Brand
Interswitch Group Advances Brand Narrative, Spotlighting Pivotal Role in Powering Everyday Life Across Africa
Lagos, Nigeria – June 26, 2025 – Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, hosted an exclusive screening event on Wednesday, June 25th, at the Interswitch Innovation Lab in Victoria Island, Lagos, to premiere its latest Masterbrand Television Commercial (TVC), alongside a corresponding integrated marketing communication campaign anchored on its ‘Never Stop’ brand philosophy. It would be recalled that to herald its 20th anniversary commemoration earlier in 2022, Interswitch launched a new brand campaign projecting its positioning as a pioneering and integral enabler that has not only actively supported the growth and development of fintech and payments across Africa over the last 20 years, also amplifying the brand’s progressive outlook as a frontier-driving company which keeps pushing boundaries and facilitating the creation of new ecosystems that help businesses and individuals scale and thrive, in line with its purpose of inspiring Africa to greatness through innovation, value-creation and excellence. This latest complementary brand campaign, still based on the existing philosophy however marks a significant milestone in the brand’s evolution, as Interswitch continues its mission to humanize technology and spotlight the often-unseen role it plays in powering everyday life across Africa, from payments and transportation to healthcare, energy, education, and real estate. This campaign reaffirms Interswitch’s commitment to enabling the moments that matter. Styled as an immersive and intimate gathering, the event drew key stakeholders across media, tech, and lifestyle sectors, including journalists, creators, and brand partners. With a bold departure from conventional press events, the screening was crafted as an experience-first showcase, a sensory blend of visuals, sound, and narrative designed to evoke emotion and highlight the depth of African storytelling. Commenting on the campaign and its significance, Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Interswitch Group, said: “This commercial is not just a brand film, it is a cultural moment. It reflects who we are and why we exist, to enable progress, empower dreams, and fuel the heartbeat of commerce and connection across Africa. By humanizing our story, we are reinforcing that our impact goes far beyond technology, it lives in the everyday lives we touch. In doing so, we are helping to build a digital Africa where everyone and every business can thrive.” Anchored by the TVC, the campaign tells a deeply human story of trust, reliability, and steady, unwavering impact, values that have defined Interswitch’s journey over the last two decades. Rather than focus on product features, the film shifts the narrative to people including commuters, merchants, students, mothers, and small business owners whose lives are made simpler, faster, and more secure by Interswitch’s underlying infrastructure. Importantly, the TVC was conceived, directed, and produced entirely by Africans, a deliberate creative decision underscoring Interswitch’s belief that African stories are best told by African voices. In an era where artificial intelligence is increasingly used to simulate storytelling, the team chose a different path, eschewing AI in favour of organic, emotionally driven filmmaking that captures real faces, real places, and real emotions. Commenting on the launch of the commercial, Divisional Head for Brands, Communications, Content and Storytelling at Interswitch, Tomi Ogunlesi said: “In an age where automation is becoming increasingly glorified, we are essentially making a bet on human connection. We made a conscious choice to tell this story with heart, to let people see themselves, their families, their daily hustle reflected on screen, and to connect the dots with how Interswitch powers the moments that matter in their lives. That’s what makes it real. That’s what makes it matter.” Following its release, the TVC and its associated through-the-line campaign across channels has continued to spark strong engagement across digital platforms, with viewers praising its emotional resonance and authentic portrayal of African realities. For many, it offers a renewed appreciation for Interswitch’s consistent, often invisible role in powering not just transactions, but transitions, ambitions, and everyday progress. As Interswitch deepens its pan-African presence, this campaign signals a refreshed focus on cultural relevance, trust-building, and human connection, elements that now define the future of African technology companies’ branding.
Brand
St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Bayelsa, and King Amakree Academy, Rivers, Win MILO Atlantic Conference Titles
The road to the 26th MILO Basketball Championship National Finals continued with the successful conclusion of the Atlantic Conference, the third regional conference of the championship, held at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, where St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, and King Amakree Academy, Rivers State, emerged champions in the girls’ and boys’ categories respectively.
For 26 years, MILO has remained committed to youth development through school sports, using basketball as a platform to inspire discipline, teamwork, resilience and confidence among young people. This year, over 13,000 schools applied to participate in the MILO Basketball Championship nationwide, reflecting the continued growth and relevance of the platform.
Nine schools in each category competed with passion and determination for a place at the National Finals, with only the regional champions advancing to the next stage of the competition. At the end of the contest, St. Jude Girls Secondary School emerged champions in the girls’ category after defeating Urhobo College 46–25, while King Amakree Academy secured the boys’ title with a hard-fought 47–44 victory over Urhobo College.
The opening address was delivered by the Category Manager, MILO, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr. Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah, who highlighted the role of the championship in inspiring young athletes to pursue excellence beyond the game.
“Every game played at this championship reminds us of the courage, determination and promise that exist in our young people. These students are not only competing for medals; they are learning to believe in themselves, to work as a team, and to rise above challenges. At MILO, we are proud to continue supporting a platform that helps young people turn their passion into purpose,” he said.
