Appointment signals a move toward AI-powered operational transparency, real-time compliance, and data-led growth for customers
NAIROBI, Kenya, 15 April 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – Cellulant, Africa’s leading payment technology company, has appointed Anthony Hernandez as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead end-to-end customer experience, from onboarding and transactions to customer growth, alongside advancing operational automation across the business.
Cellulant serves the payment needs of enterprises and global businesses across Africa through a single API that connects to multiple markets and hundreds of payment methods. As the company continues to scale, its focus is on strengthening the operational backbone required to enable payments with consistency, reliability, and visibility for customers across every market while enabling them to grow.
Commenting on the appointment, Peter O’Toole, Chief Executive Officer of Cellulant, said, “In payments today, trust is the real currency, and operational excellence is what earns it. As we continue to grow our volumes and support market-leading businesses across Africa and beyond, we are deliberately strengthening our operational foundations. Anthony’s role is to ensure we embed that operational discipline with intention, delivering consistent, high-quality experiences as we deepen our presence across markets and support our customers’ growth.”
Anthony brings over 25 years of global leadership experience across financial services, fintech, and industrial sectors, with a strong track record in building and scaling high-performing operating models in complex, regulated, and fast-growing environments.
Throughout his career, Anthony has held senior leadership roles at GE Capital, Xapo Bank, and Demica (now part of FIS), where he led large-scale digital transformations, regulatory approvals, and built global operating teams managing assets totalling tens of billions of dollars.
Under Hernandez’s leadership, Cellulant will advance an automated, data-driven operational framework to meet growing customer expectations around real-time visibility into fund status and settlements, alongside robust transaction monitoring to support compliance across its markets. Leveraging platform data, the company will deliver deeper insights to help customers optimise performance, manage risk, and grow. He will also strengthen compliance and risk frameworks to ensure the highest standards of governance across regulated markets.
“Payment flexibility starts with access to the right options and is grown by how reliably those options work in practice,” said Anthony, COO at Cellulant. “Cellulant has built a powerful payment infrastructure for businesses operating across Africa, and I’m excited to join a team that is at the very heart of Africa’s digital economy. Our focus is now building the operational discipline and systems that ensure customers experience simple, reliable and frictionless payment experiences every time, while giving them the visibility and insight to grow their businesses.”
Cellulant is Africa’s leading payments company, providing seamless, secure, and innovative solutions that empower businesses, banks, and global brands to thrive in a fast-changing global economy.
With a presence in over 24 countries and support for more than 200 payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, our single API payment platform, Tingg, streamlines collections, disbursements, and reconciliations. Tingg processes over 4.5 million transactions daily for market leaders across various sectors, including Travel & Hospitality, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Trade, and Remittances.
By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we drive trust, commerce, and scale, connecting companies and people to their ambitions.
Women, Financial Services, Telco and Southern African CMOs dominate the list of Africa’s 100 Most Influential Brand Builders
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 30 march 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – Brand Africa, in partnership with African Business magazine, MIPAD (Most Influential People of African Descent) and the African Media Agency, today launched the inaugural Africa CMO 100 (ACMO100) — recognising the 100 most impactful marketing, brand and reputation leaders shaping Africa’s story, identity and prosperity.
The full list and in-depth analysis will be featured in the April 2026 issue of African Business, available first week of April, and across partner platforms at brandafrica.net, africabusiness.com, mipad.org and africanmediaagency.com.
Brand Africa’s independent research over 15 years has consistently found that while 68% of Africans believe in Africa, only 18% of the brands they most admire are African. ACMO100 exists to recognise and connect the leaders best placed to change that. “CMOs and senior brand leaders are among the most powerful architects of Africa’s future. Through strategy, stewardship and influence, they shape narratives, build trust, and guide the preferences of hundreds of millions of people. ACMO100 exists to recognise, celebrate and connect these leaders.” — Thebe Ikalafeng — Founder and Chairman, Brand Africa
The inaugural ACMO100 honourees will be celebrated at Brand Africa Week, Addis Ababa, 22–26 May 2026.
