Lagos, Nigeria – March 1, 2026 – Founder and Group Managing Director of Interswitch Group, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies – Mitchell Elegbe, has been conferred the 2025 Silverbird Special Achievement Award, in recognition of his leading role in building Nigeria’s digital payments infrastructure and shaping Africa’s financial landscape.

The award was presented at the prestigious Silverbird Man of the Year Awards ceremony held on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, where Elegbe was recognised alongside other eminent Nigerians whose leadership and contributions continue to shape national development and industry transformation.

The Silverbird Special Achievement Award recognises individuals whose innovation, vision, and sustained impact have left an indelible mark on society. For Elegbe, the honour underscores more than two decades of pioneering leadership in building Nigeria’s modern digital payments infrastructure and advancing financial inclusion across Africa.

Elegbe founded Interswitch in 2002, inspired by a bold conviction that technology could fundamentally redefine how value moves within and across economies. Under Elegbe’s leadership, the company has evolved into one of Africa’s foremost integrated payments and digital commerce companies, powering financial transactions for governments, banks, businesses, and millions of consumers. Today, much of Nigeria’s electronic payments ecosystem traces its foundational architecture to the systems and rails established under his leadership.

Reflecting on the recognition, Elegbe described the award as both humbling and symbolic of a broader journey.

“This honour represents far more than a personal milestone. It reflects the courage of a team that believed, long before it was fashionable, that Nigeria and Africa could build world-class financial infrastructure. When we started Interswitch, we were driven by a simple but powerful idea that technology could democratise access, unlock opportunity, and enable commerce at scale. This recognition by Silverbird strengthens our resolve to continue building systems that empower businesses, support governments, and expand inclusion across the continent,” he said.

Also speaking on the recognition, Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Group Marketing and Communications, Interswitch, noted that the honour reflects the enduring impact of visionary leadership.

“Mitchell’s journey is inseparable from Nigeria’s digital payments evolution. His foresight and resilience helped establish foundational infrastructure at a time when the ecosystem was still nascent. This recognition affirms not only his personal legacy, but the broader impact of Interswitch in enabling commerce and strengthening financial systems across Africa,” Eromosele stated.

The Silverbird recognition comes just days after Elegbe’s induction as a Fellow (FICA) of the National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA) at its Presidential Investiture and Fellowship Ceremony held at the MUSON Centre, underscoring a remarkable week of national recognition for his contributions to financial systems development.

The Fellowship, the Institute’s highest professional distinction, is reserved for eminent leaders whose exceptional contributions have strengthened credit systems, advanced financial integrity, and supported economic development in Nigeria.

With these latest honours, Mitchell Elegbe’s legacy as the leading architect of Africa’s digital commerce infrastructure is further cemented, not only as a fintech pioneer, but as a leader helping to shape the institutions that underpin sustainable economic growth.

Verve International, Africa’s leading domestic payment cards and tokens brand and a subsidiary of Interswitch Group, successfully hosted the 2026 edition of Verve Biz Unwind at the prestigious Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel.

The event convened issuer banks, fintech collaborators, merchants and other critical ecosystem stakeholders for strategic engagement, meaningful industry dialogue, and deeper ecosystem alignment.

Designed as both engaging and insight-driven, Verve Biz Unwind 2026 delivered a relaxed yet purposeful platform for high-level networking and forward-looking conversations on the future of digital payments across Africa. The gathering reinforced Verve’s commitment to fostering collaboration, strengthening partnerships, and driving innovation within the continent’s rapidly expanding payments landscape.

A defining highlight of this year’s edition was the official unveiling of Verve Tokenization—a next-generation security solution engineered to enhance transaction integrity, reduce fraud risks, and accelerate the adoption of digital commerce. By replacing sensitive card details with secure digital tokens, the solution equips financial institutions, fintechs, and merchants with the tools needed to deliver safer, seamless, and more resilient payment experiences in an increasingly digital economy.

