But at the Nigeria Fintech Week (NFW) 2025, the country’s most influential fintech gathering, speakers made it known that beyond the data, trust, collaboration, and innovation will define the nation’s digital future.

For the first time in its history, the week-long event is being held simultaneously in Lagos, Enugu, and Port Harcourt, bolstering inclusion as well as national reach, as is aligned with the theme “The Fintech Ecosystem Symphony: Orchestrating Nigeria’s Digital Future.”

This year’s edition is held at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, bringing regulators, innovators, investors, and policymakers under one roof to discuss the fintech sector’s scale and sustainability.

From Association to Movement

Opening the day’s proceedings, Dr Stanley Jacob, president of FintechNGR, described the association’s evolution from a small group of pioneers to a national force building solid grounds for finance.

“When Fintech Nigeria was set up, it wasn’t to sit back and watch,” he said. “It was to drive digital transformation for our financial landscape. We wanted to lead, and today, I can confidently say we are orchestrating that transformation.”

Dr Jacob noted that through its PIE Agenda — Participation, Innovation, and Expansion, FintechNGR has grown into a hub of activity with over 600 institutional members and 62 active volunteers driving impact.

“We are no longer just an association. We are now a movement,” he said.

He explained that the association’s five Communities of Practice — covering innovation, cybersecurity, inclusion, policy, and industry advocacy — now anchor its influence in both local and international fintech conversations. “We have created an ecosystem that doesn’t just respond to change; we drive it.”

Harmony Through Collaboration

Picking up that thread, Dr Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, vice president of FintechNGR and chairperson of Nigeria Fintech Week 2025, noted that fintech’s progress depends on collaboration.

“Our ecosystem requires every instrument — regulators, innovators, investors, and consumers — to play their part,” she said. “This is more than a theme; it is a statement of intent.”

She noted that FintechNGR’s growing visibility in policy discussions is evidence of maturity. “We’re not just a ceremonial presence with regulators. We’re now recognised for our expertise and the value we bring to Nigeria’s financial and technology ecosystem,” she said.

Dr Sharrieff-Ayedun also stressed FintechNGR’s governance reforms, from data protection frameworks to transparency in operations, as part of building credibility. “Do not leave this week without making the deal you came to make. Like a symphony, we must all play in harmony.”

Africa Can Deliver to the World

Dr Segun Aina, chairman of the FintechNGR Board of Trustees and president of the Africa Fintech Network (AFN), lifted the discussion to the continental aspect, affirming that Nigeria’s fintech success is part of a bigger African story.

“Nigeria has four of the nine leading fintechs in Africa, and many more are on the way,” he said. “We are not just participating in the global fintech story, we are shaping it.”

He highlighted key AFN initiatives, including the Africa Fintech Hub, supported by the African Development Bank, and the Fintech Passporting Project, which aims to harmonise regulatory requirements across African countries.

“With standardised frameworks, it will be seamless for fintechs to operate from one African country to another,” he said. “Africa can deliver to the world, not as followers, but as creators.”

Trust as the New Currency

Representing CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, Dr Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, director of the Payments System Supervision Department, reiterated the Central Bank’s focus on balanced innovation.

“Like an orchestra, our fintech ecosystem requires harmony between innovation and regulation, inclusion and security,” she said. “Only through such balance can we advance trust and inclusion.”

She cited the ₦384 trillion figure as evidence of the deepening confidence in Nigeria’s financial technology systems. “The Central Bank embraces responsible innovation,” she said. “Compliance and trust are not barriers; they are the foundation of sustainability. When products are built on trust, they endure, and they attract investors.”

In alignment with this, Callistus Obetta, group executive, Technology & Services at First Bank of Nigeria, emphasised that trust is “the bedrock of financial services.”

“In today’s digital world, trust is our real currency,” he said. “AI should not replace human relationships, it should enhance them, allowing people to serve customers with empathy and purpose.”

Policy and People at the Core

Representing Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, Blessing Adeolu-Adediran of CCHub delivered a goodwill message that tied policy, innovation, and human capital together.

