Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Developer", "you", or "your") and Sankofa Network ("AfriVerify", "we", "us", or "our") governing your access to and use of the AfriVerify API, developer dashboard, SDKs, documentation, and all related services (collectively, the "Service").

By registering for an account, accessing our API, or using any part of the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and any additional policies or guidelines we publish. If you are acting on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity.

2. Definitions

• "API"the AfriVerify REST API endpoints and webhooks
• "API Key"the credential pair (key + secret) issued to your account for authenticating API requests
• "End-User"an individual whose identity is verified through the Service at your direction
• "Verification"the process of confirming an End-User's identity using government-issued documents, biometrics, or official registries
• "VIT"Verified Identity Token — a signed, portable attestation of a completed verification
• "USSD Verification"an identity verification initiated via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) that confirms phone possession and reaches AfriVerify Level 1 trust without requiring an app or internet connection
• "Inquiry Link"a no-code, shareable URL created by a developer through the dashboard that directs End-Users through a hosted verification flow without requiring any API integration
• "White-Label Flow"the hosted verification experience rendered with a developer's custom branding (company name, logo, brand colour) at a dedicated session URL
• "Verification Flow"a developer-configured sequence of verification steps (e.g., document check, liveness detection, AML screen) applied to End-User sessions under a named policy
• "AfriApp Key"an API key issued via the Kliqa AfriApp Store (store.kliqa.africa) that a developer connects to their AfriVerify account to access the Service
• "Voucher" / "Orbitverse Wallet Credit"a Kliqa-issued voucher code (format OV-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX) that a developer or end-user redeems through the Service to receive platform credit at a tier-based multiplier (Silver 1×, Gold 1.25×, Platinum 1.5×)
• "Developer Data"data you upload, transmit, or generate through the Service
• "Platform"your application, website, or product that integrates with the Service

3. Eligibility and Registration

To use the Service you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into contracts
• Be a legally incorporated entity or a natural person operating a lawful business
• Provide accurate, current, and complete registration information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials and API Keys
• Promptly notify us of any unauthorised access to your account at security@sankofaapp.com

We reserve the right to refuse registration to, or terminate the account of, any person or entity that cannot satisfy the eligibility requirements or that poses a compliance, legal, or reputational risk to the AfriVerify network.

4. Permitted Use

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service solely to:

• Verify the identity of End-Users of your Platform in connection with legitimate KYC, onboarding, financial services, or access-control purposes
• Initiate verification sessions via API, hosted flow, USSD channel, Inquiry Link, or White-Label Flow
• Create and manage Inquiry Links to enable no-code, shareable verification journeys for your End-Users
• Configure and deploy White-Label Flows to deliver a branded verification experience under your company identity
• Define and apply Verification Flows to enforce consistent step sequences across End-User sessions
• Issue and verify VITs to reduce friction for returning verified users
• Connect an AfriApp Key to access the Service through the Kliqa AfriApp Store
• Redeem Kliqa Vouchers to apply Orbitverse Wallet Credit to your AfriVerify account balance
• Access your dashboard, usage data, and billing information
• Integrate our SDK and embed the hosted verification flow under your white-label configuration

5. Prohibited Use

You must not use the Service to:

• Verify identities without the knowledge and express consent of the End-User
• Facilitate unlawful surveillance, stalking, harassment, or tracking of individuals
• Discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or any protected characteristic
• Build facial recognition systems for law enforcement, immigration enforcement, or military applications without our prior written approval
• Resell, sublicense, or provide API access to third parties outside your own Platform
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract our proprietary models or identity databases
• Submit fraudulent or synthetic identities, including for testing purposes outside of the Sandbox environment
• Violate any applicable law, including AML/KYC regulations, data protection law, or sanctions regimes
• Interfere with the integrity, availability, or security of the Service or any other user's access to it

Violation of this section may result in immediate termination and referral to law enforcement or regulatory authorities.

6. End-User Obligations

When using the Service to verify End-Users, you are responsible for:

• Obtaining all necessary consents from End-Users for identity verification, biometric processing, and data sharing with AfriVerify
• Publishing a privacy notice to End-Users that accurately describes the verification process and data flows
• Ensuring your Platform's use of verification results complies with applicable law in each End-User's jurisdiction
• Maintaining the confidentiality of verification outcomes and not disclosing them beyond what is necessary for your legitimate business purpose

7. API Keys and Security

Your API Keys are credentials that authenticate requests as coming from your account. You are solely responsible for all activity conducted under your API Keys. You must:

• Store API Keys securely and never expose them in client-side code, public repositories, or logs
• Use separate keys for Production and Sandbox environments
• Rotate keys promptly if you suspect compromise
• Validate webhook signatures using the HMAC-SHA512 secret provided in your dashboard

We will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain the security of your API Keys.

