Sounding Closing Gong, African Fintech Enablers, 2nd National Fintech Conference and Annual General Meeting

Fintech Association of Nigeria Holds Inaugural Annual General Meeting, Elects New Executive/Governing Council

The inaugural annual general meeting of Fintech Association of Nigeria held on 26^th January 2018 amongst other things saw the emergence of the new members of the executive/governing council of the Association.

The following were elected to stir the ship of the Association for the next two years;

1. Segun AINA _OFR             (Chairman, Fintech Associates)                      President
2. Ade BAJOMO               (ED, Access Bank)                                      Vice-President
3. Isa ALADE            (Partner, Banwo & Ighodalo)                             Secretary
4. Stanley JACOBS             (Head, Digital Banking, Ecobank )                  Treasurer
5. Olufemi AWOYEMI   (CEO, Proshare)                                        Member
6. Wole OYENIRAN (Director, Deloitte Nigeria)                                Member
7. John OBARO            (CEO, SystemSpecs)                                             Member
8. Yinka David–West       (Director, Lagos Business School)                     Member
9. Tunji ELESO            (Managing Partner, Co-Creation Hub)          Member
10. Taiwo JODA            (MD/CEO, Accion Microfinance Bank)            Member
11. Wale ADEWUMI       (GMD, Lead Capital) Member

12. Mrs Bunmi LAWSON (Ex MD/CEO, Accion Microfinance Bank)      Ex-officio
13. Boason OMOFAYE          (Head, Business News, Channels TV) Ex-officio

The President, Dr. Aina while briefing the members on the activities of the Association highlighted the various engagements and strategic partnership being established with relevant regulatory agencies in furtherance of the Association’s cardinal objective of accelerating and contributing to the development of a robust regulatory and policy framework that drives the innovation and entrepreneurship of Nigerians, particularly within the financial ecosystem. . In particular, the President noted that the Association has held several meetings with the CBN, NAICOM SEC, NCC, NIMC, NSE amongst others and a compelling case is being made for a uniform approach towards the regulation of the Fintech industry. The Association has also had meaningful interactions with the National Assembly and MDAs that have some roles and or interest in Fintech related matters such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Communication and Ministry of Commerce, Trade & Investment. In recognition of its efforts, the Association sounded the closing gong on the trading floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange on 24^th January 2018.

The Association hosted Fintech Enablers from six African Countries; South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroun, Togo and five from Europe and India in an African Fintech Network Roundtable aimed at unifying and channeling African Fintech initiatives toward creating unique African solutions to peculiar African challenges. The Association also in partnership with Fintech Associates Ltd, FintechStage and Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria Centre for Financial Studies hosted the highly successful National Fintech Conference.

Cross section of African Enablers from six African Countries, 5 from Europe & India from at the African Fintech Network Roundtable held on 24^th January 2018

Members in a deliberation during the General Meeting

The President also informed members of the plan to open up the membership of the Association to several other players within the ecosystem who had expressed intentions to join the Association, a decision members unanimously acceded to. Members of the Association were also requested to be more active in the areas of advocacy, assist in identifying challenges plaguing the financial ecosystem, prioritise the issues that connect all players and sustain engagements with policy makers in the best interest of the ecosystem.

L-R: Mr Tunji Eleso, Member, FintechNGR GovCo, Mr Olufemi Awoyemi, Member, FintechNGR GovCo, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, Group Executive, Ecobank, Dr Segun Aina, President, FintechNGR, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, Hon. Minister for Communications, Mr John Obaro, Member, FintechNGR GovCo and Dr Yinka David-West, Member, FintechNGR GovCo at the 2^nd National Fintech Conference.

In attendance at the AGM were representatives of Fintech Associates, Proshare, Ecobank, Accion, Banwo & Ighodalo, Co-Creation Hub, Systemspecs, Lagos Business School, Access Bank, PwC, Bitpesa, Maxut Consulting, Ernst & Young and Lead Capital Plc