Zedcrest Disburses Over N312bn Credit in 13yrs

The financing comes as the group expands an integrated portfolio covering investment banking, asset management, securities, venture capital, financing and financial technology.

The financing, by Zedvance Finance, its consumer and business financing subsidiary, represents part of a broader strategy to improve the movement of capital between investors, businesses and consumers across African markets.

Founded in 2013 as a fixed-income trading business in Lagos, Zedcrest has expanded into multiple financial services segments. Through Zedcrest Global Markets, the Group provides investment banking, fixed-income trading, structured finance, capital raising and financial advisory services to governments, corporates and institutional investors.

The Group has also strengthened its position in the retail investment market through Zedcrest Wealth and Zedcrest Securities. Following its acquisition of RMB Nigeria Stockbrokers in 2024, Zedcrest expanded its securities business and subsequently integrated stockbroking services into the Zedcrest Wealth App, giving investors access to managed investments and listed equities through a single platform.

At the financing end of the ecosystem, Zedvance provides credit to businesses and individuals, with its Liquidity Solutions product supporting working capital requirements across various sectors.

The more than ₦312 billion deployed since inception highlights the scale at which the Group is channelling capital directly into the real economy.

Zedcrest Capital provides another source of capital through venture capital and principal investments, backing businesses and productive sectors with long-term growth potential. This gives the Group exposure to companies at an earlier stage of the capital cycle before they potentially require larger institutional funding.

The Group has further expanded into cross-border payments following the acquisition of Leatherback, a UK-founded financial technology company. The transaction extends Zedcrest’s capabilities beyond investment and lending into international payments and financial technology, supporting its ambition to facilitate more seamless movement of money across borders.

Zedcrest’s strategy therefore extends beyond the performance of individual subsidiaries. Its businesses occupy different points along the capital cycle, from venture investment and institutional capital raising to asset management, securities trading, lending and cross-border payments.

For Group Managing Director Adedayo Amzat, the broader objective is to build financial infrastructure that allows capital to move more efficiently across Africa. The Group’s expansion suggests that its longer-term growth strategy will increasingly depend on how effectively these businesses can operate as an interconnected financial ecosystem.

While Zedvance’s ₦312 billion financing provides a measure of Zedcrest’s footprint in the real economy, the wider opportunity lies in the combined value of capital raised, managed, invested, traded, financed and transferred across the Group’s businesses as it continues to build an integrated African financial services platform.