Nigerian fintech startup Thrifto has launched a digital platform designed to help users organise and manage group savings in a structured and transparent way.
The platform adapts the traditional savings practice known in many parts of Nigeria as ajo, esusu or adashe, where members of a group contribute a fixed amount regularly and take turns receiving the pooled funds.
Thrifto was founded by media entrepreneur and technology consultant Biodun Durojaiye. The company said it has begun onboarding users across the country who are forming savings groups and using the platform to pursue financial goals.
At its core, Thrifto operates as a bank-integrated web application that allows users to create or join savings groups, set contribution amounts, agree on savings cycles and determine payout positions. The system then tracks contributions, maintains records and manages payout schedules.
Durojaiye said the platform aims to improve the reliability of group savings without changing the cultural practice behind it.
“Group savings is deeply embedded in Nigerian culture,” he said. “What we are doing with Thrifto is providing the structure, transparency, and accountability that technology can offer while preserving the collaborative spirit of ajo.”
According to the company, early users include salary earners, entrepreneurs and small business owners who are using the platform to organise savings groups with colleagues, friends and family members. The groups often set goals such as school fees, rent payments, business capital and household purchases.
The company said digitising the process helps address common problems associated with informal savings groups, including poor record keeping, disagreements over contribution schedules and disputes over payout order.
Thrifto also plans to introduce a new feature next week that will allow users to set up structured personal savings plans. The feature will enable individuals to save fixed amounts daily, weekly or monthly toward specific financial goals.
For instance, a user may decide to save ₦5,000 daily for one month or ₦50,000 weekly over several months, with the platform tracking progress.
“Many people want to save but struggle with consistency,” Durojaiye said. “By allowing users to define their own saving rhythm — daily, weekly, or monthly — we’re helping them build financial discipline in a practical way.”
Another feature of the platform is a Trust Rating System that assigns users a Trust Score based on their participation history and reliability within savings groups. The system is intended to encourage accountability and help users make decisions when joining or forming groups.
Thrifto said the platform was designed around financial practices already familiar to many Nigerians, to bring structure and digital tools to an existing savings culture.
