Nigerian fintech startup, Duplo, has entered into a strategic partnership with Wema Bank to simplify how businesses manage their financial operations by integrating its financial operating system into the ALAT by Wema Bank platform.
The collaboration will allow businesses to automate payments, manage expenses, generate invoices, streamline approval processes, and gain real-time visibility into their finances from a single platform.
Announcing the partnership, Duplo Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Yele Oyekola, said the company’s goal is to help businesses “run their financial operations with greater clarity and control.”
Adding that embedding the platform into ALAT would enable companies to “manage finances in real time, improve visibility over their cash flow, and scale their operations confidently.”
What to know about the Duplo-Wema Bank partnership
The partnership marks another significant step in the evolution of digital business banking in Nigeria, where financial institutions are increasingly moving beyond traditional banking services to offer integrated business management solutions.
Under the collaboration, Duplo’s financial operating system will be embedded within ALAT by Wema Bank, giving business customers access to a comprehensive suite of financial automation tools without leaving the banking ecosystem they already use.
Rather than relying on multiple software applications for banking, invoicing, expense management, payment approvals, and financial reporting, businesses will now be able to perform these functions through one connected platform.
The integration is designed to transform ALAT Business from a platform primarily focused on transactions into a broader financial operations hub capable of supporting day-to-day business finance management.
What is Duplo and what does it do?
Duplo is a Nigerian fintech company that has built a financial operating system specifically for African businesses seeking to modernise their finance operations.
Its platform enables companies to move money securely, store funds, generate compliant invoices, automate vendor payments, manage expenses, oversee approval workflows, reconcile financial records, and automate tax-related financial processes from a single interface.
By digitising these processes, Duplo helps businesses reduce manual work, minimise operational errors, improve financial transparency, and make faster financial decisions.
The company’s mission is centred on helping organisations replace fragmented finance processes with a unified and automated system that improves efficiency and supports business growth.
What is in for Duplo?
For Duplo, the partnership significantly expands its market reach by providing direct access to Wema Bank’s growing community of business customers already using ALAT.
Instead of convincing businesses to adopt an entirely new financial platform independently, Duplo can now deliver its services through a trusted banking platform that many companies already depend on for their daily financial activities.
This integration is expected to accelerate customer adoption while positioning Duplo as a core financial infrastructure provider within Nigeria’s digital banking ecosystem.
Speaking on the significance of the partnership, Duplo CEO and Co-founder, Yele Oyekola, explained that many businesses continue to struggle with fragmented financial management systems.
“Our goal is to help businesses run their financial operations with greater clarity and control. Many businesses today are still managing payments, expenses, and reconciliation across systems which slow decision making and create unnecessary operational risks,” he said.
According to him, working with Wema Bank creates an opportunity to solve these long-standing challenges within a platform businesses already trust.
What does Wema Bank stand to gain?
For Wema Bank, the collaboration strengthens the value proposition of its ALAT Business platform by extending its capabilities beyond conventional banking.
Modern businesses increasingly expect banking platforms to do more than facilitate deposits and transfers. They seek integrated financial tools that simplify operational processes, improve efficiency, and support growth.
By incorporating Duplo’s financial operating system, Wema Bank enhances ALAT’s competitiveness in Nigeria’s increasingly crowded digital banking landscape.
The partnership also reinforces the bank’s reputation as a technology-driven financial institution committed to supporting businesses through innovative digital solutions.
Offering customers advanced financial automation services could improve customer satisfaction, increase platform engagement, and strengthen long-term customer loyalty.
Access to powerful financial automation tools
One of the most immediate benefits of the partnership is the broad range of financial management capabilities that businesses will now enjoy.
Through the integration, ALAT Business users will be able to make local and international payments, automate vendor payments, manage employee expenses, establish approval workflows, generate and collect invoices, monitor cash flow in real time, and access detailed financial reports.
These features help eliminate repetitive manual processes that often consume finance teams’ time while reducing the risk of human error.
By bringing these capabilities together within one ecosystem, businesses can achieve greater operational efficiency and stronger financial oversight.
Three months of complimentary access for existing customers
To encourage adoption, existing ALAT Business customers will receive three months of complimentary access to Duplo’s platform.
The offer gives businesses an opportunity to experience the platform’s automation capabilities without additional financial commitment.
During this period, companies can explore how automated workflows, digital approvals, invoice management, and financial reporting can improve their daily operations before making longer-term decisions about continued usage.
The initiative also lowers the barrier to entry for businesses that may have been hesitant to invest in dedicated financial management software.
Managing business finances with greater confidence
Beyond automation, the partnership is fundamentally about helping businesses gain better financial visibility and stronger control over their operations.
Many organisations continue to manage payments, approvals, expense tracking, and reconciliation across separate systems, creating inefficiencies that slow decision-making and increase operational risks.
Duplo believes integrating these processes into one platform can significantly improve how businesses operate.
Highlighting this vision, Oyekola said:
“By embedding our platform within ALAT, we aim to make it easier for companies to manage finances in real time, improve visibility over their cash flow, and scale their operations confidently.”
The statement reflects a broader shift within Africa’s fintech ecosystem, where financial technology providers are increasingly partnering with established banks to deliver end-to-end digital solutions that help businesses operate more efficiently.
As Nigerian businesses continue embracing digital transformation, collaborations such as the Duplo-Wema Bank partnership demonstrate how fintech innovation and traditional banking can work together to simplify financial management, improve operational efficiency, and equip businesses with the tools needed to scale sustainably in an increasingly competitive economy.
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