Africa needs stronger digital payment links to unlock regional trade – Femi Osinbajo

Former Nigerian Vice-President Femi Osinbajo has called for stronger cooperation among African countries to improve cross-border payments and strengthen digital integration, which could boost trade and investment across the continent. Speaking at the opening of the Mobex Africa Conference 2026, Osinbajo highlighted the existing progress in developing domestic payment systems but noted that transferring money across borders remains difficult and costly for traders, businesses, and individuals.

He emphasized that efficient, secure, and accessible payment systems are crucial for deepening regional economic integration and expanding business opportunities. Osinbajo stressed the need for collaboration among central banks, financial institutions, governments, and other authorities to improve connections between national payment systems, stressing the importance of trust, common standards, and effective regulatory cooperation.

He also highlighted the significance of accessible digital identification and straightforward verification processes to make financial services available to more people while addressing concerns about data exposure and privacy.

Brief written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.