At Vazi, we support fintech companies, payments startups, digital banks, and cross-border financial platforms in navigating Africa’s fragmented regulatory environment while aligning with global compliance standards.
How We Navigate the Complex Fintech Regulatory Landscape
- We simplify the process of securing regulatory approvals across Nigeria and Africa, covering complex licensing categories across payments, banking, investment, and insurance sectors.
- Our cross-border licensing support ensures fintechs expanding to the US, UK, EU, Middle East, and Africa meet jurisdiction-specific requirements while maintaining operational continuity.
- We build end-to-end compliance frameworks covering AML/CFT, data privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection that regulators expect from modern financial institutions.
- Our legal team drafts and reviews all product-facing and partnership agreements necessary for payments, card issuing, API integrations, and digital financial services.
- We serve as an ongoing regulatory liaison, handling filings, renewals, audits, and direct engagements with financial authorities to keep your operations running without friction.
Why Choose Vazi?
- Deep expertise in Nigeria’s fintech regulatory ecosystem, with insights into CBN, SEC as well as other regulators expectations.
- Cross-border regulatory experience across major fintech hubs including the US, UK, EU, UAE, Mauritius, and East Africa.
- A practical, commercially minded view of fintech product deployment balancing innovation with compliance.
- Flexible fee models designed for both early-stage fintech startups and established financial service providers.
Key Services
- Fintech advisory, Licensing & Regulatory Approvals (Nigeria + Africa)
We guide fintechs through legal advisory and obtaining core regulatory licences across the CBN, SEC, NAICOM, NDIC, and NITDA frameworks. This includes PSSP, PTSP, MMO, MFB, Switching & Processing, IMTO, and other payment licences; investment platform approvals under SEC; insurtech licensing under NAICOM; and compliance readiness for data-heavy and deposit-taking fintechs. - Cross-Border & International Licensing
Our team supports fintechs expanding abroad with US MSB registration, UK FCA authorisations (EMI, PI, AISP, RAISP), EU passporting and EMI/PI strategies, Dubai VARA virtual asset licensing, Mauritius GBL fintech frameworks, and licensing in key African markets including Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda. - Compliance Frameworks & Documentation
We develop and implement regulatory-grade compliance systems, including AML/CFT policies, KYC/CDD/EDD frameworks, data protection programs, information security policies, consumer-protection models, internal controls, risk management frameworks, compliance manuals, and robust BCP/DRP documentation. - Contracting & Product Legal Setup
We draft and negotiate all fintech product and partnership agreements, merchant contracts, issuing and acquiring agreements, API and platform terms, white-label arrangements, card issuing partnerships, PSP-bank integrations, and technology partnership agreements to ensure smooth product deployment. - Regulatory Liaison & Ongoing Compliance
We manage regulator interactions end-to-end, handling queries, examinations, and periodic filings. Our services include licence renewals, representation at meetings with CBN, SEC, NDIC, NITDA, CAC, and tax authorities, as well as overseeing approvals for restructurings, corporate changes, and expansions.