ACMO100: AFRICA’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL MARKETING LEADERS
One hundred leaders across six African economic regions — including the diaspora — spanning twenty countries and more than 50 distinct role titles. The list is ordered alphabetically by country of origin. All 100 honourees hold equal standing. The list carries no internal ranking.
THREE FINDINGS FROM THE INAUGURAL LIST
01 — A Female-Majority Profession. 62% of honourees are women — a majority across every region. The diaspora cohort is 75% female; East Africa reaches 72%; North Africa, 71%. In Africa, women are not emerging talent waiting for their moment: they are running marketing for the continent’s most consequential brands.
02 — Finance and Telecoms Dominate. Financial services — banking, insurance and fintech — leads with 31 honourees, reflecting the scale of Africa’s financial inclusion wave and the premium brand trust commands in markets where millions are transacting formally for the first time. Telecoms and technology account for a further 20. Together, these two sectors represent more than half the list — and the deepest pools of marketing talent on the continent.
03 — Three Hubs, and a Rising Fourth. Southern Africa leads with 39 honourees, anchored by Johannesburg — the marketing capital of the continent. West Africa contributes 20, with Nigeria’s 17 entries anchoring a market of extraordinary commercial depth. East Africa’s 17 are shaped by Kenya’s Safaricom ecosystem and Nairobi’s competitive consumer market. The most instructive story is North Africa: 14 entries, with Morocco alone accounting for seven — more than Egypt and Algeria combined — signalling Casablanca’s emergence as a new continental marketing hub.
Southern Africa — 39 Honourees Anchored by South Africa, which accounts for 31% of leaders by country of origin. Cohort: Abey Mokgwatsane, Alison Hastings Badenhorst, Andisa Ntsubane, Andrea Quaye, Beyers Van De Merwe, Bronwyn Pretorius, Bunmi Adeniba, Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder, Doug Place, Dries Van der Sandt, Dudu Mokholo, Faye Mfikwe, Firoze Bhorat, Francois Viviers, Gugu Mthembu, Happy Ngidi, Ilze Bylos, Ivan Serra (Mozambique), Jessica Motaung, Khensani Nobanda, Levie Nkunika (Malawi), Lorraine De Graaf, Lucia Maseko, Matilda Nyathi (Zimbabwe), Mmaphuti Rankapole, Mosala Phillips, Mphothe Elizabeth Mokwena, Mzamo Masito, Nontokozo Madonsela, Raquel Capitão (Angola), Sithembile Ndaba, Sobhuza Ngwenya (Malawi), Suneeta Motala (Mauritius), Sydney Nhlanhla Mbhele, Thabang Ramogase, Tim Ekandjo (Namibia), Vaughan Croeser, Vilosha Soni and Vuyokazi Henda.
West Africa — 20 Honourees Nigeria’s 17 entries anchor a market of extraordinary commercial depth. Cohort: Adewunmi Desalu, Amaechi Michael Okobi, Anthony Chiejina, Bamise Oyegbami, Bolanle Kehinde-Lawal, Cherry Eromosele, Chinedu Zephaniah, Diran Olojo, Emeka Oparah, Idemudia Dima-Okojie, Ifeoma Agu, Ilyas Kazeem, Julien Zayro (Côte d’Ivoire), Maureen Ifada, Noel Kojo-Ganson (Ghana), Oluyomi Moses, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Sandra Handou Koné (Côte d’Ivoire), Sarah Agha and Tolu Alero Ladipo.
East Africa — 17 Honourees Anchored by Kenya at nine, shaped by the Safaricom ecosystem and Nairobi’s competitive consumer market. Cohort: Abdulkadir Mamma Hussein (Ethiopia), Anne Joy Michira, Catherine Ndungu, Fatema Dewji (Tanzania), Isabelle Kariuki-Rostom, Kitenda Robert Gobii (Uganda), Lemma Yadecha Gudeta (Ethiopia), Martine Gatabazi (Tanzania), Neemarose Singo (Tanzania), Nelly Wangui Wainaina, Ope Lawal, Rosalind Gichuru, Sylvia ElSheikh (Uganda), Vivian Achieng Oyugi, Wangechi Gitahi, Warau Kahoro and Zizwe Awuor Vundla.
