Interswitch Champions Industry Dialogue on Alternative Credit and African-Led Innovation at CeBIH 2025
Interswitch, one of Africa’s foremost integrated payments and digital commerce firms, took centre stage at the 2025 Committee of e-Business Industry Heads (CeBIH) Annual Conference in Lagos. Held at the Eko Convention Centre on Victoria Island, the event fostered high-level discussions on reimagining financial inclusion through innovation, infrastructure, and cultural transformation in consumer credit. Over two days, senior policymakers, financial services executives, and technology pioneers from Nigeria’s digital finance space gathered to explore ways to extend credit access to underserved populations.
As a returning Gold Sponsor, Interswitch reaffirmed its enduring commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s financial infrastructure and fostering inclusive growth via locally driven solutions. The conference’s theme, “Reimagining Financial Inclusion through Cultural Shifts in Consumer Credit,” provided an apt platform for stakeholders to challenge traditional lending paradigms and investigate adaptive, technology-enabled approaches to consumer credit.
A key highlight on Day One was an impactful panel discussion titled “Alternative Credit Scoring for the Underserved,” featuring Ademola Adeniran, Divisional Head of Product Management and Solution Delivery at Verve International, a subsidiary of Interswitch Group. The panel examined how alternative data and digital intelligence can enable millions of excluded individuals to access credit. During his contribution, Adeniran stated:
> “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 insights from Munachimso Duru, Head of Products, Partnership and Innovation at Afrigopay Financial Services Limited; Damola Giwa, Country Manager for Visa West Africa; Nike Kolawole, representing Aisha Abdullahi, Executive Director of Credit and Portfolio Management at CREDICORP; and Ifeanyi Chukuwekem, Head of Corporate Strategy at eTranzact, offering a diverse industry perspective on the future of responsible credit delivery.
On the second day, Interswitch’s impact and philosophy were further emphasised through a keynote address by Robinta Aluyi, Vice President of Sales and Account Management for Digital Infrastructure & Managed Services (Interswitch Systegra). She highlighted the company’s purpose-driven approach to developing the infrastructure that underpins Africa’s digital economy and facilitates secure monetary transactions at 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 dependable payments, and strengthening the entire digital finance value chain. Today, we hold a significant market share, 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,” Aluyi said.
She also underscored the importance of African-led solutions in tackling the continent’s financial challenges, emphasising that sustainable progress must be rooted in local realities. According to her, Interswitch’s strength lies in its foundation—built on the continent, for the continent—delivering solutions tailored to individuals, small businesses, enterprises, and government bodies across every segment of the payment ecosystem.
The 2025 CeBIH Annual Conference also delved into behavioural change, responsible borrowing frameworks, identity verification, and institutional collaboration to foster a more inclusive credit culture. Experts concurred that, beyond digital access, sustainable financial inclusion depends on trust, education, aligned incentives, and resilient infrastructure—areas where Interswitch continues to play a vital role.
Interswitch’s active engagement in the conference reaffirmed its strategic focus on driving financial empowerment, enabling secure commerce, and fostering innovation across Africa’s rapidly evolving digital economy. The company reiterated that ongoing 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 broader continent.