Senior executives, policymakers and financial sector leaders are expected to converge in Lagos to discuss the future of digital finance systems in Africa, as the continent accelerates efforts to modernise its financial architecture and deepen economic integration.
The discussions will take place at the 6th Africa Finance Festival 2026, scheduled for 12 and 13 May at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, organisers said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The summit is expected to bring together participants from government, banking, telecommunications, fintech, infrastructure and development finance institutions across Africa in what has become one of the region’s growing platforms for high-level financial dialogue.
Organisers said the 2026 edition will focus strongly on how digital innovation is reshaping financial systems, improving access to financial services, and enabling more efficient capital flows across African markets.
They added that the event comes at a time when African economies are increasingly adopting mobile money systems, digital banking platforms and fintech-driven solutions, while still grappling with regulatory fragmentation, infrastructure gaps and cross-border payment inefficiencies.
MTN Nigeria, Lagos Free Zone, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, and Creditswitch have been confirmed as headline sponsors of the 2026 edition, reinforcing what organisers describe as growing private- and public-sector confidence in the platform.
According to organisers, the involvement of these institutions highlights the increasing intersection between telecommunications, trade facilitation, infrastructure development and digital financial services in shaping Africa’s economic future.
They said the sponsors would play a role in enriching discussions on investment, digital transformation and policy coordination across African financial markets.
AFF 2026, powered by InstinctWave and TheCFO, is the evolution of the long-running CFO and Public Finance Conference, restructured into a multi-stream continental platform.
This year’s edition will run under the theme ‘Future Forward: Building Resilient, Sustainable and Digital Finance Systems for Africa’.
The programme will feature nine parallel streams, including Public Finance Live, CFO Connect, TaxIgnite, CEO Connect, Pension Connect, Investment and Wealth Live, Risk/Audit Live, ESG and Sustainable Finance, and Treasury Live.
Organisers said the format is designed to deepen technical conversations while also encouraging cross-sector collaboration between policymakers, corporate executives and financial innovators.
The summit will feature a broad faculty of speakers drawn from across Africa, including senior government finance officials, central bank-linked institutions, corporate finance leaders, fintech executives and development finance experts.
Among confirmed speakers is Mr Leonard Mkude, Accountant-General of the United Republic of Tanzania, alongside senior Nigerian public finance figures such as Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, Accountant-General of the Federation; Chairman of the Forum of Finance Commissioners of Nigeria, Akintunde Oyebode; and Accountant-General of Lagos State, Muyiwa Adetola.
Others include Managing Director and CEO of the National Credit Guarantee Company, Bonaventure Okhaimo, and Commissioner of Finance for Kwara State, Hauwa Nuru, reflecting both federal and subnational fiscal representation.
From the corporate sector, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, Modupe Kadiri, will feature prominently in the CFO Connect stream, while Director of Finance and Operations at Lagos Free Zone, Ashish Khemka, will contribute insights on infrastructure finance and capital mobilisation.
Other speakers include the CFO of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Oluseyi Olanrewaju, and the Group Chief Finance Officer of Tropical General Investments Group, Ogaga Ologe, highlighting the role of energy and infrastructure finance in Africa’s growth agenda.
The programme will also feature discussions on risk management, governance and taxation.
Chief Risk Officer at the Development Bank of Namibia, Saima Ashipala, and Head of Risk Management at the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation, Renatus Nyanda, will anchor risk-related discussions.
In the TaxIgnite stream, Adegbola Thomas of FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company and Sebastine Odimma of the Yellow Card app will address issues around extractive industry taxation and fintech-driven compliance frameworks.
Development finance and banking perspectives will be provided by Dkt. Kaanaeli G. Nnko of Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank and Daniel Asiedu of OmniBSIC Bank Ghana.
Organisers said previous editions of the festival attracted senior finance leaders and policymakers from across the continent, reinforcing its position as a key convening platform for Africa’s financial ecosystem.
Chief Executive Officer of InstinctWave and Group Publisher of The TheCFO Magazine, Akin Naphtal, said the event reflects Africa’s shifting financial priorities.
“This rebrand is not just a name change,” he said. “It is a reflection of where Africa is heading, bold, integrated, and driven by finance leadership that truly shapes economies.”
He added that AFF 2026 will serve as a central meeting point for stakeholders building financial systems aimed at driving inclusive growth, resilience and innovation across the continent.
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