North Africa — 14 Honourees Morocco alone accounts for seven entries — more than Egypt and Algeria combined — reflecting its position as a francophone-Arabic-European commercial crossroads. Cohort: Anne Ezeh (Egypt), El Hadi Mohamed Hamma (Algeria), Fadwa Bisbis, Ghada Hammouda (Egypt), Isabelle Hajri (Algeria), Mahmoud Taha (Egypt), Mehdi Yaroub, Mounir Jazouli, Nadia Rahim Guérin, Sakina El Fares, Salma Bencherif, Salma Hamdouch, Samia Dziri (Algeria) and Shams Adly (Egypt).
Central Africa — 2 Honourees Bienvenu Mayamonuswa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Yves Kom (Cameroon).
Diaspora — 8 Honourees Based in the USA and UAE, running marketing at Visa, Unilever, Doordash and BET Media Group — underscoring the mobility of African-origin talent at the top of the world’s most competitive brand portfolios. Cohort: Dara Treseder, Esi Eggleston Bracey, Frank Cooper III, Kimberly Evans Paige, Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Linda Kouam, Najoh Tita-Reid and Tarek Abdalla.
THE BAOBAB | ACMO HALL OF FAME
Brand Africa has also announced the inaugural Baobab | ACMO Hall of Fame — honouring a select number of African and diaspora brand leaders whose benchmark careers have made an enduring contribution to Africa’s brand narrative. Named for Africa’s most iconic and enduring tree, the Baobab honours legacy, not a moment. Inaugural recipients: Bozoma Saint John (former Uber and Netflix CMO); Bernice Samuels (retiring MTN Group Executive for Brand and Marketing); Sylvia Mulinge (CEO, MTN Uganda; former Chief Customer Officer, Safaricom); and Souheil Badaa (former CMO, Novartis Group; founder, Tanakoo) — icons whose work has defined, elevated and expanded the possibilities of African-led brand leadership.
BRAND AFRICA WEEK — ADDIS ABABA, 22–26 MAY 2026
The inaugural ACMO100 honourees will be celebrated at Brand Africa Week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — the historical capital of the continent — in the week of Africa Day. Brand Africa Week 2026 will bring together the ACMO100 Celebration, the unveiling of the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands® and the Brand Africa Dialogue — planned to be the most impactful convening of continental CMOs in Africa’s history.
“MIPAD exists to celebrate and elevate the most influential people of African descent — and ACMO100 does exactly that for the world of marketing and brand leadership. For the first time, the architects of Africa’s most powerful brands are being recognised on their own terms. That is long overdue, and it matters deeply to the diaspora.” — Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman, MIPAD (USA/Nigeria)
THE ACMO METHODOLOGY AND REVIEW COMMITTEE
The ACMO100 selection is governed by a rigorous, three-step process designed to reflect the realities of marketing leadership across a continent where function often outpaces title.
Collation draws on three independent sources: nominations by the ACMO Review Committee; review of the marketing leadership behind brands featured in the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands® and comparable rankings over the preceding three years; and research into CMOs behind award-winning and/or impactful work.
Evaluation applies a consistent set of criteria to every nominee: active leadership in Africa or the diaspora; a minimum of five years in senior marketing decision-making; and standing as the highest-ranking functional marketing, brand or communications leader in their organisation.
Verification and vetting ensures that every name on the list has earned its place through demonstrable impact, influence and integrity — not title or visibility alone.
The list carries no internal ranking. All 100 honourees hold equal standing.
The integrity of ACMO100 is anchored in the independence and calibre of its governance. The ACMO Review Committee is an independent, Africa-wide body of distinguished practitioners with a deep understanding of the marketing and brand industry and its most influential individuals — drawn from every major region of the continent and the diaspora. The Committee is intentionally diverse in discipline, geography and background. It brings together former CMOs now in general management and board roles; founders and chief executives of leading African agencies; editors and publishers of the continent’s foremost business media; heads of national marketing associations; academics and researchers from leading African institutions; and respected independent voices from strategy, creative, media and digital.
