Oluwadamilola Babalola
The success or failure of fintech applications hinges on how adeptly they cater to the real-world demands faced by small business proprietors when managing invoices via mobile devices amidst client engagements. During my tenure at Brass Technologies, which spanned four years as part of the team crafting front-end solutions tailored for SMEs across Nigeria, we swiftly grasped that developing financial tools wasn’t merely an exercise in maintaining pristine coding practices; rather, it required accounting for the erratic nature of entrepreneurial workflows.
For instance, consider a retailer restocking inventory amid sporadic electricity supply—such individuals require immediate retrieval of past transactions despite unreliable network connections. Similarly, bakers handling multiple cash transfers each day cannot tolerate glitches within the payment process stages. Such practical situations guided our methodology: Each piece of software needed to uphold three core principles—security, capacity expansion potential, along with meeting the pragmatic expectations set forth by enterprising Nigerians.
When discussing security for fintech frontends, people usually think of encrypted APIs and robust login processes. However, ensuring safety also involves understanding how teams interact with each other. At Brass, where several team members frequently have shared access to financial resources, we soon realized that simply managing logins wasn’t enough—the true challenge lay in handling authorization effectively.
Initially, we encountered several issues with team members running into problems: junior employees inadvertently using admin-only features, and financial leaders getting locked out of necessary tools. These challenges highlighted that a single-access approach wasn’t sufficient. To address this, we developed an advanced authorization system based on detailed permissions, specific-module access controls, and adaptive feature flags tailored to each company’s organizational setup. Securely storing authentication tokens within cookies was just part of the solution; determining which functionalities a user could acesso
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Once logged in, permissions are dynamically assigned according to each user’s role and duties. This change not only enhanced security but also bolstered trust. Users no longer questioned their level of access, while administrators felt assured that critical operations required appropriate clearance. This illustrated that in a system such as Brass, ensuring safety goes beyond preventing unauthorized entry; it involves guaranteeing that suitable individuals possess adequate permission precisely when needed.
Scalability challenges in Nigeria’s fintech space rarely mirror textbook scenarios. In late 2022, during a surge in SME registrations driven by CBN’s push for cashless transactions, Brass experienced a wave of new merchants coming online almost overnight. Transaction volumes spiked, and our web app—originally optimized for leaner usage—started showing strain, especially during logins and navigation across heavier modules like invoices and payments.
Our approach went beyond merely boosting server capacity; we needed to overhaul how the application handled loading and scaling issues. By introducing code splitting and chunking techniques throughout our web front end, we enabled the app to prioritize essential functionalities during initial loads while postponing less critical components until later. Consequently, this significantly cut down load times, particularly benefiting those using slower connections or outdated devices. Additionally, developers benefited greatly since they were able to focus on individual modules without being hindered by large file sizes or complex dependencies between them. Most importantly, adopting a more flexible architectural design permitted each module to expand separately, which shielded us against potential bottlenecks caused by single services failing. This strategy became indispensable once we started catering to corporate clients whose operations varied widely in scope and requirements.
In this scenario, usability requires proficiency in both technological solutions and real-world local conditions. While observing user tests in Alaba, we noticed an experienced device vendor having difficulty navigating a two-step verification process that involved toggling between multiple applications—an interaction that seemed logical to the development team but hindered his swift multitasking during busy sale times. Consequently, the interface was redesigned to include PIN entry within the sign-in procedure, thus removing additional steps and cutting down unsuccessful authentications by 22%. This enhancement wasn’t derived from standard UX principles; rather, it stemmed from recognizing that in regions such as Nigeria, successful designs have to align with the daily operational cadence and practicalities of commerce.
Performance optimization took on new dimensions when serving businesses where a three-second delay could mean lost customers during a busy market day. Brass engineers introduced a clear separation of concerns: isolating dynamic, server-driven data from stable, app-wide state. We implemented intelligent caching with background synchronization to minimize redundant network requests while keeping critical data up to date. This allowed users in areas with erratic connectivity—a constant reality outside major cities—to continue operating seamlessly. The infrastructure limitations of Nigeria resulted in the development of innovative solutions which later served as competitive advantages compared to global fintech competitors entering the market.
The lasting insight gained from developing Brass’s platform revolves around balancing technical accuracy with empathetic comprehension. Here, frontend developers cannot isolate “development” from “user experience”—their mission involves transforming intricate financial processes into user-friendly interfaces tailored for novice entrepreneurs juggling multiple stores. When introducing bulk payment options for vendors, success will not hinge solely on coding excellence but rather on how swiftly users can perform 100 transactions without exhausting their resources. Shifting focus from merely delivering new features to fostering trust is key—this distinction marks the difference between mere operational tools and solutions that truly drive economic advancement.
As African fintech evolves, the innovations arising from specific challenges such as security protocols designed for shared devices, user-friendly interfaces tailored for those with limited literacy, and robust architectural designs capable of handling infrastructural deficiencies, are gaining global significance. An engineer skilled at balancing deep technical expertise with empathetic design principles isn’t merely coding—they’re reshaping access to finance. Within Nigeria’s vibrant fintech sector, where each interface choice has significant economic implications, front-end engineering transcends being solely a technical field and instead serves as a link connecting what can be done technically with what makes sense practically. It would behoove the international community to take notice—the approaches developed here could very likely set the standard for banking worldwide.
Oluwadamilola Babalola is an experienced Senior Frontend Developer with more than three years in software development. She excels in building large-scale, intuitive front-end solutions. With proven leadership skills, she has overseen various engineering teams and numerous projects aimed at improving technological workflows.
He specializes in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, and ReactJS, consistently dedicated to enhancing and pioneering advancements in front-end development. His work aims at boosting user interaction within digital platforms.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
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