8. Pricing, Billing, and Taxes

Fees for the Service are set out on our pricing page and in your subscription plan. All fees are:

• Billed monthly in advance for subscription charges, and in arrears for overage verifications
• Processed exclusively via Flutterwave. We do not accept Paystack or any other payment processor.
• Non-refundable except where required by applicable consumer protection law
• Subject to VAT, withholding tax, or other applicable taxes as required by law in your jurisdiction; you are responsible for all such taxes

Voucher credit. Orbitverse Wallet Credit obtained by redeeming a Kliqa Voucher is applied to your account balance and consumed before any invoiced charges. Voucher credit is non-transferable, non-refundable, and expires 12 months from the date of redemption unless otherwise stated at the time of issue. The credit multiplier applied (Silver 1×, Gold 1.25×, Platinum 1.5×) is determined by the voucher tier at the time of redemption and cannot be changed after redemption.

If payment fails, we will retry for 7 days before suspending API access. You will be notified at each retry attempt. Your data is preserved for 30 days after suspension before any deletion process begins.

9. Service Levels and Uptime

We target 99.9% monthly uptime for Production API endpoints. Scheduled maintenance is announced at least 24 hours in advance and excluded from uptime calculations. Sandbox environments carry no uptime guarantee.

Our sole obligation for failure to meet the uptime target is to issue a service credit equal to the pro-rated fees for the affected period, up to a maximum of one month's fees, upon written request submitted within 30 days of the incident.

10. Intellectual Property

AfriVerify retains all right, title, and interest in the Service, including all software, algorithms, models, databases, trademarks, and documentation. Nothing in these Terms transfers any intellectual property rights to you. Your use of the AfriVerify name, logo, or trademarks in any marketing, press release, or public communication requires our prior written consent, except for factual references to your use of the API.

You retain ownership of Developer Data. You grant us a limited licence to process Developer Data to the extent necessary to provide and improve the Service.

11. Confidentiality

Each party agrees to keep confidential the other party's non-public technical, business, and commercial information disclosed in connection with the Service ("Confidential Information"), and to use it only for the purposes of these Terms. Confidential Information does not include information that is or becomes publicly known through no breach of this agreement, or that was independently developed.

12. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS". AFRIVERIFY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT VERIFICATION RESULTS ARE ERROR-FREE, THAT THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR SPECIFIC COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT VERIFIED IDENTITIES CANNOT BE FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINED.

Identity verification is a risk-reduction tool, not a guarantee. You remain solely responsible for making onboarding and access-control decisions based on our outputs.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AFRIVERIFY'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE FEES PAID BY YOU IN THE THREE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) USD 500. IN NO EVENT WILL AFRIVERIFY BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

14. Indemnification

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless AfriVerify and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of the Service in violation of these Terms; (b) your Platform and your treatment of End-Users; (c) your breach of applicable data protection, KYC, AML, or financial services law; or (d) any third-party claim that your Developer Data infringes a third party's intellectual property or privacy rights.

15. Term and Termination

These Terms commence when you register an account and continue until terminated. Either party may terminate for convenience with 30 days' written notice. We may terminate immediately if you materially breach these Terms, become insolvent, or pose a risk to the security or integrity of the Service.

On termination: (a) all licences granted to you cease; (b) you must immediately stop using the API; (c) we will export your data in standard format upon request within 30 days; (d) provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16) will survive.

16. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms that cannot be resolved through good-faith negotiation within 30 days will be referred to binding arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act Cap. A18, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, with the seat of arbitration in Lagos. The language of the arbitration will be English.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek interim injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm.

17. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated by email to the address on your account at least 30 days before they take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you object to a change, your sole remedy is to stop using the Service and close your account.

18. General Provisions

• Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any order forms, constitute the entire agreement between you and AfriVerify regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements.
• Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.
• No waiver: Failure to enforce any provision does not constitute a waiver.
• Assignment: You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
• Force majeure: Neither party is liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond their reasonable control.

19. Contact