News Highlights:
- FintechNGR VP, Dr. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, will deliver the keynote address, focusing on leveraging credit data to deepen financial inclusion in Nigeria.
- PAFON 3.0 will convene key stakeholders to explore how fair digital payment systems can drive inclusive growth, amid rising financial inclusion levels now at 74 per cent.
As Nigeria’s digital economy accelerates, industry leaders are set to converge at the 3rd edition of the Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 3.0) to interrogate how fairness in digital payment systems can unlock broader financial inclusion, with the Vice President of the Governing Council of the Fintech Association of Nigeria, Dr. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, leading the conversation.
Scheduled to hold on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, the forum is expected to draw regulators, financial institutions, fintech innovators, payment service providers, development partners, and policymakers committed to advancing access to finance across underserved communities.
Framed around the theme, “Fair Digital Payments as a Catalyst for Deepening Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,” the gathering will examine how affordability, transparency, interoperability, and accessibility within digital payment systems can strengthen trust, drive economic resilience, and expand participation in the formal financial ecosystem.
The urgency of the conversation is underscored by recent data showing that formal financial inclusion in Nigeria rose to 74 per cent in 2025, up from 56 per cent in 2020, signalling both progress and the need for more inclusive frameworks as the country steadily transitions toward a cash-light economy.
Central to the forum is the keynote address by Dr. Sharrieff-Ayedun, who is also co-founder of CreditRegistry Corporation. She is expected to speak on leveraging credit data to deepen financial inclusion, drawing from over three decades of cross-continental experience spanning engineering, corporate strategy, and organisational leadership.
Her professional background includes roles at Microsoft Corporation and General Motors, alongside notable contributions to the development of Nigeria’s credit infrastructure.
Underscoring her significance to the discourse, co-convener of the forum, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, stated, “Given Dr. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun’s distinguished leadership and contributions to Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, we believe her insights would provide invaluable perspective and set the tone for high-level discussions at the Forum.
“Her keynote will help frame the national conversation around building a resilient, inclusive, and trusted digital payment infrastructure.”
The event will also feature a keynote by Prof. Adewale Peter Obadare, founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode Limited, alongside a lineup of prominent stakeholders, including Uche Uzoebo of SANEF Limited, Mojeed Abayomi Agboola of FIAMCS, Dr. Obioha Otti of AMMBAN, Ibirogba Oluwagunwa of AMMBAN Lagos, Chukwuemeka Enoch of Lagos Blockchain Week, and Sarafadeen Fasasi of AFiAN.
Beyond keynote sessions, the forum will host panel discussions focused on closing Nigeria’s financial inclusion gap, live demonstrations of digital tools for last-mile agents, fireside conversations on emerging payment innovations, and a town hall session on the state of agency banking in Nigeria led by AMMBAN.
Participation in the event is free, although pre-registration is required. Convened as a multi-stakeholder platform, Payments Forum Nigeria continues to play a pivotal role in addressing systemic challenges within the payments ecosystem while advancing the vision of a more inclusive, efficient, and trusted digital financial system.