“The future of our nation will be shaped by the digital innovations of today,” she said. “This week reminds us that the Nigeria we envision tomorrow will be built by what we choose to do — or fail to do — now.”

She spotlighted the Sail Innovation Lab, a project that has trained over 9,000 young Nigerians in technology skills, as a practical model for inclusive growth.

One Vision, One Symphony

Nigeria’s fintech expansion has reached a point of harmony, between ambition and regulation, innovation and inclusion, policy and people.

Dr Stanley Jacob’s closing words at the Nigeria Fintech Week 2025 captured the spirit of the day: “Our mission continues, our vision remains clear, and our commitment is unwavering. Together, we will orchestrate Nigeria’s digital future.”

The elections adjudged to be free, fair and transparent produced Dr Stanley Jacob, CEO Zest Payments Limited, as the President-Elect of the association.

This election marks a significant milestone in the affairs of the association and triggers a transition from the Mr Ade Bajomo-led governing council whose tenure elapses in the next few weeks.

Commenting on the elections, Dr Segun Aina, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of FintechNGR applauded the outgoing leadership for their dedication and achievement on setting a strong foundation for the association. He further congratulated the newly elected governing council charging them to continue the path of advancement and global collaboration.

Mr Ade Bajomo, President of the outgoing governing council, commended the electoral committee for a seamless process while expressing utmost confidence that the incoming governing council will continue to champion the growth and development of the fintech ecosystem.

While congratulating the incoming governing council, the Chairman of electoral committee, Mrs Bunmi Lawson expressed her gratitude to the outgoing governing council for their dedicated service to the association.

Responding to the election outcome, the President-Elect, Dr Stanley Jacob stated, “I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of FintechNGR and excited to build upon the strong foundation laid by Ade and the outgoing governing council”.

Members elected as Principal Officers of the governing council are Dr Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, CEO, Credit Registry as Vice President; Tiwa Osazuwa, Partner, AELEX as General Secretary; and Oluwaseun Adesanya, CEO, Vsured as Treasurer.

Others elected as Members of the governing council are: Yinka Edu, Partner at UUBO, Odun Eweniyi, Co-founder, PiggyVest, Dr Funmi Babington-Ashaye, CEO, Risk Analyst, Yemi Keri, CEO, Herkerbella, Abiola Jimoh, Co-founder, Xchangebox, Deremi Atanda, MD, Remita; and Gbenga Paseda, MD, VFD Tech,

Other GovCo members include;Lanre Oladimeji, Group Head, Retail, Zenith Bank, Akin Morakinyo, Registrar, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Aituaz Kola-Oladejo, ED, Financial Services Innovators (FSI), Henry Obiekea, CEO, FairMoney, Dr. Habiba Adamu Kakudi, Associate Professor, Bayero University Kano, Dr. Bisi Aina, CEO, Soft Alliance & Resources Limited, Dr. Usman Abdullahi, Former Director ITIS, NITDA and  Rakiya Mohammed, Former Director ICT, Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Babatunde Obrimah, COO, FintechNGR.

The top three in each category – music, dance, fashion, and technology, had the unique opportunity to showcase their unique skills and perform live at the acclaimed Livespot Entertarium in Lekki, Lagos; and were presented with cash prizes of N5 million, N2 million and N1 million respectively, for the first, second and third place winners of each category. Praise Eguajoe (Dance category), Mariam Bello (Fashion category), Chioma Ukpabi-Steve (Tech category); and Atonopriya Cotterell (Music category) emerged as the first-place winners, and each walked away with N5 million cash prize.

The FUZE Talent Show, which received an overwhelming response with over 4,000 entries from applicants, provided a platform to showcase raw talent from participants across Nigeria.

The journey to the finals was rigorous, with 28 contestants taken through a two-week boot camp, several levels of competition, and weekly elimination shows, after which the top 12 contestants secured their spots in the thrilling finals.

The event was not just a talent showcase but an unforgettable experience filled with excitement and fun. Over 10,000 attendees enjoyed a full-day festival featuring a marketplace and an unforgettable concert where A-List Nigerian artistes – Adekunle Gold, Pheelz, Fave and NSG, thrilled the youthful crowd with hit after hit. Attendees enjoyed all of this for free, keeping with the true spirit of the yuletide season – the season for giving!

