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If you’ve followed Moniepoint’s journey for long enough — and I hope that you have — then you may have heard us mention “financial happiness” a good number of times. And if you’ve wondered if it’s just a catch phrase, it’s not; it’s our mission, our ethos, baked into everything we do.
But what is financial happiness?
Financial happiness is the feeling of confidence and ease that comes with financial freedom and well-being, the sense of being in control of your money rather than feeling controlled by it. It doesn’t necessarily come from having a large income or significant wealth, but from being able to make choices, handle challenges, and use money in ways that support the life you want to live.
At first glance, it might seem like a bit of an intangible concept, but we’ve spent the last 10 years creating and replicating it enough times that we’ve come to think of it as a science.
My favourite thing about proven scientific formulas is how dependable they are. Two molecules of hydrogen and one of oxygen will always give you water. Mass multiplied by acceleration will always equal force. Similarly, there’s a combination of factors, a formula, that will always produce financial happiness:
Inclusion + Progress = Financial happiness.
This wouldn’t be a complete scientific lesson if we didn’t break down what these terms mean, so let’s get into it.
Financial inclusion
Millions of people across the world still lack easy access to everyday financial services like banking, payments and credit. This lack of access affects more than just their financial lives; a trader who receives payments only in cash because they don’t have access to a formal bank account or a POS terminal will constantly be uneasy because of the risk of getting robbed. Without access to credit, many businesses simply do not have enough capital to grow, which limits not just the businesses but the dreams and potential of the entrepreneurs building them.
Financial inclusion means breaking these barriers by giving individuals and businesses access to useful, affordable financial products and services that meet their needs, responsibly and sustainably.
It enables people to enter the formal financial economy, transact securely, save for the future, access credit, manage financial risk and ultimately participate more fully in economic opportunities that improve their livelihoods and overall well-being.
But access alone is not enough; what truly gives financial inclusion meaning is what people are able to do with it. This is where the next factor comes in.
Financial progress
Financial progress is the steady improvement of an individual's or business's financial well-being over time.
Having a bank account, POS terminal, or access to credit means little if these tools don’t help people manage their finances, cope with unexpected expenses, or pursue opportunities that improve their lives. Financial progress goes beyond whether people can use financial services and considers whether those services help them do and be better.
Simply put, it means positive change in someone’s financial life that results from reliable financial access: the ability to build savings, manage debt responsibly, withstand financial shocks, invest in future opportunities, and achieve personal or business goals.
Financial progress is also about helping people build a better relationship with their money. When people feel more capable of managing their finances and more prepared for the future, they start to see money less as a source of stress and more as a tool for creating the life they want.
Proving our formula
Think of inclusion and progress as constants: unchanging elements in the equation. On their own, each is important. Together, they create the conditions for financial happiness.
We’ve seen this formula work enough times, for enough of the people we serve, that we can attest to its efficacy. And we’ve seen it breed enough success stories that we could write a book. Or perhaps, our first-ever impact report.
In this report, we show you proof that our formula works.
You’ll see inclusion in the 75% of merchants who got their first-ever loan from us in 2025.
You’ll find progress in the 80% of merchants whose businesses are now earning more.
And you’ll catch a glimpse of financial happiness in the 85% of our customers who say that, with us, they are now more confident about achieving their financial goals.
These numbers represent the dreams of millions of Nigerians — individuals and businesses alike — who are living healthier and more prosperous lives.
If you’re a fellow scientific mind looking to peer review our formula, or just curious to know what financial happiness looks like in action, you can find our 2025 Impact Report at impact.moniepoint.com.
