At the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) hosted at Columbia Business School, Oluwabankole Falade, Flutterwave’s Chief Regulatory and Public Policy Officer, joined a panel titled “Doing Business in Africa: The Role of the Diaspora.”
This event highlighted the critical contributions of the African diaspora in driving economic growth, innovation, and investment across the continent.
Moderated by Daniel Jayeoba, CEO & Founder of Guideli, the panel brought together distinguished industry experts including Sola Yomi-Ajayi, CEO of UBA Americas; Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC); and Benjamin Fernandes, CEO and Founder of NALA.
Oluwabankole emphasized the diaspora’s role in facilitating Africa’s economic development through growing remittances, expanding global networks, and investments. He noted that the African diaspora is reshaping industries and fueling new opportunities across rapidly growing African economies.
“The African diaspora community contributes significantly to the continent’s growth, and they can do even more. It’s essential that we continue to create platforms and policies that enable them to participate effectively in our economies either directly from abroad or whenever they are home,” said Bankole. “Their ability to build relationships from around the world, bring them back home, and make introductions can help open doors to generate new business opportunities, making dreams come true for millions of people,” he added.
Flutterwave’s role in supporting the diaspora has been instrumental, particularly through its seamless cross-border payment solutions.
These services help the diaspora meet both personal and business needs, enabling them to remain deeply connected to Africa’s economic landscape.
The discussion underscored how the diaspora serves as a bridge for innovation, investment, and expertise.
Bankole emphasized the value of partnerships with the diaspora, stating that their ability to foster global relationships and channel these connections into Africa opens doors for new business opportunities.
This, in turn, contributes to realizing dreams for millions of entrepreneurs and citizens across the continent.
The panel also explored challenges such as navigating cultural differences, legal frameworks, and competition when doing business in Africa. Despite these challenges, cross-sectoral partnerships and policy reforms were highlighted as potential solutions to improve the business environment for diaspora-led investments.
With Flutterwave’s continuous growth across Africa—its enterprise payment solution active in over 30 countries and its Send App operational in 49 out of 50 U.S. states—the company remains dedicated to connecting Africa with the world, creating seamless payment experiences, and supporting diaspora engagement in Africa’s economic resurgence.
