Nigerian FinTech Develops App to Transit One Million Employee into Self-employment, Job Creators

Emma Okonji

Servo Savvy, a local Fintech player in Nigeria has developed an app that could transit over one million employees that are in paid employment, to become successful self-employed people and employers of labour, within a short period of time.

The app, known as BipEDGE, is the employee’s solution to move successfully from paid employment into self-employment.
The app, which was launched this week at a media conference in Lagos, can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

It runs on a dual Fintech and Edutech platforms, and it is available as a user-focused, mobile-friendly application, giving each user the map, the tools and the support they need to make that critical transition from being an employee to becoming an employer of labour.

Speaking at the launch of the app, the Founder and Managing Director of Servo Savvy, Mr. Timothy Ikhide, said: “BipEDGE has come to make transiting from paid to self-employment not only possible but easier. Three out of every five employees today are interested in leaving

employment but cannot except by force. BipEDGE has come to give employee the power to choose to either leave or stay in paid employment.”

Ikhide listed four key features about BipEDGE that could transform the workplace and create successful self-employed workers who would become future job creators. The key features include: Transitional roadmap, Savings opportunity, Transitional training and Consultant engagement.

Giving full details of the key features, Ikhide said BipEDGE would give that hand-holding, needed to make a smooth, successful transition into self employment; a roadmap that makes planning your transition easier;

access to saving specifically for business start-up; the training, direction, guidance and tools needed to make that successful transition and a safe and smooth in-app transaction and interaction, among others.

Co-founder and Director, Marketing and Communication, Mr Ubong Ibanga, said: “This is a timely entry for retirees, employees and all who want to move into paid employment, with the growing focus on entrepreneurship all over the world and in Nigeria specifically. BipEDGE will give major boost and increase the entrepreneurship, considering that SMEs have been contributing 48 per cent of the Nigerian GDP for the past five years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). A recent PWC SME survey, also reports that SMEs account for 96 per cent of businesses and 84 per cent of employment in Nigeria. This means that BipEDGE will be a major boost to increase the positive impact of entrepreneurship and SMES in Nigeria and across Africa.”

According to Ibanga, employees who plan to retire soon, could have this platform very useful. They could take this opportunity to deal with those fears stopping them move into self-employment.

“For employees who have found it difficult to start their own business to the point where they can actually be paid by same, they can kiss that difficulty goodbye, by downloading the BipEDGE to begin a successful transition journey,” Ibanga said.

He further said Servo Savvy had built relationship with micro finance banks that could assist workers in saving and in accessing loans to begin a desired business.
“Go ahead and download the application from the Google Play Store, create a profile in less than five minutes, get verified, create your roadmap, start your savings plan, get trained and prepared to transit,” Ikhide advised workers in paid employment that are interested in managing a successful business.