At the recent Nairametrics Money Fair WISE 1.0, industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of finance. The event, a premier investment and financial empowerment marketplace, provided a crucial platform for dialogue on navigating Nigeria’s evolving economic landscape. During a panel titled “Investing in Nigeria in 2026: Asset Classes, Timing Windows, Digital Tools, and Risk Navigation in a Reformed Economy,” Kora’s Chief Financial Officer, Ayodeji Solomon Osisami, delivered a critical analysis for prospective fintech investors.
Osisami cautioned that despite the sector’s rapid growth and intense competition, a discerning approach is essential. He emphasized that not all startups are positioned for success and outlined three non-negotiable factors for investment consideration.
Foremost, he identified the strength and expertise of the founding team as the paramount criterion. Secondly, investors must scrutinize genuine financial performance and business metrics, looking beyond mere transaction volumes to assess actual revenue, profitability, and value retention. The third key factor is market focus: a fintech must have a clear, defendable niche rather than operating superficially across too many segments.
Elaborating on sectoral risks, Osisami pinpointed poor strategic planning as a primary threat. He observed that the ease of launching startups, accelerated by technologies like AI, has led to a surge in businesses lacking clear structure or long-term vision. Many founders, he noted, are driven by opportunistic trends rather than a solid business model, significantly increasing failure risk. The absence of a coherent business plan remains a major red flag, obscuring the path to scalability and sustainability.
He issued a stern warning to investors regarding startups that perpetually burn cash without a clear route to profitability, especially in a market like Nigeria where access to capital can abruptly tighten. As financial institutions like Stanbic IBTC project their 2025 pre-tax ambitions and states like Lagos begin a 4-week push for deeper economic formalization, the need for robust, planned fintech ventures becomes ever more critical. The insights from forums such as this show the maturation required for the sector to truly thrive, much as commercial revenue strategies evolve in other domains.
