Nume Ekeghe
Afrigopay Financial Services Limited, operators of Nigeria’s sovereign national payment card scheme, has called for greater collaboration and innovation in the microfinance sector as it engaged industry stakeholders at the 16th Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB) in Abuja.
Held under the theme, “Beyond 20 Years: Engineering Sustainable Microfinance for the Next Generation,” the meeting brought together microfinance bank operators, regulators and payment ecosystem players to discuss strategies for building a more sustainable and inclusive microfinance industry.
Speaking at the event, Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Director at Afrigopay Financial Services Limited, Ugo Obasi articulated how the AfriGO card was intentionally engineered to advance financial inclusion. He highlighted that AfriGO offers underserved and unbanked Nigerians a simple, highly secure, and domestically built entryway into the formal payment ecosystem.
Obasi outlined the compelling business case for microfinance banks adopting the national card scheme, pointing to significant operational and transaction cost savings when compared to alternative card rails. He emphasized that AfriGO addresses the historic integration barriers faced by smaller financial institutions by offering turnkey support.
In his remarks, the National President of NAMB, Dr. Adenrele Oni, acknowledged AfriGO’s strategic commitment to strengthening the microfinance sector, noting that institutional
collaboration around secure payment rails remains critical to driving sustainable growth
across the industry.