Verve Tokenization replaces sensitive cardholder data with secure, device-bound digital tokens, ensuring that every transaction generates a unique cryptogram. By eliminating the repeated exposure of actual card details during payment processes, the solution significantly mitigates the risks of fraud and data breaches, while enabling seamless transactions across mobile wallets, issuer applications, e-commerce platforms, contactless (tap-to-pay) terminals, and IoT-enabled devices.

Built to support secure card-on-file transactions, wallet provisioning, and mobile-first payment experiences, the solution empowers issuers and merchants to unlock stronger transaction growth across digital channels. From in-store tap-to-pay to one-click online checkouts and in-app payments, tokenization transforms traditional payment cards into secure digital credentials that function effortlessly across devices and ecosystems—without compromising speed or user convenience.

Speaking at the event, Paul Ohakim, Vice President, Issuing & Acquiring (Africa) at Verve International, underscored the critical importance of ecosystem-wide collaboration in shaping the continent’s payments future.

“As digital commerce accelerates, no single institution can shape the future of payments alone,” he noted. “Stronger collaboration between banks, fintechs, merchants, and processors is essential to delivering secure, seamless, and inclusive payment experiences across Africa.”

He further emphasized that tokenization represents far more than a backend technology upgrade; it signals a structural transformation in how payments are secured, experienced, and monetized. By enabling interoperability across wallets, banking apps, e-commerce checkouts, and contactless infrastructure, Verve Tokenization ensures that a single Verve card can securely operate across multiple digital environments, creating a unified, frictionless experience for users while strengthening trust and resilience across the ecosystem.

With Africa’s youthful population accelerating digital adoption and showing a growing preference for wallet-based and contactless experiences, Verve Tokenization equips financial institutions with the robust infrastructure required to remain competitive in an increasingly fintech-driven ecosystem.

The solution drives higher authorization rates, reduces fraud-related losses, strengthens consumer confidence, and strategically positions Verve cards as top-of-wallet in a rapidly intensifying payments landscape.

Beyond the product unveiling, Verve Biz Unwind 2026 reaffirmed Verve’s commitment to deepening ecosystem collaboration. The forum fostered candid industry dialogue, strengthened institutional partnerships, and aligned stakeholders around a shared roadmap centered on secure innovation, interoperability, and sustainable growth.

As digital commerce continues its upward trajectory and consumer expectations evolve toward faster, safer, and more seamless experiences, Verve International remains steadfast in its mission to modernize Africa’s payment infrastructure securely, intelligently, and collaboratively, while enabling partners across the value chain to unlock new revenue streams and long-term strategic value.

Aquafina took centre stage at the 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on 14 February 2026, rewarding the first ten groups to complete the 10-kilometre race with N1 million each. The initiative highlights the brand’s continued investment in fitness, wellness, and the spirit of collective achievement within Nigeria’s growing running community.

Under its campaign theme, “Run am with your Padi of Life,” Aquafina encouraged runners to participate alongside friends, teammates, and running crews, celebrating the role of support systems in pushing limits and sustaining performance.

Throughout the race, Aquafina ensured strong on-course visibility while providing hydration support to help participants maintain energy levels. Its on-ground activations added excitement for both runners and spectators, contributing to the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

By rewarding groups rather than individual runners, Aquafina spotlighted the value of shared goals and mutual accountability. The N1 million prize elevated the competitive energy of the 10km race while reinforcing the importance of collaboration within Nigeria’s evolving fitness culture.

Widely regarded as one of West Africa’s most prestigious road races, the marathon once again attracted elite athletes, recreational runners, corporate teams, and fitness enthusiasts from across the country and beyond. Within this high-energy environment, Aquafina positioned itself as a trusted hydration partner supporting endurance and peak performance.

Speaking after the race, Funso Elubeku, Assistant General Manager at Seven-Up Bottling Company (SBC), said:

“The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon represents resilience, discipline, and the power of community. Through Aquafina, we ensured participants remained hydrated while celebrating the teamwork and support that help runners push beyond their limits. Rewarding the first ten finishers underscores our commitment to recognising dedication, performance, and personal achievement.”

Aquafina’s presence at the marathon underscores its broader mission to promote active lifestyles and support platforms that inspire healthier living, strengthening its connection with Nigeria’s fitness community through meaningful engagement.