Committee members are ineligible for inclusion during their tenure; current CMOs do not participate in nomination or adjudication, ensuring complete independence. The panel spans more than 20 countries across all African regions and the diaspora — its diversity in discipline, geography and seniority is central to the credibility of the process.
Southern Africa: Thulani Sibeko, CEO – COID and Social Insurance, Rand Mutual (RMA) (South Africa); Trevor Ncube, Chairman & Director, Alpha Media Holdings (Zimbabwe); Laz Jacobs, Founder & Executive Director, Paragon TBWA (Namibia); Dr Pepe Marais, Group Chief Creative Officer, Joe Public (South Africa); Sechaba Motsieloa, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Kansy Group (South Africa); George Damson, President, Institute of Marketing in Malawi; Dr Tumelo Chaka, Managing Executive, The Strategists (South Africa); Christine Ramela (Mozambique); Mwewa Besa, President, Institute of Marketing in Zambia; Brian Yuyi, CEO, Marketing Association of South Africa; Professor Alistair Mokoena, Executive Dean, Johannesburg Business School (South Africa); Dr Tendai Mhiza, CEO, Integra Africa (Zimbabwe); Gillian Rusike, Founder & CEO, Marketers Association of Zimbabwe; Adv Phelane Phomane, Founder & Managing Director, Tangerine Connect (Lesotho); Dale Hefer, CEO, Integrated Marketing Council (South Africa).
West Africa: Seyi Ademola-Adeoye, Senior Research Fellow, Pierrine (Nigeria); Kwame Senou, Executive Director, THOP (Côte d’Ivoire); Steve Babaeko, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas (Nigeria); Ade Adefeko, Vice President, Corporate & Government Affairs, Olam International (Nigeria); Sharon Mills, Lead Consultant, SMC Consulting (Ghana); Daniel Kojo Soboh, Executive Director, EMY Africa (Ghana).
East Africa: Malik Shaffy Lizinde, Founder & CEO, 63 INC (Rwanda); William Kalombo, Marketing Africa Magazine (Kenya); Melvin Mwakugu, Independent (Kenya); Jacquie Muhati, Deputy Marketing Director, NCBA (Kenya); Barian Shah, Managing Director, Evolution Events (Tanzania); Aron Simeneh, Creative Director, Kin Creatives (Ethiopia); Joseph Kanyamunyu, Chief Executive Director, Publicis Africa Communications (Uganda); Frakline Kibuacha, Marketing Director, GeoPoll (Kenya).
Diaspora: Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher, African Business (UK/Tunisia); Denver Phiri (UK/Zimbabwe); Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman, MIPAD (USA/Nigeria); Moky Makura, Executive Director, Africa No Filter (UK/Nigeria); Terhas Asefaw Berhe, Managing Director, Brand Comms (UK/Eritrea); James Woods, Globiq International (UK/Malawi); Akin Naphtal, Founder & CEO, InstinctiveWave Group (UK/Nigeria); Cyrille Djami, Founder & Manager, Comms of Africa (France/Cameroon), and Ndeye Diagne, Chief Client Officer, Kantar (France/Senegal).
