Lagos-based Optimus AI Labs has launched a new suite of artificial-intelligence tools designed specifically for banks, fintechs, and microfinance institutions.
The move comes at a time when financial institutions are under unprecedented pressure to upgrade their digital infrastructure, automate oversight, and deliver safer, more transparent user experiences.
At the centre of the rollout is Omnis, an AI-powered in-app banking assistant that integrates directly with mobile banking platforms.
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Announced during a media briefing in Lagos, Omnis is built to act as both a personalised customer-support agent and a behaviour-aware recommendation engine, functioning like a digital salesperson embedded within banking apps.
The tool analyses user behaviour and engagement trends, offering banks insights that can drive product recommendations, retention strategies, and transaction-level support. It also automates responses to common customer enquiries, helping institutions cut support costs while improving response speed.
Lanre Adelanwa Basamta, co-founder and CEO of Optimus AI Labs, said the launch directly aligns with evolving regulatory expectations.
Over the past year, the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) has tightened rules around data privacy, fraud monitoring, and consumer consent, issuing directives that require banks to strengthen digital-service governance and ensure transparency in the use of customer information.
“The CBN has been clear about the need for more robust consumer protection frameworks. Banks must show that digital products are not only efficient but safe, transparent, and compliant. Our platform is built with those priorities at its core,” Basamta said.
The CBN’s latest compliance push is driven by rising fraud cases linked to mobile and online banking, alongside complaints about unauthorised transactions, opaque data practices, and inconsistent customer support. Recent circulars have emphasised stricter Know-Your-Customer (KYC) standards, enhanced fraud-detection systems, and clear disclosures around data use, criteria many institutions still struggle to meet due to legacy infrastructure.
Optimus AI Labs says its new suite provides compliance-friendly automation, with features that ensure user consent, improve auditability, and strengthen fraud-monitoring capabilities. Beyond customer-facing functionality, the platform offers banks advanced analytics for product development, pricing decisions, and operational efficiency.
Executives at the briefing described Nigeria’s financial ecosystem as being on the brink of an AI-driven transformation. With over 150 million active digital-finance users and a surge in mobile banking adoption, institutions are increasingly searching for intelligent systems that improve decision-making and reduce risk exposure.
Optimus AI Labs’ own story mirrors this digital shift. Founded in 2023 as Pacer Labs, a canada-based engineering outfit, the company initially focused on software development and outsourcing. A wave of client demand for automation pushed it toward AI-native development, leading to a rebrand and expansion into generative-AI engineering, model integration, and full-stack platform development.
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Today, the startup says it supports clients across Africa and North America, combining hands-on engineering with an ambition to position African AI talent globally.
As banks brace for stricter CBN enforcement in 2025, tools like Omnis may become critical infrastructure.
With its new suite, Optimus AI Labs is betting that homegrown, context-aware AI can help financial institutions deliver smarter, safer, and more compliant digital banking experiences, just as regulators raise the bar.
