Bamboo vs Trove vs Chaka vs Risevest: Best App for US Stocks in Nigeria (2026)
Three apps dominate US-stock investing from Nigeria in 2026: Bamboo, Trove and Risevest. A fourth name, Chaka, still comes up in every search, and we cover exactly what happened to it below. All of these platforms are registered with Nigeria's SEC and hold US assets through regulated American brokerage partners. But they are built for different kinds of investors, and picking the right one saves you real money in fees.
The short version: Bamboo for self-directed investing in both US and Nigerian stocks · Trove for the widest asset range (US, NGX, ETFs, bonds) · Risevest for hands-off managed dollar portfolios · Chaka has been folded into Risevest and is no longer the app to download for a new account.
Head-to-head comparison
| Bamboo | Trove | Risevest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Self-directed US + NGX investing | Widest asset range in one app | Hands-off dollar portfolios |
| US stocks | Yes, 3,000+ | Yes, plus ETFs, ADRs and bonds | Via managed portfolios |
| NGX stocks | Yes, 140+ Nigerian companies | Yes | Yes, via the Chaka licence |
| Published trade fees* | ~1.5% per trade | ~1% (varies by size) | Management fee on portfolios |
| Minimum start | ~$10 / low naira minimums | ~₦1,000 / $10 | ~$10 |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes | n/a (portfolios) |
*Published rates as commonly reported in 2026. Fee schedules change; always confirm in-app before trading. The FX spread when funding in naira is often a bigger cost than the commission on all platforms.
Bamboo
Bamboo is the name most Nigerians know, and it is no longer US-only. It launched Nigerian stocks in May 2024 and by 2026 had become the leading retail e-broker on the NGX, with access to 140+ Nigerian companies, live order books, limit orders and a liquidity score for every NGX stock. Combined with its 3,000+ US stocks, it is now the strongest single app for someone who wants to pick their own stocks on both exchanges. Its recurring-buy feature makes dollar-cost averaging easy.
Trove
Trove's pitch is breadth: US stocks, Nigerian stocks, ETFs, bonds and ADRs from one account, with fractional buying from about ₦1,000. If you want to hold, say, GTCO and JPMorgan side by side, the pairing we compare in GTCO vs JPM, Trove does it with one login. Its Trove University content is genuinely useful for beginners.
Risevest
Risevest is different by design: instead of picking stocks, you put money into managed dollar portfolios (US stocks, real estate, fixed income). It charges a management fee rather than per-trade commissions. Since acquiring Chaka, Risevest also offers Nigerian stock trading using Chaka's regulatory licence. It is the right choice if you want dollar exposure without ever thinking about tickers, and the wrong one if you enjoy choosing your own stocks.
What happened to Chaka?
Chaka earned its place in this conversation as the first platform to receive the Nigerian SEC's digital sub-broker licence. In September 2023 it was acquired by Risevest, and the app was later rebranded as Hisa, with plans to merge it with its Kenyan sister platform into one app. The original Chaka app has not seen meaningful updates since the acquisition, and user reviews have fallen sharply. Its licence lives on inside Risevest's NGX offering, but for a new account in 2026, Bamboo, Trove or Risevest are the practical choices.
Which should you choose?
- You want to pick stocks yourself, US and Nigerian: Bamboo or Trove
- You want the widest asset menu (including bonds): Trove
- You want to invest and forget: Risevest
- You are optimising fees on larger trades: compare current in-app schedules. Beyond a few hundred dollars the FX spread matters more than the commission.
Whichever you choose, check any US stock's price and naira-terms performance on US stocks in naira first, and if you're new to this, start with our step-by-step guide to buying US stocks from Nigeria.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Fees, rates and platform features change; verify current terms in-app before investing.