In a financial landscape where women—especially in underserved or informal markets—remain largely misunderstood or underserved, Regxta Credit is challenging the norm by prioritizing deep, human-centered field engagement over theoretical, desk-bound product development.
While over 51% of Nigeria’s adult population are women, research by EFInA (2023) shows a persistent 8% gender gap in financial inclusion. Despite the surge in digital financial services, many products still fail to align with the realities of women’s lives—particularly those running informal businesses, managing inconsistent incomes, or living in rural areas.
Why the gap? Too often, financial solutions are built on internal assumptions, borrowed market data, or best-case urban scenarios. These rarely reflect the lived experiences of women who save in community thrift groups, rely on seasonal income flows, or face social barriers to formal credit.
Regxta Credit is flipping the script. Their approach is simple but revolutionary: get out of the office, into the markets, and into real conversations. Sitting down with rural women, observing their behaviors, and learning from their strategies—whether it’s managing risk through informal savings circles or borrowing in kind rather than cash—reveals truths that spreadsheets can’t.
This fieldwork approach validates hypotheses, surfaces unmet needs, and exposes hidden barriers. More importantly, it empowers women to become co-creators, not just consumers, of financial products.
Take, for example, the discovery that many market women prioritize reliability over interest rates—they want to know that when they need credit, it’s accessible, clear, and without shame. Others stressed the importance of non-digital touchpoints despite using mobile phones, signaling a need for hybrid service models.
This methodology echoes global best practices in inclusive finance. The World Bank and CGAP both emphasize that designing financial services with underserved populations—rather than just for them—results in better uptake, stronger customer trust, and more sustainable impact.
As Regxta Credit continues to refine its offerings, one truth stands clear: human-centered design begins with human presence. Designing effective, inclusive financial products for women doesn’t start with code or dashboards—it starts with listening, learning, and being present.
Let’s shift from designing for users to designing with them.
