For four decades, Nigeria’s payment journey has been a story of transformation, one driven by resilience, vision, and technology.

From the era of cash-heavy economies and brick-and-mortar banking to today’s rise of mobile wallets, instant payments, and digital banks, the country’s financial landscape has evolved dramatically.

Yet, what lies ahead is even more profound: the mainstreaming of contactless payments as a gateway to seamless, secure, and inclusive transactions.

It is against this backdrop that BusinessDay, Nigeria’s foremost business and economy newspaper, proudly announces its annual Future of Payments Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, 2025. With the theme, “Fintech Evolution: Contactless Payments as the Gateway to Seamless Transactions,” this conference could not be more timely, or more crucial.

People familiar with the industry say that over the last 40 years, watching the intersection of finance and technology, Nigeria’s payment systems have grown from slow, cumbersome channels to agile, tech-driven ecosystems.

Fintech startups have sprung and scaled, igniting this revolution, collaborating with regulators like the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), and the Nigerian Communications Commission to drive innovation in Africa’s largest fintech market. Through it all, the lesson has remained clear: evolution is survival, and survival depends on the ability to innovate boldly while managing risks intelligently.

Today, Nigeria’s digital payments industry is at an inflection point.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), electronic transactions surged by an incredible 42.1% in 2023, reaching over ₦611.06 trillion ($789 billion). The NIBSS processed more than 7.9 billion instant payment transactions, proof that the appetite for seamless digital experiences has never been stronger.

And yet, as Nigeria’s cashless ambitions grow, challenges loom large: Cybersecurity threats. Infrastructure gaps. Regulatory complexities.

The BusinessDay Future of Payments Conference 2025 seeks to answer these urgent questions. Gathering regulators, banking leaders, fintech disruptors, cybersecurity experts, and investors, the conference will ignite conversations and collaborations that shape Nigeria’s digital future.

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This is more than just another fintech event. It is a clarion call to prepare for the next leap forward, one where Near Field Communication (NFC), QR codes, biometrics, and AI-powered security systems will redefine how Nigerians send, receive, and safeguard their money.

With Africa’s contactless payment market projected to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate of 18.7% by 2028 (Statista, 2023), the opportunity is enormous. But so is the responsibility to build systems that are inclusive, secure, and resilient.

Many who have helped engineer this 40-year-old evolution confidently say: BusinessDay’s Future of Payments Conference 2025 is where tomorrow’s financial innovations will be born.

It is where leaders will emerge, partnerships will form, and strategies will crystallise. It is where Nigeria’s journey toward a fully digital, contactless future will be accelerated.