British International Investment (BII), the UK government’s Development Finance Institution (DFI), formerly known as CDC Group, introduced its new name and announced a US $20 million, 4-year structured credit investment in Moove – a mobility fintech democratising access to vehicle ownership in Africa.
On Tuesday, the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, H.E. Catriona Laing CB and CEO of BII, Nick O’Donohoe, co-hosted a business reception in Lagos to celebrate the launch of BII’s new name and reiterate the DFI’s continued ambition to scale up investment that will boost key economic sectors in Nigeria.
The event was held at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence in Ikoyi, bringing together key leaders in business and BII’s investment partners from across the country.
BII’s leadership outlined the organisation’s strategy to deliver productive, sustainable and inclusive investment and pledged to deepen its capital commitments to support the emergence of more breakthrough Nigerian businesses providing progressive solutions to urgent and complex development challenges.
“It’s a pleasure to be in Lagos to mark the launch of British International Investment and to host Nick O’Donohoe during his visit to Nigeria,” British High Commissioner, H.E. Catriona Laing CB said.
“BII forms an important part of the UK’s package of tools and expertise to help Nigeria build their pipeline for investment and scale up infrastructure investment, in particular, to achieve clean, green growth,” Laing CB added.
He said the launch of BII marks a continuation of this partnership, and that they look forward to seeing BII’s support expand and diversify in Nigeria.
O’Donohoe commented on how BII’s new five-year strategy is driving its investment in the world’s first mobility fintech.
“Investing in the prosperity of Nigeria’s growing population requires innovative new partnerships that can leverage the country’s abundant capabilities and expertise. In Moove, BII has a partner that aligns with our commitment to back dynamic tech-enabled businesses that can help accelerate impact in Nigeria by strengthening the country’s informal transport industry,” he said.
“I am delighted that not only will BII’s investment help to create jobs and provide entrepreneurial self-starters with the means to own their vehicles, but Moove’s clear focus on gender diversity will foster inclusive economic opportunities for women, both within the company’s workforce and among its drivers,” he added.
Moove is democratising access to vehicle ownership by providing revenue-based vehicle financing and financial services to mobility entrepreneurs. The mobility fintech is creating sustainable employment opportunities to empower those otherwise excluded from financial services by embedding its alternative credit scoring technology onto ride-hailing, e-logistics and instant delivery platforms, and using proprietary performance and revenue analytics to underwrite vehicle loans.
Since its launch in 2020, Moove has rapidly expanded its operations within Nigeria and has entered into new African markets including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa, as well as Europe, Middle East and Asia markets.
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome onboard a world-class partner such as BII, whose strategic support will play a key role in our mission to build the world’s largest integrated vehicle financing platform for mobility entrepreneurs,” Ladi Delano, co-founder and co-CEO at Moove, said.
“With our new funding, we’re now in an even stronger position to use our technology and productivity data in creating a more inclusive financing ecosystem, whilst also tackling the unemployment problem affecting over a third of Nigerians by generating the opportunity for more seamless and sustainable employment,” Delano expressed.
Nigeria is the BII’s biggest investment market in Africa, with a portfolio of nearly US $570 million, through more than 100 businesses and 43 funds, which collectively support almost 45,000 jobs across the country in 2020.
Edited by Zintle Nkohla
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