Stakeholders Seek Regulators, Operators Collaboration to Deepen Financial Inclusion

Nume Ekeghe

Stakeholders at the 2nd Business Journal Fintech & Financial Roundtable 2025 have stressed the need for closer collaboration between regulators and operators to drive sustainable growth of Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem and advance financial inclusion across the country.

Chairman of the event and Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, described Nigeria as one of Africa’s most vibrant fintech markets in the last decade.

“At the Nigerian Exchange Group, we have recognised this trend not as a disruption to be resisted, but as an opportunity to be embraced,” Kwairanga stated. “Our mission has always been to democratise access to investment opportunities and deepen participation in the capital market. To achieve this, we have consistently opened our doors to fintech innovation.”

Director-General/CEO of the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals (AERMP), Dr. Olayinka Odutola, commended the progress made in fintech and financial inclusion but warned that greed and cyber vulnerabilities remain serious threats. “Fintech and financial inclusion have started very well in Nigeria but we must consider the greed factor in terms of risks and cyber breaches. People can hack into systems and engage in identity fraud. People-risk is a major risk. Prevention is still better in terms of players and institutions to contain digital fraud,” he cautioned.