“The ACMO Review Committee brings together some of the sharpest and most experienced minds on the continent. Their role is to ensure that every name on the ACMO100 list has truly earned their place through impact, influence and integrity.” — Omar Ben Yedder — Publisher, African Business
Brand Africa is the continent’s leading brand-led platform to inspire an African renaissance founded on the conviction that brands drive the growth, reputation and competitiveness of nations. Since 2011, its flagship initiative, the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands®, has tracked brand performance, consumer perception and brand equity across the continent – providing the most authoritative pan-African brand intelligence. Brand Africa convenes leaders, shapes narratives and advances the case for branding as a driver of Africa’s prosperity. www.brand.africa
ABOUT AFRICAN BUSINESS
African Business is Africa’s foremost pan-continental business magazine, providing authoritative journalism, analysis and intelligence on business, finance, trade and policy across Africa and the global African diaspora. Published by IC Publications, it reaches a senior readership of business, government and civil society leaders across Africa and internationally. www.africabusiness.com
ABOUT MIPAD
MIPAD (Most Influential People of African Descent) is a global civil society organisation that recognises, celebrates and networks the most influential people of African descent across the world. Its annual recognition spans business, politics, culture, science and civil society, with a mission to advance the social, economic and political empowerment of people of African descent globally. www.mipad.org
ABOUT AFRICAN MEDIA AGENCY
African Media Agency (AMA) is the trusted pan-African communications agency helping organisations connect with African audiences. Founded by Eloïne Barry, AMA integrates public relations with digital and creative communications to establish clients as market leaders across the continent. AMA’s services span press release distribution, PR strategy, digital creative and media training through its not-for-profit AMA Academy. A member of IPREX and the PRCA. www.africanmediaagency.com
Seasoned global fintech leader joins Cellulant to strengthen financial leadership as the company scales its payments platform
NAIROBI, Kenya, 19 march 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – Cellulant, Africa’s leading payments technology company, has appointed Darren Makarem as Chief Financial Officer, strengthening its executive team as it accelerates its expansion as the preferred payments partner for global and regional enterprises.
The appointment comes as Cellulant builds on strong operational momentum, scaling its platform with greater financial discipline while delivering differentiated, product-led value to customers.
A seasoned finance and operations leader with over 20 years of experience in the digital and fintech sectors, Darren will help strengthen the company’s financial strategy and operational foundations.
Having achieved profitability in 2024, Cellulant is leveraging its infrastructure, which processes over 4.5 million transactions daily, to serve Africa’s digital payments economy, projected to reach $1.5 Trillion by 2030.*
A CFO Who Understands the Customer
Darren brings a strong understanding of payments from the customer side. As former Global CFO at Agoda, he oversaw the company’s global payments network, managing annual transaction volumes of approximately $12 billion. In that role, he navigated multi-currency settlement, conversion rate optimisation, the need for reliable, high-uptime payment infrastructure and payment experiences that enable customer growth.
“Darren doesn’t just understand the numbers; he understands the customer,” said Peter O’Toole, CEO of Cellulant. “His experience as a high-volume user of payment services at Agoda gives him a unique perspective on what businesses need to grow. He will leverage these insights to build a finance centre of excellence, ensuring our financial operations are as innovative, agile, and customer-centric as our products.”
Global Rigour Meets Emerging Market Expertise
Darren brings a rare blend of institutional rigour and experience scaling a global fintech platform. An ACA-qualified professional, he began his career with EY in England and later earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
His experience spans complex regulatory and commercial landscapes, notably serving as APAC & LATAM CFO at Binance and, most recently, as CEO of OnRamp. This background in digital assets and regulated business models is particularly vital as Cellulant continues to explore new payment and settlement models.
Building for Sustainable Growth
For Darren, the opportunity at Cellulant is rooted in both the strength of the platform and the scale of the opportunity ahead.
“What excites me about Cellulant is the quality of what has already been built. A deep payment network, strong enterprise partnerships and a real focus on customer value,” says Darren Makarem, Chief Financial Officer at Cellulant. “Cellulant’s true strength is its people, obsessed with solving the toughest payment challenges in the market. My priority is to ensure the business has the financial discipline, insight and operational support to move fast, stay bold and keep delivering.”
Cellulant continues to invest in the leadership, infrastructure, automation and organisational capability required to build a high-performance, product-centric business that is trusted by customers and positioned for sustained growth across the continent.
*Source: The Future of Digital Payments in Africa, a report by Genesis Analytics commissioned by Mastercard (2025).
About Cellulant Cellulant is Africa’s leading payments company, providing seamless, secure, and innovative solutions that empower businesses, banks, and global brands to thrive in a fast-changing global economy.
With a presence in over 24 countries and support for more than 200 payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, our single API payment platform, Tingg, streamlines collections, disbursements, and reconciliations. It processes over 4.5 million transactions daily for market leaders across various sectors, including Travel & Hospitality, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Trade, and Remittances.
