A Profitable Partnership

We've got big news

Spoiler: Notadeepdive is brought to you by Credit Direct, the all-in-one finance app. Download it now (yes, that’s an order).

In many ways, Nigeria lags global media trends by a few years, and journalism is no exception. In the U.S., some independent writers on Substack earn six figures, and pull readers away from legacy publications and into their ecosystems. Here? We’re still figuring it out.

Journalism in Nigeria has mostly paid poorly, and that shapes the industry more than we admit. Talented writers come in, shine briefly, then get poached by startups as comms leads or content managers. (No, this is not the story of my life. Well. Maybe a little.)

Now, imagine what happens when someone leaves a newsroom to go independent. If salaries at publications are grim, the outlook for solo creators is downright suicidal. If this were *The Guardian*, this is the point where I’d show you a progress bar and beg for donations.

I don’t often share how Notadeepdive began, but here’s the short version. I’d just left a mid-level role at a tech publication to become a content consultant at a Nigerian bank. The job title was more exciting than the work. After the relentless pace of startup culture, the slower rhythm of a large organization left me with an unfamiliar commodity: free time.

I used it to read. A lot. Mostly tech and business news.

But something about the coverage felt formulaic. Dry headlines. Uninspired formats. No sense of urgency or play. I wanted to engage with the news like I talked about it with my friends—at bars, over beers, with jokes, rants, and a little righteous rage.

So I wrote the newsletter I wanted to read. Somehow, it caught on. A few generous sponsors validated the work. When I returned to TechCabal to lead the newsroom two years later, I got a crash course in media economics: what it takes to build something sustainable and what makes audiences stay.

That experience made one thing clear: if I ever revived Notadeepdive, I wouldn’t just chase sponsors. I’d look for real believers.

People and companies who don’t just want a shiny logo on a newsletter, but who read the damn thing, understand its point of view and get the jokes. And—let’s be honest— entities with the money to help make this sustainable. Independent media isn’t cheap.

Which brings me to some big news.

Credit Direct, Africa’s leading embedded finance company, is the lead sponsor of Notadeepdive for the next year.

Credit Direct began as a consumer lending business, but has evolved into something more interesting: a digital financial ecosystem offering payments, credit, and investment products. Instead of operating like a traditional bank, it plugs credit directly into supply chains and payment flows, meeting people where they are, not where the branches are.

If you’re a longtime Notadeepdive reader, you’ll know this partnership isn’t random. One of the things I talk about is the shift from 2020-style hype to 2025-style realism. We’re done falling for vanity metrics. The conversation now is about unit economics, profitability, and staying power.

Credit Direct fits that story. The company has stayed profitable through the years and reported ₦12.29 billion in profits before tax for FY2024—this has never been previously reported. This is a profitable partnership in every sense of the word.

So yes, this is a big deal. Not just for me, or for Credit Direct. But for what it means to build something sustainable, personal, and sharp, without pretending to be neutral or chasing the hottest funding round. And as a thank you to the day ones, we’re celebrating.

Starting next week, we’ll be giving away limited-edition Notadeepdive merch. Think of it as a wearable reminder that you were here before it was cool (or before we sold out, depending on who’s telling the story).

In the meantime, like, restack, share, comment, or just stop hiding. Again, download the Credit Direct app and let me know what you think. And thank you for riding with us.

If you’re new here, catch a few of our most recent hits here, here and here.

See you on Sunday! Spoiler: Sunday’s newsletter is about Jumia.