The Vice President of the Governing Council of the Fintech Association of Nigeria, Dr. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, is set to deliver a keynote address at the 3rd edition of the Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 3.0), as stakeholders converge to advance financial inclusion through fair digital payment systems.
Scheduled to hold on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the OrientalHotel, the forum will bring together regulators, financial institutions, fintech leaders, payment service providers, development partners, and policymakers to explore strategies for building a more inclusive financial ecosystem.
With the theme, “Fair Digital Payments as a Catalyst for Deepening Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,” PAFON 3.0 will examine how affordability, transparency, interoperability, and accessibility in digital payments can drive economic resilience, strengthen trust, and expand financial access to underserved communities.
Driving Inclusion through Innovation
Financial inclusion has evolved beyond a policy aspiration into a measurable driver of national productivity and digital trust. According to the latest reports, formal financial inclusion in the country grew to 74% in 2025, up from 56% in 2020.
As Nigeria transitions toward a cash-light economy, industry leaders at PAFON 3.0 will interrogate how fair and equitable digital payment systems can unlock inclusive growth.
Keynote Speaker Spotlight
Dr. Sharrieff-Ayedun, who is also co-founder of CreditRegistry Corporation, will deliver a keynote on leveraging credit data to deepen financial inclusion.
With over 30 years of global experience spanning engineering, strategy, and organizational leadership, she brings deep expertise from her work across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
She previously held engineering roles at global corporations including Microsoft Corporation and General Motors, and has been widely recognized for her contributions to credit infrastructure development in Nigeria.
In his comment, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, the co-convener of Payments Forum Nigeria, said,
“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”.
PAFON 3.0 will also feature keynote from Prof. Adewale Peter Obadare, founder/CVO of Digital Encode Limited.
Other Confirmed speakers:
Mr. Chika Nwosu, MD, PalmPay Nigeria; Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF Limited): Special Guest of Honour; Mojeed Abayomi Agboola, National President, Financial Inclusion Agents Multipurpose Cooperative Society (FIAMCS); Dr. Obioha Otti, National President, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN); Ibirogba Oluwagunwa, Chairman Lagos Chapter of AMMBAN; Chukwuemeka Enoch, Founder, Lagos Blockchain Week, and Sarafadeen Fasasi, National President, Association of Financial Inclusion Agents of Nigeria (AFiAN), amongst others.
Panel discussions will center on closing Nigeria’s financial inclusion gap; demonstrations of digital tools for last-mile agents; fireside conversations on emerging payment innovations to be held by the Lagos Blockchain Week, and townhall engagement on the state of agency banking in Nigeria led by the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN).
Event Details:
Date: Friday, April 24 2026
Venue: OrientalHotel, Lekki Road, Lagos
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Participation is free, but pre-registration is required and can be done here.
Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON) is a multi-stakeholder platform convened to address critical issues in the payments ecosystem and accelerate the growth of an inclusive, efficient, and trusted digital financial system.
This year’s edition is sponsored by Digital Encode, TeamApt & PalmPay.