By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we drive trust, commerce, and scale, connecting companies and people to their ambitions.
ACCRA, Ghana, 15 September 2025/African Media Agency/- Africa Fintech Summit is pleased to welcome Africa’s leading infrastructure solution provider, Africa Finance Corporation as the DFI Sponsor for the 14th edition of Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) 2025, to be held at the Accra international Conference Center (AICC) in Accra, Ghana, from 8-10 October 2025. This announcement follows the publication of AFC’s recent annual report, which highlights the institution’s transformative impact across Africa, where AFC-financed projects have contributed over $50 billion to regional GDP and enabled the creation of 7 million jobs in 36 countries.
AFC has mobilised US$15 billion to power Africa’s growth, electrifying 4.1 million homes, expanding digital access through supporting initiatives such as M-KOPA that connected 1.7 million first-time internet users, and investing in MTN and Airtel to reach over 100 million people with mobile and broadband services. The Corporation’s innovative exit from the Takoradi Port project in Ghana further demonstrated how private capital can be unlocked without compromising development impact. These achievements highlight AFC’s role in laying the foundations for a more inclusive and digital Africa.
“It is with great delight & gratitude that we are welcoming AFC as our DFI sponsor and speaker for our 14th edition of AFTS in Accra this October. We have said that Africa’s financial inclusion is spurred, or limited, by the necessary infrastructure of connectivity, energy & data processing capability and AFC has been—and continues to be—an impactful, future-orientated, and innovative infrastructure solution provider that powers Africa’s digital future, We are keen to learn from AFC’s executives and create development bank & industry linkage with our startup ecosystem”” said Zekarias Amsalu, Co-Founder & MD of AFTS.
“Africa’s digital and financial transformation depends on strong foundations — from reliable power and connectivity to fintech solutions that expand access to essential services,” said Begna Gebreyes, AFC’s Director and Head, Heavy Industries, Telecoms & Technology. “At AFC, we combine critical infrastructure with strategic fintech investments to enable businesses to grow, create jobs, and drive inclusion. In Accra, we are engaging with innovators from across the continent to advance collaborative solutions that deliver lasting impact.”
Since its first summit in 2018, the Africa Fintech Summit has become the largest annual financial technology gathering on the African continent. #AFTSACCRA2025 will bring Keynote Speeches from the host country government & industry thought leaders, closed door roundtables, bilateral meetings, fire side-chats, a VIP dinner for Speakers and invited guests, excellence in FinTech awards ceremony, workshops, Exhibition Booths, Masterclasses for Startup Founders, Alpha Expo Mini Accelerator & Pitch Competition, Ecosystem tours around Accra for the international delegates and more. The event will conclude with happy-hour receptions for delegates and attendees on each date.
As in the past years, the event will be hybrid, with live streaming provided for remote attendees via our website as well as via partnering educational facilities across Africa as part of our industry-academia partnership initiative. Limited in-person tickets to the 14th Edition summit are now available on our website and delegates can secure their tickets with a 15% discount by using AFC15 at checkout at https://africafintechsummit.com/event/afts-accra-2025/.
AFTS (https://africafintechsummit.com) is the premier global initiative dedicated to the African fintech ecosystem. AFTS is traditionally hosted in Washington, D.C., each April during the World Bank/IFC annual meeting week and in a different African city every October/November. The summit is being held in a hybrid format, in person in the selected Venue and live virtual delegates from around the world.
Supported by an advisory board of thought leaders and fintech pioneers, AFTS is a unique space where innovative ideas are debated, investments mobilized, partnership deals signed, and collaborations formed across sectors and geographies. AFTS is organized in partnership between Washington, D.C. based firms, strategic advisory group,Dedalus Global, and Pan-African emerging technologies advisory firm,Ibex Frontier.
About AFC
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.
Eighteen years on, AFC developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 45 member countries and has invested over US$15 billion in 36 African countries since its inception. Read further at www.africafc.org
LAGOS, Nigeria, 8 September 2025/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The 2025 edition of the West Africa Telecommunications Infrastructure Summit & Exhibition (WATISE) has ended in Lagos with a strong call for governments, regulators, and industry players to deepen collaboration, protect telecom infrastructure, and prioritise inclusive digital access across the region.
