We are pleased to announce our commitment of £100m to the UK economy over the next five years, as well as the designation of London as our Global Headquarters.
The commitment was announced in an official UK Government press release on 17 March 2026, issued in connection with the historic UK–Nigeria State Visit, where our co-founders Ridwan Olalere and Rian Cochran were recognised for their contributions to the global diaspora economy.
With bilateral trade between the UK and Nigeria now standing at an all-time high of £8.1 billion annually, this £100m commitment is the largest single fintech investment pledge facilitated by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) as part of the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership.
What Does This Investment Mean?
“LemFi’s £100 million investment and job-creation commitment over the next five years is a strong vote of confidence in the UK’s fintech ecosystem and in deepening our economic partnership,” shared Mark Smithson, Country Director for Nigeria and Regional Director for Anglo West Africa at the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
”It also underlines the UK’s position as a global home for high‑growth businesses—supporting firms to scale responsibly, delivering safer and more accessible financial services for diaspora communities worldwide,” he concluded.
Rian Cochran, LemFi’s co-founder and CFO, added: “Our team across five continents reflects every corridor we serve; to us, that lived experience is not a diversity metric; it is our product advantage.
Our £100m commitment is more than just a capital injection; it is a promise of stability and accessibility. By centralising our global operations in London, we are creating a hub that ensures every corridor we serve, whether in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, benefits from world-class financial infrastructure and a cooperative relationship with local regulators.”
What Does a £100m Commitment Actually Look Like?
The £100m will achieve:
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Talent acquisition: Hiring across engineering, compliance, product, and other key roles within our London HQ.
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Compliance infrastructure: Expanding our robust regulatory frameworks.
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Technology and R&D: Building the next generation of our platform.
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Continued innovation: Developing solutions for communities that deserve better from their financial systems.
As Ridwan Olalere, our co-founder and CEO, said: “We started LemFi to solve a real problem for people living across borders, and today, that mission is scaling globally. From our roots in Africa, we’re now serving millions of customers across continents, building financial services that reflect how people actually live and move.
This next phase is about expanding that impact: reaching more people across more markets with products that help them not just send money, but also build and grow financially wherever they are. The UK provides an enabling environment for us to achieve that.”
A Fair And Accessible Future
This investment builds on a series of strategic moves to deepen our UK and global presence.
In 2025, we acquired London-based credit fintech Pillar to extend credit services to the “credit-invisible,” who are often overlooked by mainstream lenders. In Ireland, we secured approval from the Central Bank of Ireland to acquire Bureau Buttercrane, granting us instant access to the entire European Economic Area. Now, we hold financial services licenses and approvals in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and across 14 US States.
