Convened by Tripoint Academy for Tourism and Enterprise Development in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Lagos, the festival was held across Kano and 18 other northern states, reviving the spirit of ancient African trade while spotlighting modern enterprise, creativity and innovation.

Speaking during the pre-event press conference, co-convener of the festival, Mrs. Muhammed Shuhda, said the initiative was designed to celebrate Northern Nigeria’s identity while fostering unity and economic collaboration.

“Arewa represents Northern Nigeria, and when people hear ‘Arewa Festival’, that identity naturally comes to mind. With the Global Entrepreneurship Week theme, Together, We Build, we wanted to create a platform that unites Northern entrepreneurs, not only to celebrate trade and enterprise but also to showcase the many beautiful things Nigeria has to offer,” she said.

According to the organisers, the festival attracted over 30,000 participants across the 19 northern states, with 871 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and vendors showcasing products spanning agriculture, fashion, crafts, technology and hospitality.

Dignitaries at the event included Dr. Olawale Anifowose, Managing Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (Nigeria); Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University; Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, Managing Director of SANEF Limited; the Emir of Kano, represented by the Jarman Kano; and Ambassador Tomas Vyprachticky, Czech Republic Ambassador to Nigeria, among others.

A major highlight of Arewa Festival 2025 was the official launch of AREWATECH, Africa Rebuilds Economy With Agriculture, Trade, Entrepreneurship, Creatives & Hospitality, a long-term development blueprint aimed at accelerating Northern Nigeria’s economic reawakening.

Dr. Anifowose noted that the festival is designed to be a recurring national platform that will continue to showcase the entrepreneurial and creative strength of the North.

“What we want to achieve with the Arewa Festival is to continuously showcase the creativity and entrepreneurial strength of Northern Nigeria. The Festival will move to different parts of the country, still as Arewa Festival, giving entrepreneurs and creatives from the North the opportunity to show what they have in every region of Nigeria,” he said.

The AREWATECH initiative is expected to drive competitive agricultural value chains, improve inter-state and cross-border trade, strengthen youth employment and entrepreneurship, grow the creative and digital economy, and position Northern Nigeria as a tourism and hospitality destination.

Over the two-day grand event, the festival blended commerce with culture, featuring vibrant SME marketplaces, durbar displays, fashion shows, cultural performances and indigenous culinary experiences. State-wide entrepreneurship masterclasses, held under the Global Entrepreneurship Week theme, promoted collaboration, leadership and innovation, while young creatives showcased talents across fashion, art and digital expression.

Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, managing director of SANEF Limited, highlighted the festival’s role in advancing financial inclusion in the North.

“When we talk about financial inclusion, we must also talk about access points. That’s why this Festival matters to us at SANEF Limited. The North has one of the highest exclusion rates, and this platform allows us to bring more people into the financial space through literacy, empowerment and meaningful impact,” she said.

Building on the success of the 2025 edition, the organisers said plans are underway to expand the Arewa Festival experience to Southern and Western Nigeria, deepen the implementation of AREWATECH across states, establish annual innovation hubs and marketplaces, strengthen regional trade corridors, and scale year-round entrepreneurship support programmes.

With its blend of heritage, enterprise and innovation, Arewa Festival 2025 has reinforced a shifting narrative for Northern Nigeria, one of renewed confidence, collaboration and economic transformation.

Speaking at the just concluded Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 2.0), Uche Uzoebo (Mrs.), MD/CEO, SANEF Limited, noted that as technology evolves rapidly within the financial ecosystem, Financial Inclusion must continue to be at the center of the nation’s progress.

According to her, agent banking has been a game-changer in expanding financial inclusion across Nigeria. “By deploying agents in underserved areas, we have brought financial services and banking products such as account opening, cash in, cash out, bill payment, transfers and other services closer to the unbanked and underserved.”

With the Agent Banking model, SANEF has bridged critical gaps by reducing the need for long queues in physical bank branches, allowing individuals in the hinterland areas to access banking services without traveling long distances. Additionally, agents often communicate in local languages, making transactions easier for those with limited literacy, while reducing reliance on complex documentation. This has remained a critical and important elixir in Financial Inclusion.

She however noted that AI presents a huge opportunity to align with global trends in pushing financial inclusion further and faster.

“It is no gainsaying that, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is transforming the financial services industry at an unprecedented pace, reshaping how businesses interact with customers, manage risks, and expand financial inclusion. It has become the invisible engine driving the modernization of financial products and services. It is no longer a futuristic concept; it is at work right now all over the world, powering mobile banking apps, automating customer service, detecting fraud and enabling instant lending decisions.

In Nigeria, where millions remain unbanked and underbanked, Artificial Intelligence presents a game-changing opportunity to bridge financial gaps, enhance accessibility, and improve the overall efficiency of the financial ecosystem.”

She disclosed that the application of AI in the system will among other things, help to:

• Minimize KYC Roadblocks
• Detect Fraud and Flag Suspicious activities in real-time thus enhancing greater trust in digital payments and solutions
• Personalize and Tailor Financial products and services according to customers’ specific needs, amongst other key benefits and advantages.

While highlighting the benefits of AI in the ecosystem at PAFON 2.0, Mrs. Uzoebo noted that stakeholders must work towards guaranteeing that our Artificial Intelligence systems respect individual privacy, maintain equitable standards for all, remain transparent in their operations, and elicit trust.

“The use of Artificial Intelligence in payment solutions and within the broader financial inclusion industry must comply with existing regulatory frameworks such as; Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Consumer Protection Framework; Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) and National Information Technology Development Agency’s Data Protection Regulation (NDPR),” she cautioned.

SANEF, whose mission is to deepen financial inclusion through partnerships and collaborations, is an initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), supported by the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS) and Licensed Super-Agents, and was incorporated in 2019.

SANEF serves as an enabler in the Financial Inclusion ecosystem in Nigeria, collaborating with various Stakeholders to expand the frontiers of Financial Inclusion which includes Agent Expansion, Financial Literacy, Public Enlightenment, Policy Advocacy and Technological Solutions for Products and Services to increase Agent Business viability and Agent Network sustainability.