Some environments take time to become comfortable, and some people may be openly hostile. Challenges do not disappear because we avoid them. They are still there when we come back. Confront them, and focus on the positive side of each relationship. Part II follows next.

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