Stakeholders Stress Need for Adaptive Financial Infrastructure for Dynamic Market

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The need for financial infrastructure that can evolve with changing consumer expectations, support new business models and enable innovation without compromising the trust on which digital finance depends has been emphasised by stakeholders at the just-concluded 2026 TechConnect in Lagos.

The programme was organised by Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, for critical players in the financial services, technology and business ecosystems to explore how financial infrastructure can evolve to support business growth and the next phase of digital commerce.

The Lagos event marked the culmination of a four-city tour that included engagements in Owerri, Abuja and Ibadan.

The series, themed Built for What’s Next: Designing Adaptive Financial Infrastructure for a Dynamic Market, provided a platform to discuss emerging financial technologies, evolving business needs, and the importance of secure, resilient, and interoperable systems.

“Building for what’s next extends beyond just adopting new technologies to creating financial infrastructure that can evolve with changing consumer expectations, support new business models and enable innovation without compromising the trust on which digital finance depends.

“As payments become increasingly digital and interconnected, we must continue to strengthen interoperability, security and resilience while creating room for new payment experiences that give consumers greater choice and businesses more flexibility,” the Managing Director for Payment Scheme and Network at Verve International, Mr Vincent Ogbunude, said.

Also speaking, the Chief Sales Officer of Interswitch, Robinta Aluyi, said, “TechConnect is about bringing stakeholders across the financial services, technology and business ecosystems together to share perspectives on the realities of our market, the opportunities ahead and the partnerships required to move the industry forward. As we conclude this year’s edition, the conversations across our four-city journey reinforce the need to build financial infrastructure that responds to changing business and consumer needs, supports innovation and creates a strong foundation for sustainable growth.”

The Lagos finale featured a panel discussion, Adaptive Frameworks: Digital Financial Services in an Era of AI, Tokenisation and Real-Time Payments, which explored how emerging technologies are shaping financial services and the development of a more responsive digital economy. The discussion brought together industry representatives to examine the infrastructure, partnerships and capabilities needed to support evolving payment experiences.

A fireside chat, Tokenisation: The Next Chapter for Digital Payments, examined the relevance of tokenisation to payment security, digital commerce and the future of card-based transactions. This was complemented by a live demonstration of a tokenised transaction, illustrating the technology’s application in digital payments.

The programme also featured an official announcement concerning Google’s entry into Nigeria and the roles of Interswitch, Verve and their partners, alongside an industry presentation by Kantar, From the Queue to the Tap: Twenty Years of How Nigerians Pay.

It also included a showcase of Interswitch’s products and services, highlighting the role of integrated payment technologies in supporting businesses, financial institutions and consumers across an increasingly connected economy. An awards presentation also recognised outstanding performances by Interswitch partners.