New fintech startup Collins is inviting Nigerians to join its growing waitlist to be among the first to experience ‘Abeg Na‘ when it launches later this year. The peer-to-peer emergency finance app lets people request and receive small, urgent payments from trusted networks and kind strangers, in minutes.
Using the Abeg Na app, Nigerians facing small but critical financial challenges — from transport fare and medicine to school project fees and daily essentials — can post a request and receive contributions from their community within minutes. The app is designed to be so simple and stress-free that anyone, from a tech-savvy millennial to an 80-year-old grandparent, can use it without difficulty.
Abeg Na is one of the first Nigerian fintech platforms to digitise the country’s deep-rooted culture of informal mutual aid, bringing it into a safe, transparent, and trusted digital space built specifically for how Nigerians live, connect, and support one another.
Over 82 Million Nigerians Face Small Financial Emergencies Every Month
Over 82 million Nigerians experience small, urgent financial needs every single month — from a transport fare they cannot cover to medicine they cannot afford or a school fee deadline they cannot meet. These are not large sums. But without a fast, trusted way to access help, they quickly become crises.
Pressured by rising costs and limited access to formal financial support, more than 60% of Nigerians experience urgent small financial needs on a weekly basis, yet many are too embarrassed to ask for help directly, even from people who would willingly give it. For those without a safety net, the options available are borrowing from lenders at punishing interest rates, selling personal assets, or turning to street begging. None of these are fast. None are dignified.
At the same time, Nigerians are already among the most generous informal givers in Africa. The culture of mutual aid — through family networks, church communities, alumni groups, and neighbourhood associations — is one of the most powerful forces in Nigerian social life. Nearly 3 in 5 Nigerians have already sent money to someone in need via WhatsApp, Instagram, or X in the past year, with no verification, no tracking, and no guarantee the money arrived safely.
Abeg Na does not introduce a new behaviour. It gives an existing one a safe, structured, and dignified digital home.
Collins Asein, the 34-year-old founder of Abeg Na, said: “Every day, millions of Nigerians rely on informal networks or find themselves stranded needing just a few thousand naira. With Abeg Na, we are digitising that culture — creating a platform where asking for help is private, safe, and fast. Asking for help should be easy and dignified. Whether you are 20 or 80, Abeg Na is simple enough to use, and it can literally change lives in minutes.”
Collins believes Abeg Na can become the leading micro-giving and emergency finance platform in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, improving financial resilience for millions of people who currently have no safety net. Backed by initial funding from angel investors, future fundraising is planned to grow the Abeg Na user base across Nigeria and beyond.
Other Research Highlights
Nigerians want help that is fast and private. When asked what would make them more comfortable requesting financial support digitally, the majority of respondents said they wanted the process to be quick, discreet, and free from judgment. Abeg Na is built around all three.
Small contributions from many people solve problems immediately. Collins’ research shows that a verified request of ₦30,000 can be fully funded in under 30 minutes when shared within a network of just 200 users. For the recipient, that ₦30,000 could be the difference between keeping a child in school or not.
Trust is the biggest barrier to giving. Nearly 1 in 2 Nigerians say they have hesitated to send money to someone in need online because they were not sure it was genuine. Abeg Na’s identity verification — using BVN, NIN, and phone number — along with community reputation scores and real-time fraud detection, is designed to remove that hesitation entirely.
Every successful request becomes a shareable story. Abeg Na is built around the insight that communities grow when giving is celebrated. Every funded request generates a story that users can share, creating a cycle of generosity and trust that drives organic growth and community pride.
The informal economy of compassion is the largest untapped market in Nigeria. Nigerians collectively move billions of naira annually through informal giving channels — from family WhatsApp groups and church collections to everyday street-level generosity. Collins is building the infrastructure to make that flow faster, safer, and more impactful for the people who need it most.
Collins concludes: “Abeg Na is not just an app. It is a movement — a way to make small money matter, instantly and safely, for everyone.”
Collins is currently accepting waitlist registrations for Abeg Na. The app is scheduled to launch later in 2026.
