Privacy policy

Last updated: 13 October 2026

This policy explains what personal data 5Kobo collects, why, who it is shared with, and the rights you have under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

Who we are

5Kobo is operated by Adholax Technologies Limited (RC 9833759), His Grace Pavilion Estate, Apo, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria. We are the data controller for the personal data described here. For anything about your data, contact our data protection contact at privacy@5kobo.com.

What we collect

If you are an Organizer or Co-organizer:

• Your phone number, which is how you sign in.
• Your name, and your email address if you choose to add it.
• Identity check details: your BVN, date of birth, and gender. These are sent to our account provider to run the identity check Nigerian law requires before a Collection account can be opened. We keep only the result of the check, not your BVN.
• Bank account details for Withdrawals: your own withdrawal account, and any account you save to send money to (account number, bank, and the account name the bank returns).
• If you set up "Confirm it's you", a public key for this device. Your fingerprint, face, or screen lock never leaves your device and we never receive it.
• The Collections you run, the Withdrawals you make, and any note you add to them.

If you are a Contributor: you don't need an account. When you send money to a Collection account, your bank tells us the sender name, amount, time, transfer reference, and any description you typed. Nothing else about you is collected.

Everyone who uses the site: your IP address and browser type when you sign in, records of sign-in codes we send (phone number, channel, and whether it was delivered), and a sign-in cookie.

What is shown publicly

A Collection's public page and its connected group chats show each confirmed Contribution with the sender name your bank reports, so the group can see who has contributed. If the bank sends no name, the Contribution shows as Anonymous. If the Organizer chooses to show Withdrawals, the group sees the amount, the Service fee, and the name on the receiving account, never the account number.

Why we use it

• To provide the service you asked for: opening Collections, recording Contributions, and sending Withdrawals (performance of a contract).
• To meet our legal duties, including identity checks and record keeping under Central Bank of Nigeria and anti-money-laundering rules (legal obligation).
• To keep accounts and money safe, detect fraud, and fix problems (legitimate interests).

We do not sell your data, use it for advertising, or send you marketing messages.

Messages we send

• Sign-in codes. When you ask to sign in, we send a one-time code by SMS, or by WhatsApp or a voice call if you choose that or SMS fails. Codes are only sent when you request one.
• Group updates. An Organizer can connect a Telegram or WhatsApp group to their Collection. We then post confirmed Contributions there. To stop receiving them, leave the group or ask the Organizer to disconnect it.

Who we share it with

• Anchor and its partner bank, [Anchor partner bank], which provide Collection accounts, run identity checks, and send Withdrawals.
• Termii and Nervly, which deliver sign-in codes by SMS, WhatsApp, and voice.
• Meta (WhatsApp) and Telegram, for group updates the Organizer turns on.
• The hosting providers that run our servers and database.
• Regulators, law enforcement, or courts, where the law requires it.

Some of these providers, including Meta and Telegram, process data outside Nigeria. Where that happens we rely on the safeguards the Nigeria Data Protection Act allows for cross-border transfers.

How long we keep it

We keep your account details while your account is open. Records of Contributions, Withdrawals, and identity check results are kept for as long as Nigerian financial and anti-money-laundering law requires, generally at least five years after the transaction, even if you close your account. Security records such as sign-in code logs are kept only as long as needed to investigate misuse.

Cookies and storage

We use one essential cookie to keep you signed in. The app may also store pages on your device so it opens without a connection. We use no advertising or tracking cookies.

How we protect it

Data is encrypted in transit, access is limited to staff who need it, and every Withdrawal must be confirmed by the Organizer inside a signed-in session.

Your rights

You can ask to see the personal data we hold about you, correct it, delete it, receive a copy, or object to or restrict how we use it. You can also withdraw consent where we rely on it. Email privacy@5kobo.com; we reply within 30 days. See how to delete your data. If you are unhappy with our response, you can complain to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Children

5Kobo is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes

If we change this policy we will update the date above, and tell Organizers in the app before a significant change takes effect.