Funmilola Gboteku
A Fintech company, Zabira Technologies has called for stronger public education and trust-building to address negative stereotypes linking cryptocurrency and digital assets to fraud in Nigeria.
It’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Mr Isaac John, made the appeal during the company’s sixth anniversary and brand relaunch on Wednesday in Lagos.
Zabira Technologies is a platform designed to empower users in the world of digital financeJohn said that many Nigerians still viewed cryptocurrency with suspicion, often associating it with scams and financial loss.
“The stereotypes have delayed adoption, in spite of the evidence that digital assets can drive inclusion, create jobs and provide faster and safer ways for people to transact, “ he said.
He explained that the rebrand as, “The People’s Wallet”, reflected Zabira’s focus on security, reliability and user empowerment.
John added that the new identity captured Zabira’s values of Security, People, Agility, Reliability and Knowledge, represented in the acronym, SPARK. “The rebrand positions Zabira as a safe, inclusive and reliable financial companion. It is our way of answering the needs of the people we serve,” he said.
The founder explained that the platform was redesigned into a single application because users had asked for easier access to services such as crypto exchange, gift card trading and bill payments. “Our users asked us to reduce stress by avoiding multiple apps. We created one application with tutorials to make onboarding simple, even for beginners,” John said.
He added that Zabira currently recorded more than 30,000 daily active users, which showed growing demand for safe and reliable digital transactions in Nigeria.Also, the Head of Marketing and Communications at Zabira, Mr Ike Ekemah, said crypto had already become a reality for many Nigerians, but misinformation and fear continued to slow its acceptance. “Crypto is not fraud. It is a real financial tool. We have consistently used platforms such as the Africa Stablecoin Summit and Tech Series to advocate adoption and educate the public,” he said.
Ekemah added that Zabira’s marketing team had prioritised simplifying language and using relatable stories, so that first-time users could understand how to safely engage with crypto and digital payments.
He added that stablecoins would soon play a bigger role in Nigeria’s import and export sector.
According to him, the platform cuts fees, reduce transaction time and improve efficiency for businesses.
The Head of Compliance and Risk Management at Zabira, Ms Aisha Shittu, said compliance was central to the company’s operations.
Shittu said fintech was not only about speed and innovation, but also about security and transparency. She said compliance was the foundation for building trust with users and regulators.
“At Zabira, compliance is not a back-office duty. It is at the heart of everything we do to keep people safe and to protect the system,” she said.
She explained that the compliance framework covered alignment with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities and Exchange Commission, and international standards.
Shittu added that beyond regulation, the company also invested in user education on safe trading, stressing that responsible innovation was key to protecting people in the growing digital asset space.
She added that Zabira also used anti-money laundering checks, fraud detection tools and data privacy safeguards to protect users.
“Our role is to bridge the gap between innovation and protection. That is how we make digital assets safe, transparent and useable for everyday Nigerians,” Shittu said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the company which was founded in 2019, has grown from a wallet solution into a multi-service platform.Its leaders said the relaunch was aimed at reaffirming trust and making digital finance accessible to more Africans.
Source: NAN