Moniepoint Microfinance Bank has been named SME Microfinance Bank of the Year at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards for the third consecutive year. The award was presented at the 14th edition of the ceremony, where Tosin Eniolorunda, co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Moniepoint Inc., also received the SME Finance Transformation Leader of the Year award.
The recognition follows a year of increased lending and payment activity across Moniepoint's small business network. According to the bank's 2025 Year in Review, it disbursed more than ₦1 trillion in credit to thousands of small businesses. Businesses that accessed these loans recorded an average transaction value growth of more than 36 per cent after receiving financing, although the figures do not establish how much of that growth resulted directly from the loans.
Over ₦1 Trillion in Credit Disbursed to Small Businesses
Moniepoint assesses borrowers using alternative data, including transaction histories, business patterns and payment behaviour. This approach allows the bank to evaluate creditworthiness through information generated by businesses' everyday operations. For small enterprises, the bank's offering combines access to financing with payment services and other tools used to manage business activity.
The bank reported processing over 14 billion transactions worth ₦412 trillion in 2025, describing itself as the country's largest merchant acquirer. Moniepoint also stated that it serves more than six million active businesses and processes eight out of every 10 in-person payments in Nigeria.
Leadership Award and Commitment to Expansion
Ezekiel Sanni, Senior Vice President, Distribution Network Sales at Moniepoint, represented Eniolorunda at the ceremony. He said the award would strengthen the bank's focus on providing financial services to small businesses.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the Nigerian economy, and this award strengthens our commitment to give them the credit, payments and tools they need to scale,” Sanni said. He added that Moniepoint would continue expanding access to credit and investing in its distribution network to support more businesses across the country.
Sanni also noted that Eniolorunda's individual award reflected his focus on making financial services accessible to small businesses. He described the company's ambition as building a financial system in which businesses across Nigeria can access the services needed to grow.
Additional Recognitions and Industry Impact
The latest awards add to other recognitions received by Moniepoint, including Best Financial Institution in Women Empowerment from the Association of Professional Women Bankers. The bank also received Marketing Campaign of the Year (Brand) at the Creative Impact Institute Awards and recognition for Innovative Digital Financial Solutions for Women at the PreCEFI She's Included Conference.
Organised by BusinessDay, the BAFI Awards recognise performance, innovation and leadership in Nigeria's financial sector. The 2026 edition presented 67 awards across payments, lending, investment management, capital markets, insurance, pensions and trusteeship. Moniepoint's continued recognition underscores its role in expanding financial access for small businesses across Nigeria, with the bank pledging to further grow its credit and distribution network in the coming year.
