Nosa Alekhuogie
Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce company, Interswitch, has wrapped up its 20th anniversary celebrations with the Interswitch Ball event which took place recently at Eko Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event, which drew top government functionaries, representatives from the financial services sector, captains of industry, customers, employees, and other well-wishers, was an evening of good speeches and entertainment.
Members of the Board of Directors of Interswitch, led by the Board Chairman and Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, Sir. Ken Olisa OBE were also present to add pomp and pageantry to the celebrations.
In his goodwill message, which was broadcast during the event, the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, commended the payment company’s pivotal role in shaping and growing Nigeria’s payment system over the past two decades. Speaking about Interswitch, he said: “It’s incredible that what began as a noble idea, has in barely two decades, become something of an icon of technology and innovation, literally pioneering Africa’s ongoing fintech revolution.”
Governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who was present to celebrate the milestone, congratulated the organization on the milestone and applauded Interswitch for being a laudable example of the good that can come out of Nigeria.
The anniversary celebrations, which kicked off in August 2022 with the launch of a campaign themed, ‘Never Stop’, has amplified Interswitch’s innovative milestones in the digital payment ecosystem, designing products and solutions that have, for two decades, continued to drive prosperity across Africa.
The theme ‘Never Stop’, has resonated across all of the Group’s activities; from Interswitch Connect, which featured the launch of innovative tech solutions, to the launch of the Payment Innovation Jury report, and the commemorative editions of the biggest fitness event across Africa – VerveLife and InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition.
Founder and Group Managing Director, Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe, shed
more light on the Fintech giant’s twenty-year journey, and its outlook for the future. He said: “Two decades ago, we wondered what singular problem we could solve that would automatically solve other problems by extension. We identified the payments problem and set out to solve it, making a bold move to make commerce easy and trade blossom naturally by eliminating the mystery associated with cash, and the stigma associated with not having it. “
