Tendar
A growing number of Nigerian founders have the capital to run loan businesses but lack the operational structure and technology required to manage risk. While disbursement is often manageable, what proved difficult was validating applicant’s data and efficiently recovering disbursed loans legally. These gaps triggered a wave of unethical practices such as lenders publicly shaming debtors, sharing misinformation, and using intimidation, while predatory loan sharks further exploited vulnerable applicants. The mission became urgent: create a seamless, ethical, plug-and-play solution that gives credible lenders the tools to verify borrowers, access credit scores, automate disbursements, secure transactions, and recover loans responsibly.
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PROCESS & STRATEGY
Where We Started
Our process began with a clear vision: to build a modern, human-centred solution for next-generation lenders. Grounded in Design Thinking, we prioritized user research, continuous feedback, and close collaboration with industry stakeholders. This user-centred approach allowed us to uncover real operational pain points and deeply understand the needs of lenders, merchants, and end-users—insights that directly shaped product decisions and experience design.
Working in iterative design cycles and Agile sprints, we quickly moved beyond creating a standard “lending-as-a-service” tool. As we tested concepts and validated assumptions, a broader opportunity emerged: the potential to build an integrated credit ecosystem. This led to the creation of complementary products like Scorewise and Oja, enabling stronger partnerships with merchants, financing companies, and other ecosystem players.
Each sprint delivered new learnings, allowing us to refine user flows, extend capabilities, and ensure the platform grows in a way that meaningfully improves both business operations and users’ everyday financial experiences.
INDUSTRY
Fintech
PLATFORM
SaaS, Mobile & Web App
YEAR
2023
TEAM
2 Product Designers 3 Product Managers 3 Backend Engineers 4 Frontend Engineers 1 QA Engineer 1 Penetration Tester
ROLE
Founding/Lead Product Designer
CONTRIBUTION
UX Research & Strategy
Product Design (User Dashboard, Admin Dashboard)
Merchant Web Application
User mobile and web application
Website Design
BUSINESS OUTCOME
Impact That Matters
Tendar evolved into a fully customisable, developer-friendly, all-in-one lending SaaS platform.
Through strategic design, iterative validation, and close collaboration with industry stakeholders, the platform delivered measurable business growth and stronger market positioning. This led to:
Strategic partnerships with major industry players, strengthening credibility and accelerating ecosystem adoption.
A 2× expansion of the merchant ecosystem for BNPL providers on XY within 12 months, driven by improved onboarding flows and clearer value communication.
Diversified revenue streams, unlocked through new products, merchant tools, and ecosystem integrations introduced during the platform’s evolution.
