L-R: Eyitayo Awe, Vice President, Business Development, Interswitch; Tina Olaore, Head, Retail Payments, Interswitch; and Dr. Rogers A. Nwoke, Former President of NAMB, Chairman, Hasal Microfinance Bank, at the Interswitch TechConnect 6.0 Industry Engagement event recently held at Garki, FCT, Abuja.
Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, recently convened government, financial services, technology and business stakeholders in Abuja for the sixth edition of TechConnect, its flagship industry engagement series.
The event explored how adaptive financial infrastructure can support Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
Held in Abuja on Tuesday, October 13, the event followed the opening of TechConnect 6.0 in Owerri on September 24 and continued the nationwide series themed: _“Built for What’s Next: Designing Adaptive Financial Infrastructure for a Dynamic Market”_
Discussions examined how technology, payments, policy and cross-sector collaboration can help develop infrastructure that supports sustainable digital growth and responds to the changing needs of businesses and consumers.
Chief of Staff at the Nigeria Revenue Service, Tayo Koleosho, delivered the keynote address on behalf of Dr Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service.
Koleosho highlighted the growing role of financial infrastructure in connecting consumers, businesses, financial institutions and government.
He noted that, as digitalisation expands, financial infrastructure does more than move money: it also supports wider economic activity and more efficient service delivery.
Koleosho also emphasised the importance of interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection and trust in strengthening digital infrastructure, noting that these capabilities are essential to enabling secure transactions, supporting compliance and helping institutions respond effectively to changing market needs.
Speaking on the significance of TechConnect, Tyoyila Aga, Vice President, Business Innovation and Growth, Interswitch, said the series provides a platform for stakeholders to exchange perspectives and explore practical opportunities for collaboration as the digital economy continues to evolve.
“The future of financial infrastructure will be shaped by how effectively we connect technology, institutions and people around the needs of a changing economy. Building for what’s next requires adoption of new technologies.
However, beyond that, it requires the partnerships, interoperability and shared understanding needed to turn those technologies into practical solutions that can scale. TechConnect provides a platform for these conversations, bringing stakeholders together to exchange ideas and explore how we can collectively build infrastructure that supports sustainable digital growth,” said Aga.
The fireside chat, themed: _“The Digital Economy at Scale: Technology, Payments and the Future of Business in Africa,”_ examined the forces influencing the next phase of digital business across the continent.
The conversation explored how technology and payments are enabling new business models, creating opportunities for businesses and supporting greater participation in the digital marketplace.
The panel session, _“Building Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Connecting Government, Payments and Industry for Inclusive Economic Growth,”_ explored the role of cross-sector collaboration in strengthening digital infrastructure and expanding participation in the digital economy.
Panellists considered how government, payment providers and industry can work together to develop connected systems that enable businesses and citizens to benefit from continued digitalisation.
Across the sessions, speakers reinforced the importance of financial infrastructure that is secure, interoperable, resilient and responsive to evolving market needs.
The discussions also highlighted the value of sustained engagement between public and private sector stakeholders in translating technological innovation into solutions with practical and scalable applications.
The event featured showcases of Interswitch solutions and capabilities, demonstrating how technology and payments infrastructure can support organisations as they respond to changing customer expectations and navigate the evolving digital economy.
As the second stop in the TechConnect 6.0 series, the Abuja edition builds on the conversations initiated in Owerri and sets the stage for the next stops in Ibadan on October 22 and the Lagos grand finale on October 27.
Through TechConnect, Interswitch continues to convene stakeholders across the ecosystem to exchange knowledge, explore emerging opportunities and advance practical conversations around building adaptive financial infrastructure for what comes next.
