Interswitch Drives Industry Dialogue On Alternative Credit, African-Led Innovation At CeBIH 2025

Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, took centre stage at the 2025 Committee of e-Business Industry Heads (CeBIH) Annual Conference in Lagos, held at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, leading high-level conversations on reimagining financial inclusion through innovation, infrastructure, and cultural shifts in consumer credit.

The two-day gathering brought together senior policymakers, financial services executives, and technology leaders from across Nigeria’s digital finance ecosystem to explore pathways for expanding credit access to underserved communities.

As a returning Gold Sponsor, Interswitch reinforced its long-standing commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s financial infrastructure and enabling inclusive growth through locally driven solutions.

The conference theme: “Reimagining Financial Inclusion through Cultural Shifts in Consumer Credit,” provided a timely platform for stakeholders to interrogate traditional lending models and explore adaptive, technology-led approaches to consumer credit.

A major highlight of Day One was a high-impact panel session titled “Alternative Credit Scoring for the Underserved,” where Ademola Adeniran, Divisional Head, Product Management and Solution Delivery, Verve International, a subsidiary of Interswitch Group, joined industry leaders to examine how alternative data and digital intelligence can unlock credit for millions excluded by conventional financial models. Speaking during the session, he noted:

“For us, this conversation goes beyond technology. It is about designing credit systems that truly reflect African realities. Millions transact daily outside traditional banking frameworks, and alternative credit scoring enables us to recognise that economic activity and responsibly convert it into access to finance. At Verve and Interswitch, we are committed to building the digital infrastructure that makes this inclusion scalable and sustainable.”

Moderated by Wunmi Ogunbiyi of the CeBIH Advisory Council, the session also featured contributions from Munachimso Duru, Head, Products, Partnership and Innovation, Afrigopay Financial Services Limited; Damola Giwa, Country Manager, Visa West Africa; Nike Kolawole, representing Aisha Abdullahi, Executive Director, Credit and Portfolio Management, CREDICORP; and Ifeanyi Chukuwekem, Head, Corporate Strategy Department, eTranzact, offering a broad industry perspective on the future of responsible credit delivery.

On the second day, Interswitch’s impact and philosophy were further highlighted in a thought leadership address delivered by Robinta Aluyi, Vice President, Sales and Account Management, Digital Infrastructure & Managed Services (Interswitch Systegra). She emphasized the company’s purpose-driven approach to building the infrastructure that powers Africa’s digital economy and enabling secure money movement on a scale.

“Interswitch helps people navigate their daily lives with greater ease. We make transactions flow safely and reliably. We do this by connecting banks, supporting secure and reliable payments, and strengthening the entire value chain of digital finance. Today, we hold a significant portion of the market, and that achievement reflects the deep trust our banking and fintech partners place in our platforms. We continue to deliver because the ecosystem has worked with us every step of the way,” Aliyu said.

She also stressed the importance of African-led solutions in addressing the continent’s financial challenges, noting that sustainable progress must be rooted in local realities. Interswitch’s strength, she said, lies in the fact that it was built on the continent, for the continent, with solutions designed to serve individuals, small businesses, enterprises, and government institutions across every layer of the payment value chain.

The 2025 CeBIH Annual Conference further explored the role of behavioural change, responsible borrowing frameworks, identity verification, and institutional collaboration in building a more inclusive credit culture. Experts agreed that beyond access to digital channels, sustainable financial inclusion must be anchored on trust, education, aligned incentives, and resilient infrastructure, which are areas where Interswitch continues to play a foundational role.

Interswitch’s active participation at the conference reaffirmed its strategic focus on driving financial empowerment, enabling secure commerce, and supporting innovation across Africa’s rapidly evolving digital economy.

The company reiterated that continued collaboration with industry bodies such as CeBIH remains central to its mission of building a more inclusive, efficient, and future-ready financial ecosystem for Nigeria and the continent at large.