Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, recently hosted the Port-Harcourt edition of its TechConnect event, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to explore the transformative impact of digital payments in the microfinance sector.
The event featured an insightful keynote address delivered by Tyoyila Aga, Group Head, Financial Services Business, Digital Infrastructure & Managed Services (Interswitch Systegra) on the latest trends in digital payment solutions, such as mobile wallets, QR codes, and contactless payments, emphasizing their pivotal role in shaping the future landscape of microfinance banking. Attendees also gained valuable insights into the technological advancements that are revolutionizing financial services and the potential these innovations hold for financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
Speaking at the event, Aga noted that digital payments innovation is big for the microfinance sector as it comes with opportunities for growth, and ultimately, financial inclusion, hence the reason Interswitch is at the forefront of driving the growth of digital payments across the country and beyond.

He said, “We are excited to have come this far in propagating the good news around what digital payment innovation holds for our microfinance sector. At Interswitch, we are all about innovation and as a company committed to driving the digital transformation of Nigeria’s financial services, we are proud to play a leading role in shaping the future of microfinance banking.”
This year’s Techconnect series has been successfully hosted in Ibadan, Abuja, Enugu, and most recently Port-Harcourt, with the event train expected to move to Lagos for the final.

The event also featured panel discussions, where industry leaders engaged in conversations on different strategies for growth in the microfinance sector, sharing their perspectives on leveraging digital technologies to drive growth in the financial sector. The discussion covered topics ranging from cybersecurity and regulatory compliance to the integration of emerging technologies, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted aspects of digital transformation.
At the event, customers were rewarded for their engagement, loyalty and support over the years. Interswitch, as a pioneer in the digital payments space, reiterated its commitment to fostering a customer-centric approach and delivering solutions that cater to the evolving needs of the Nigerian payments ecosystem.
Interswitch says it remains dedicated to advancing Nigeria’s digital payments system and fostering an ecosystem that supports financial inclusion, innovation, and sustainable growth.

The policy innovation Centre, an initiative of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group NESG, is advocating for a regulatory framework that would ensure digital connectivity expansion to unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria.

Stakeholders’ from both public and private sector have therefore gathered at a roundtable in Lagos to discuss how to bring everybody on board towards achieving this much needed policy landscape for sustainable digital Economy in the country.

Those who spoke at the second edition of the formative dialogue for the digital transformation programme expressed worry that Nigeria’s broadband connectivity expansion still stands at about 40% implying that millions of people particularly the vulnerable groups and communities are still left behind.

The digital inclusion Programme seeks to bridge the gap in digital access for disadvantaged people and ensure that those who need digital tools to improve their businesses have access to the tools they need. The UK government is also offering support for Nigeria’s digital Economy growth.

Tagged “Inclusive Digital Transformation through the Digital Access Programme”, the Lagos edition supported by the foreign commonwealth and development office brought together government officials, ICT professionals, digital inclusion startups as well as Corporate organisations on the digital space.

The African Telecommunications Union (ATU), has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with tech giant Huawei that will see African countries and organizations build capacity for ICT transformation.

Under the agreement, Huawei will provide training on skills development, including reskilling and upskilling for ATU members. The MoU will also see the two organizations collaborate to support local innovation, share information on latest trends, challenges and solutions in Africa and globally, and expand the digital economy as well as rural connectivity, in the continent, through furthering research.

A 2019 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on digital economies established that Africa and Latin America together account for less than 5 percent of the world’s data centers. If left unaddressed, the report concluded, divides will worsen existing income inequalities. This, coupled with the fact that in the least developed countries (LDCs), only one in five people use the Internet as compared with four out of five in developed countries, is part of the motivation for the Huawei-ATU partnership.

Speaking during the signing ceremony held today in Nairobi-Kenya at the ATU headquarters, Mr. John OMO, Secretary-General of the ATU, praised Huawei for their contribution to Africa: “Huawei has transformed connectivity and made a major contribution to the continent through its investments in digital infrastructure, ICT skills, environmentally-friendly connectivity solutions, and cutting-edge technologies for rural areas. The organization is a trusted development partner of Africa. The document we are signing today aims at strengthening this partnership.” He added: “Africa has a tremendous opportunity to fully grasp the potential from new technologies.”

The two organizations have a long history of working together and this new agreement will support African countries, regulators, and citizens to benefit from the transition to a digital economy, adopt new technologies, promote secure and resilient networks, and gain the digital skills necessary to drive their economies forward.

Samuel Chen, Vice President at Huawei Southern Africa region thanked the ATU for leadership and promotion of ICTs in Africa: “The ATU is playing a critical role in the region supporting member countries with their policies and strategies, sharing best practices, building capacity, and driving innovation and we are delighted to be able to support them”. He noted: “We have connected hundreds of millions of Africans to secure, high-speed broadband and cloud solutions in the last two decades and earned the trust and support of our customers and regulators; we look forward to doing even more.”

According to the MoU, the partners will also start offering cutting-edge training to ATU members, access to global experts to discuss the latest technologies and trends, and collaboration on research to help progress the continent’s digitization.