Olumide Oyetan, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, expressed pride and passion as he remarked, “It was truly an extraordinary showcase of Nigeria’s diverse and immense talent pool.

At Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, we do not only focus on professionally managing your retirement funds but equip you with the knowledge to enable you make the right decisions that enable you to optimize your retirement benefits, no matter your age.

This is why we have put together this important platform to ensure that young Nigerians who have talents in diverse areas, get the encouragement that they need to truly achieve the extraordinary. Here, we believe that your best days are always ahead; so we aim to help you identify and seize the opportunities to harness them.”

Nike Bajomo, Executive Director, Business Development, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, congratulated the winners and thanked everyone involved in putting up such a great show and for making the event a resounding success.

She highlighted the significance of the FUZE Festival, stating that, “beyond the merriment and fun-filled experience, the event had a profound impact in empowering Nigerians to fulfil their dreams and end 2023 on a high note.”

The panel of judges comprising Ric Hassani, singer and song-writer; Banke Kuku, fashion curator; Bunmi Olunloyo, dance choreographer; and Stanley Jacob, Chief Executive of Zest Payment (formerly known as Stanbic IBTC Financial Services), played a crucial role in evaluating the performances across the four categories and in supporting the contestants to ending the show on a high note.

Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers has, once again, reaffirmed its commitment to empowering young Nigerians and making the extraordinary possible and also highlights the organisation’s strong support for the creative industry in Nigeria majorly powered by the youths.

The unveiling, held today, showcased an initiative set to redefine the landscape of financial services in Nigeria and beyond.

Basil Omiyi CON, the Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, set the tone for the event with a warm welcome address, noting that the bank received the regulatory approval to create a Fintech in the first quarter of this year, 2023.

He emphasized the company’s longstanding commitment to being the preferred end-to-end financial services provider for businesses and individuals in the region. 

“As you know, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC has always depended on partnerships and we appreciate you for joining us today. Stanbic IBTC’s motto always says that we want to be and we aim to be and stay that way, the preferred end-to-end financial services provider to businesses and persons in our country and region. That’s our goal.

Of course, as you know, we have subsidiaries that are aligned towards this, whether in banking, pension, insurance, asset management and so on. With the group of subsidiaries, it was very clear to us that Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC needs a fintech. Because without a Fintech, orchestrating platforms could help in generating the next growth coming to the financial services sector for businesses, consumers, technology developers and without that, with our integrated financial services, we are probably one of those in the best position to exploit a Fintech for the benefit of the society itself. 

All the subsidiaries were aligned indeed towards the need to have one, and of course, we chose that this Fintech should be a solution-driven platform orchestrator. We then bring partners into that platform and together, we create a home grown solution, both for ourselves and for our partners in the platform, businesses deserve. That’s how the idea of Zest was born.”

Acknowledging the power of partnerships, Omiyi expressed gratitude to all stakeholders present, emphasizing the role of collaboration in achieving the goals.

The genesis of Zest was traced back to the collective vision of the Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC management team. Dr. Demola Sogunle, the Chief Executive, shared insights into the group’s strategic focus, encapsulated in the acronym SUV – Scale, User experience, and Velocity. With an eye on digitization and global demands, the decision to establish Zest as a wholly-owned fintech subsidiary was made.

Zest emerges as a standalone fintech powerhouse, intricately woven into the fabric of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC’s future endeavors. At its core, Zest embodies the concept of platform orchestration, enabling diverse payment options, seamless business transactions, and the facilitation of embedded finance. 

Its mission extends beyond conventional payments, encompassing nano and micro insurance, pensions, consumer credit, investment opportunities, mutual funds, collective investment schemes, and other value-added services. In essence, Zest serves as a catalyst for true financial inclusion, empowering ordinary Nigerians with unprecedented access to a myriad of financial products and services.

“Zest is made to help us to orchestrate that especially in the areas of e-commerce, buy-now-pay-later, working capital solutions and value added services. With Zest, we see opportunities to unlock new networks of partnerships and deliver deliberate and intentionally better experiences in the areas of payments and customized solution delivery. 

