donate-ng is an online fundraising and crowdfunding portal in Nigeria where individuals and charities with social causes and projects can easily raise funds.
The portal was launched in January 2016, as a spin-off its parent company, Twocan Solutions Limited by co-founders: Olakunle Olayinka, Segun Olojo-Kosoko, Ayodele Amusa and Aheeb Afeez, in a bid to provide a convenient and verifiable way to raise funds for charitable causes in Nigeria.
According to Olakunle Olayinka, the mission of donate-ng is not restricted to easing the burden of raising funds, but also providing excellent technology, advice and support. Inline with this, they have made it possible for people without an internet connection to donate via USSD codes.
As such, the startup has successfully raised over ₦7 million towards various causes and charities, within just a year of its launch.
Over time, trust has been a fear factor that impedes contributions from Nigerians. Knowing that Nigerians do not ordinarily trust counterparts while transacting offline, how the donate-ng team has managed to earn the people's trust and successfully raise the claimed amount ignites curiosity. Olakunle ties the relative success to the combined effort of his zealous team and top-notch security technology adopted on the platform, but this somehow is not enough to calm the curiosity.
To call a spade what it is, donate-ng could be emerging as the Nigerian version of GoFundMe or IndieGoGo for charity causes. And seeing that the startup has the less privileged at heart reflects humanity in practice.
However, considering the peculiarities of running an online platform in Nigeria, we can only hope that the one-year-old platform will continue its 'good works' and not end up being 'swallowed' up by our nation's unscrupulous systems.
If you run a charity organisation or intend to champion a cause that needs crowdfunding, donate-ng is up for the take. You can visit the portal immediately.
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