In the girls’ category, Anthonia Obokawe of St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, was named Most Valuable Player. Wearing jersey number 4, she contributed 12 points out of her team’s 46 points, playing a key role in their victory.
In the boys’ category, Edmund Hart of King Amakree Academy, Rivers State, was named Most Valuable Player after delivering an outstanding performance, contributing 22 points out of their team’s 47 points.
The event was attended by dignitaries from the Delta State Ministry of Education, as well as representatives from NSSF, NCSF and FIBA.
The journey to the 26th MILO Basketball Championship National Finals has progressed through key regional stages across the country.
From the Savannah Conference, where Government Secondary School, Zing, Taraba State, emerged girls’ champions and Family Support Programme Secondary School, Katsina State, won the boys’ category. To the Central Conference, where Government Secondary School, Gboko, Benue State, secured the girls’ title and Father O’Connell Science College, Niger State, emerged boys’ champions. And now to the Atlantic Conference, where St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Bayelsa State, and King Amakree Academy, Rivers State, emerged champions in the girls’ and boys’ categories respectively.
Attention now turns to the Western Conference, the final regional stage, where winning schools will secure places at the 26th MILO Basketball Championship National Finals scheduled for July 2, 2026, at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Brand
Watching BBN and the World Cup Is No Longer a Location Thing
Big Brother Naija Reunion is on, the World Cup tournament is kicking off, or that new DStv/GOtv series everyone has been talking about just dropped, and somehow, you’re not at home. Maybe you’re in traffic, at work, or just not near a TV. In moments like these, the real question is no longer “what’s showing?” but “how do I not miss it?”That shift is precisely why the DStv and GOtv Stream have become more than just viewing platforms. They are now part of how people actually experience television on the move, at home, on phones, and in real time.”Whether it’s someone trying to catch a live show while commuting, watching highlights during a break at work, or simply preferring to stream directly from their device instead of using a decoder, these apps have quietly changed how entertainment is consumed.But beyond streaming and access, many users still don’t fully understand how to navigate them properly. Here’s a simple guide.1. Getting StartedDownload the DStv Stream or GOtv Stream app from your device’s app store and sign in using your DStv or GOtv account details.Once you’re logged in, you’ll land on the home page, where you’ll find a mix of live TV, recommended content, trending titles, and recently added shows.2. Watching Live TVOne of the easiest ways to use the platform is through the Live TV section.Simply:Tap on Live TVBrowse available channelsSelect the channel you wantStart watching instantlyThis is especially useful for:Big Brother Naija live broadcastsFootball matches and tournamentsNews coverageReality showsLive eventsYou can move between channels just as you would on a decoder.3. Finding Shows and MoviesFor viewers who already know what they want to watch, the search feature offers a quick way to find specific shows, movies, channels, or sporting events without scrolling through categories.The platform also organizes content into categories, making it easier to discover something new.4. Catch Up on Missed EpisodesIf you missed an episode because you were busy, the catch-up feature allows you to watch selected programs after they have aired. Instead of waiting for reruns, you can simply search for the show and pick up right where you left off. This feature is especially useful during busy periods when it can be difficult to keep up with daily shows.5. Explore Recommended and Trending ContentThe home page regularly highlights:Trending showsNewly added contentPopular moviesRecommended titles based on viewing habitsIf you’re not sure what to watch next, this section can help you discover content you may have otherwise missed.6. Accessing Showmax ContentOne of the biggest additions to the streaming experience is the integration of Showmax content.Viewers can now access a wide range of Showmax movies, series, and entertainment content directly through the streaming platform, making it easier to move between live TV and on-demand viewing without constantly switching services.From international blockbusters to local favorites, there’s significantly more content available to explore.7. Creating a Personal Viewing ExperienceThe platform allows users to:Continue watching from where they stoppedSave favorite contentBrowse viewing historyDiscover personalized recommendationsThis makes it easier to keep track of ongoing series and find content that matches your interests.With the DStv Stream and GOtv Stream, live channels, catch-up viewing, on-demand entertainment, and Showmax content are all available in one place, making it easier than ever to watch what you want, when you want, and wherever you are.