We consistently improved based on feedback received from enagagents and interactions in the past few months.” Dr. Sogunle said.

Stanley Jacob, the Chief Executive of Zest, highlighted the platform’s design principles, elucidating the core foundations upon which it stands.

“Businesses not just in Nigeria, but all over the world are constantly looking out for ways and tools to grow and expand. They want to access digital solutions and platforms that can help them reach a new network of customers.” he said. “At Zest, we have been able to execute a true platform orchestration strategy and this strategy is hinged on four broad principles: 

Zest’s first principle — Multi-Railed Payment — ensures stability, security, and flexibility for businesses, enabling them to collect payments through various channels, including card payments, account-based payments, Quick Response codes, transfers, USSD, and more. 

Notably, Zest made history by becoming the first fintech to go live on AfriGo, a proof of its pioneering spirit.

The second principle — Human-Centered Design — prioritizes customer needs, fostering a seamless user experience. Zest simplifies onboarding processes, allowing businesses and consumers to make payments online effortlessly. Innovation, customer-centricity, and user experience form the cornerstone of Zest’s approach.

Business Growth Powered by e-Commerce was nailed as the third principle. Zest empowers businesses of all sizes, enabling them to showcase products and reach new customer networks. Through customizable stores and an e-commerce marketplace, the fintech provides a platform for businesses to thrive, whether online or offline.

Operational Excellence, which was the fourth principle emphasizes the platform operating within the highest standards of integrity and regulatory compliance. Zest adheres strictly to applicable card schemes and processing rules. Strong governance and global compliance underscore Zest’s commitment to operational excellence.

Business owners who have embraced Zest for their enterprises have praised its speed, accessibility, and accuracy. Transactions are executed swiftly, enabling businesses to operate seamlessly in the digital arena.

The launch of Zest marks a significant milestone, reaffirming Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC’s goal in the financial services industry. As Zest begins its journey as a catalyst for financial empowerment, it promises a future where financial services are not just accessible but tailored to meet the unique needs of every individual and business. 

With Zest, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC has ushered in a new era of financial innovation and inclusivity, inviting everyone to join in the journey towards a more connected and empowered financial future.

Stanley Jacob, a fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute (fCBI), is the Chief Executive of the recently established Stanbic IBTC Financial Service Limited (SIFSL).

Stanley is a certified expert in finance, technology and public administration, with a strong drive for strategic digital transformation, emerging payments, and financial inclusion.

He promotes a mindset that delivers business growth, visible impact on the bottom line, exceptional customer experiences through enterprise-level financial systems and large retail partnerships.

He holds professional licenses including project management professional (PMP), master project manager (MPM), certified British project professional (CBPP), project manager E-Business (PMe), lean management professional (Expert level), certified cards & Payments Professional (CCPP), a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB) and a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (FICA).

Stanley Jacob obtained MBA in Technology Management from ADBU India; Post-Graduate Diploma in Digital Business (PGDDB) from Emeritus Singapore, and has completed executive management courses from Columbia Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, amongst others.

He brings years of experience and expertise from holding managerial positions in different fintech firms.

Before his appointment as SIFSL chief, he was the director of the Nigerian country business development and the Director of the West African Financial Institutions, at Mastercard.

Stanley has worked as the Head of Consumer Distribution in Ecobank Nigeria, where he supervised the overall strategy and execution of the cards and digital banking capabilities as well as the project management office for Consumer Bank.

He worked as the Vice President of the Governing Council for Fintech Association of Nigeria (FINTECH NGR), and was a Member of the Governing Board of the e-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria (EPPAN).

Stanley Jacob was the Head, digital banking and financial inclusion at Standard Chartered Bank supporting retail markets across Africa, and has served as the Group head, eBusiness (Fortis Group) pioneering Chief Operating Officer for Fortis Mobile Money.

He once served as a Senior eBusiness associate for Brinq Africa and played active roles in the bank operations at UBA Plc.

Stanley Jacob is truly a global fintech executive.