Exchange Data International

For years, digital lending in Nigeria operated in a data grey zone. Platforms collected more borrower information than they needed, shared it with third parties under vague terms, and used it for purposes borrowers never agreed to. Debt recovery sometimes crossed into harassment, with lenders accessing contact lists and sending messages to borrowers’ family members. […]

Smart lenders must incorporate alternative data sources to improve underwriting and make more informed lending decisions.

A borrower’s right to data privacy is not negotiable. Nothing gets your heart racing several miles per minute like the chance that you may not recover your loans, but that fear can never justify invading a borrower’s privacy. Responsible lending means collecting only the data you truly need and nothing more. Borrowers privacy is a fundamental right, and it must never be compromised.