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| L-R: Ugonna Madueke, Strategic Facilitator, Global Forum Moderator; Olumide Balogun, Head of Google, East and West Africa; Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Interswitch Payment Tokens/Verve International; Morayo Adisa, Director, Government Affairs and Policy, Mastercard West Africa; and Alban Odhiambo, Deputy Global Lead, Trade and Infrastructure, Tony Blair Institute, at the second plenary session of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum (ADTF) 2026, held from July 1–2 at the National Theatre, Lagos. |
As Africa accelerates efforts to unlock the immense opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), leading digital payments company, Interswitch Group, has called for urgent investment in interoperable payment systems, trusted digital identity frameworks and stronger digital infrastructure to power seamless cross-border trade across the continent.
The company made the call at the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum (ADTF) 2026, held from July 1 to 2 at the National Theatre, Lagos, where it participated as a key sponsor and one of the leading voices shaping conversations around Africa's digital economy.
The two-day forum, themed "Digital Trade for a Connected African Market," brought together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, technology companies, investors, development partners and private sector leaders from across Africa to discuss practical strategies for implementing the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol and strengthening digital commerce across the continent.
For Interswitch, the event represented another opportunity to reinforce its commitment to building the digital infrastructure that will enable businesses and consumers to trade seamlessly beyond national borders.
Speaking during the plenary session titled "The Digital Backbone: Building Digital Public Infrastructure for an Inclusive AfCFTA Market," Managing Director of Interswitch Payment Tokens (Verve International), Vincent Ogbunude, identified four major challenges currently slowing Africa's journey towards an integrated digital payments ecosystem.
According to him, fragmented payment standards across different African countries, weak digital identity and Know Your Customer (KYC) systems, foreign exchange and settlement complexities, as well as inadequate payment acceptance infrastructure remain significant obstacles to achieving seamless cross-border transactions.
Ogbunude stressed that addressing these challenges would require sustained collaboration between governments, regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies and technology providers.
"Africa's digital trade ambitions will only be fully realised when moving money across borders becomes as seamless as moving information. Achieving that future requires interoperable payment systems, trusted digital identities, harmonised standards and stronger collaboration across the public and private sectors.
"At Interswitch, we remain committed to building the digital infrastructure and partnerships that make cross-border commerce simpler, faster and more inclusive for businesses and consumers across the continent," he said.
Beyond participating in policy discussions, Interswitch used the forum to showcase some of its innovative payment technologies designed to simplify digital transactions across African markets.
Visitors to the company's exhibition booth experienced solutions demonstrating how technology can eliminate friction in cross-border payments, improve financial inclusion and enable businesses to trade more efficiently across different jurisdictions.
The company also hosted an exclusive networking mixer that brought together industry stakeholders to deepen collaboration and explore new opportunities for advancing Africa's digital payments ecosystem.
The forum also featured keynote remarks from the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, who serves as Co-Champion of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum.
She described digital trade as one of Africa's greatest economic opportunities and urged governments, regulators and private sector players to work together in developing the policy frameworks, digital infrastructure and partnerships needed to create a trusted, inclusive and interconnected African marketplace.
According to the Minister, Africa's ability to maximise the benefits of AfCFTA depends largely on building reliable digital public infrastructure capable of supporting commerce across borders.
Throughout the discussions, participants agreed that interoperable payment systems, secure digital identities and resilient Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will play a decisive role in accelerating intra-African trade and making the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol a reality.
These priorities align closely with Interswitch's mission of enabling the seamless exchange of value across Africa.
For more than two decades, the company has remained one of the continent's leading technology-driven financial services providers, developing payment infrastructure that powers commerce, promotes financial inclusion and supports digital transformation across multiple African countries.
As Africa continues its journey towards becoming a digitally connected single market, Interswitch says it remains committed to collaborating with governments, regulators, financial institutions and ecosystem partners to remove barriers to trade and strengthen the trusted infrastructure needed to support innovation, investment and inclusive economic growth.
With digital trade expected to become one of the biggest drivers of Africa's economic future, the company believes that stronger partnerships and technology-led innovation will be critical to ensuring businesses of all sizes can participate confidently in a truly integrated continental marketplace.