Brand
Interswitch Brings Two Decades of Infrastructure Thinking to the 3rd ‘Invest Lagos’ Summit, highlights Lagos SHIP as prime example of forward-thinking public-private sector partnership
Lagos, Nigeria; June 10, 2026
Interswitch Group, Africa’s first homegrown technology unicorn and the continent’s foremost digital payments infrastructure company, participated as AI and Innovation Pavilion co-chair and corporate thought-leader at the 3rd Invest in Lagos Summit, held at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, from June 8–9, 2026. The high-profile summit, convened under the auspices of the Lagos State Government and themed ‘Lagos: Business Gateway to Africa’ expectedly drew a distinguished gathering of public and private sector leaders from across Africa and the global investment community, including His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor of Lagos State, and a slew of other state governors from across Nigeria, as well as members of the Federal Executive Council, whose presence underscored the strategic importance of the summit as a platform for shaping Africa’s investment and innovation agenda. Representing Interswitch Group on the summit’s flagship technology panel on day 1, themed “The Future of Technology and Innovation” was Babafemi Ogungbamila, Executive Vice-President (EVP) for Operations and Technology. Speaking to an audience of investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and global business leaders, Ogungbamila drew on Interswitch’s foundational story to deliver what became one of the session’s most cited contributions: a frank, first-hand account of what it truly takes to build technology infrastructure in Africa; not in theory, but from the ground up, against the odds, and before the market was ready to reward the effort. “Without the right rails, even the best products will stall before reaching scale,” Ogungbamila asserted. “We built Nigeria’s first successful digital interbank transaction infrastructure in 2002. Nobody was asking us to build it. There was no guaranteed return. But we understood that the companies that build the foundational layer of an ecosystem don’t just compete in that ecosystem; they shape it. That principle holds as powerfully today as it did then.” His contribution to the panel was rooted in a founding narrative that remains as instructive today as it was defining in 2002. When Interswitch was established in Lagos by Founder and Group CEO Mitchell Elegbe, there was essentially no technology ecosystem to speak of. No digital payments infrastructure. No interoperability between financial institutions. No playbook from which to build. According to him, what Lagos offered instead was something more powerful than infrastructure: a market whose economic ambition had already outpaced its digital capacity – a gap that became Interswitch’s founding mandate. “In 2002, there was no ecosystem” Ogungbamila reflected. “No blueprint. No guarantee that what we were building would find a market. Just a sprawling, complex, commercially ferocious city whose economy was moving faster than its digital infrastructure could carry. That gap was our invitation.” That invitation produced Nigeria’s first interoperable digital payments switching infrastructure, the invisible backbone that today processes the majority of Nigeria’s electronic transactions and connects banks, merchants, fintechs, and consumers across the country’s financial ecosystem at scale.Speaking to the broader question of what conditions are required to scale African technology companies into globally competitive enterprises, Ogungbamila was emphatic that infrastructure depth, and the institutional courage to invest in it before the market offers its reward, remains the defining variable separating technology companies that endure from those that plateau. “The companies that build the foundational layer of an ecosystem don’t just compete in that ecosystem, they shape it” he reiterated. “Twenty-three years on, that principle is not nostalgia. It is our operating philosophy, and it is more relevant now than ever, as Lagos cements its place as one of Africa’s foremost technology and innovation hubs, and as the next generation of African builders constructs what comes next.” Ogungbamila further referenced The Lagos Smart Health Information Platform, known as Lagos SHIP or LAGSHIP as a first-of-its-kind initiative developed by Digital Health Platform Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle comprising the Lagos State Ministry of Health and Interswitch eClat, designed to digitize and integrate patients’ health records across the state into a single, comprehensive platform, enabling a robust Health Information Exchange system that gives healthcare providers real-time access to comprehensive patient records for more informed decision-making, while simultaneously empowering patients with unprecedented control over their personal health data. Beyond individual patient care, LAGSHIP eliminates the inefficiencies of manual data handling, ensures data confidentiality and privacy, and equips the Lagos State Government with the data intelligence needed to plan and coordinate healthcare services across all levels, from primary healthcare centres to tertiary institutions. This essentially transforms fragmented, error-prone record management into a unified, policy-grade infrastructure for a city of over 22 million people Such an intervention, which essentially seeks to replicate in healthcare, how technology was leveraged by Interswitch, based on infrastructure-thinking, to transform banking and payments (resulting in tremendous multiplier effects) about 2 decades ago, speaks to forward-thinking vision by the leadership of Lagos State. Ogungbamila further addressed the conditions required to drive inclusive, broad-based economic growth through technology, arguing that connectivity must be treated as constitutional infrastructure, that public-private partnerships must be designed around community need rather than commercial convenience, and that regulatory frameworks must be built to enable innovation rather than merely govern it. On artificial intelligence specifically, he called for African governments to invest in regulatory capacity before regulatory complexity highlighting that understanding must precede legislation if Africa is to capture the full economic value of the AI revolution. A central theme of Interswitch’s participation at the summit was the role of Lagos not merely as a commercial hub, but as the specific environment whose scale, complexity, and appetite for solutions gave Interswitch the mandate and the market to become what it is today. Africa’s first homegrown technology unicorn was not built despite Lagos’s infrastructure challenges. In many meaningful ways, it was built because of them. That framing carries particular resonance at a moment when Lagos is actively positioning itself as the investment destination of choice for global capital flowing into African technology, financial services, and digital infrastructure. Interswitch’s story, from a 2002 startup operating in a vacuum of digital financial infrastructure to a billion-dollar pan-African enterprise operating across over 23 countries is, in many ways, Lagos’ story told through the lens of a company that bet on the city before the city had fully bet on itself.
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