The event, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos, brought together critical stakeholders from the telecommunications, technology, and financial services sectors under the theme “Digitalising West African Economy: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities for Critical Stakeholders.”
In his address, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said the telecom sector in West Africa is witnessing renewed growth, with investments at their highest since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that telecoms remain the backbone of the digital economy, enabling banking, fintech, telemedicine, education, commerce, and emergency services across the region.
Adebayo, however, warned against vandalism, multiple taxation, and Right of Way restrictions that continue to stifle expansion. He commended the Federal Government’s ongoing tax reforms, set to reduce over 56 levies by January 2026, and urged states across West Africa to create enabling conditions for faster digital rollout.
In his goodwill message, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Tony Emoekpere said that , the next ten years will define West Africa’s place in the global digital economy stressing ‘If we build the infrastructure, harmonize policies, and encourage collaboration, we will unlock unprecedented economic growth, create millions of jobs, and give our young population the tools to compete globally.
He noted that investors must recognize that while risks exist, the upside of digital West Africa is unmatched saying that this is a frontier market with the potential of doubling its digital economy contribution to GDP within a decade.
Dr. Nnenna Achife, Head Commercial Business, Business Development, AfriGo Payment Financial Services Limited, speaking on one of the lead presentations, Leveraging Connectivity And Technology To Transform Card Payment System In Africa, revealed how AfriGO is powering card payments through technology and inclusion.
He AfriGo has helped to reduce operating expenses through transparent pricing and billing settlement in local currency as well as support welfare and social Intervention programs via providing access to government social intervention programs.
She added that AfriGo has been supportive of Instant merchant credit and same-day settlement ensure steady cash flow for business operations including promoting cashless economy by encouraging the adoption of affordable electronic payments options, which are (cards).
Achife said that AfriGo is instrumental for the enhanced offline payment to support authorisation where there is limited or unreliable internet access, saying that the Embedded NIBSS Quick Response Code (NQR) has been formidable for the for P2P & P2M payment and collection capabilities.
And in his keynote speech, Mr Adewunmi Adesina, Managing Director of Trade Lenda, the digital bank for SMEs said that there are opportunities for Stakeholders to unlock the full potential of digitalisation, we must act collectively but that Governments must invest in infrastructure and harmonise digital policies across ECOWAS.
He called for private sector players collaboration to build scalable platforms that serve the underserved adding that development Partners must support capacity-building and digital inclusion programs.
Adesina said entrepreneurs must continue to innovate boldly, solving local problems with global ambition saying that at “Trade Lenda, we are proud to be part of this movement providing micro and small businesses with access to credit through digital channels, enabling them to grow sustainably.”
Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, Vice President of FintechNGR and MD/CEO of CreditRegistry, cautioned against the risk of “digital apartheid,” where millions of Africans remain excluded as “digital ghosts” from the formal economy.
She stressed the need for inclusive access to data and credit through innovative use of alternative data sources such as mobile usage and e-commerce, warning that failure to act could turn Africa’s youthful population into a lost economic opportunity.
A fireside chat led by the Chief Executive Officer of WTES Project Limited, Mr Chidi Ajuzie and panel session led by a robotic engineer, Mrs Racheal Anorue highlighted the pressing challenges of rising USSD costs, poor connectivity, and risks faced by mobile agents. Panelists agreed that stronger collaboration, public sensitisation, and technology-driven infrastructure security are key to driving financial inclusion and lowering transaction costs.
At the close of the summit, participants called for:
Protection of telecom infrastructure against vandalism.
Harmonised and enabling policies across ECOWAS states.
Urgent steps to reduce the cost of USSD and digital transactions.
Greater investment in workforce training and digital security.
Regional collaboration to unlock West Africa’s trillion-dollar digital economy potential.
The summit concluded with optimism that with sustained investments, regulatory reforms, and inclusive strategies, West Africa’s telecom and fintech sectors are well-positioned to drive economic transformation across the sub-region.
