The Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, will be the Special Guest of Honour at the third Business Journal Fintech and Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2026, scheduled for Friday 31 July 2026 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The theme of the Roundtable is: “Fintech: Driving the Future of Digital Financial Ecosystem in Nigeria”.
Maida holds an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College, London in 2002. In 2006, he bagged a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
Between 2018 and 2019, Maida completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (FinTech Pathway) programme at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Until his appointment by the President Bola Tinubu in 2023, he was the Executive Director of Technology and Operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc, the country’s central switch company owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and all licensed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria.
At NIBSS, Maida was responsible for holistically spearheading the technical and operational standardisation of all devices deployed in the financial system in Nigeria for interoperability.
He led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.
Prior to his appointment at NIBSS, Maida was the Chief Technical Officer at the Nigerian-based FinTech Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems, United Kingdom.
As a seasoned technical professional with over 15 years of multi-functional and international experience in FinTech, Telecoms and Enterprise Technology, Maida worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of BT Group, and one of the largest mobile communications companies in the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2014,.
He was also a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading company in intelligent 3G and LTE small cells, which is now part of Cisco, from 2006 and 2010.
A professional par excellence, Maida combines a broad range of experiences, making him technically strong and commercially sound.
Reacting, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Business Journal Media Group, Prince Cookey said: ‘Dr. Aminu Maida came to the NCC at a time Nigeria needed strategic repositioning of the digital economy landscape and telecom regulation in the country.
‘He has positioned NCC as a leading voice in the digital space and telecom regulation in Africa and around the world. Accordingly, stakeholders attending the third Business Journal Fintech and Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2026 would be looking forward to a robust conversation on the State of the digital economy, fintech market and the numbers on financial inclusion today and tomorrow’.
Cookey added that the Commissioner for Insurance/CEO, National Insurance Commission, Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, will also be on board as Special Guest of Honour while the Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, will chair the event, while the Managing Director/CEO of PufferPay Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Ovaga, will deliver the keynote paper at the Roundtable.
Distinguished members of the Panel include:
• CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr. Muda Yusuf
• Group Managing Director/CEO of Royal Exchange Plc, Mrs. Idu Okeahialam
• Managing Director/CEO, Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited, Mr. Jide Orimolade
• President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Dr. Obioha Oti
• President, Association of Financial Inclusion Agents of Nigeria, Mr. Sarafadeen Fasasi
The revolutionary success story of Moniepoint, Opay, PalmPay, Flutterwave and others in the digital payment system in Nigeria represents a positive expansion of the financial services sector in the country.
With millions of Nigerians and businesses lacking access to basic financial services, the importance of Fintechs remain sacrosanct in achieving substantial level of Financial Inclusion and expanding the frontiers of the industry.
According to AI Overview, Fintechs in Nigeria have revolutionised the financial landscape by dramatically increasing access to banking services, driving, for example, a 20% increase in financial inclusion and helping to bring the banked population to roughly 63%. These firms have introduced faster, affordable digital payments, lending, and investment services, forcing traditional banks to adopt digital transformation.
On investment, AI Overview stated: “Fintechs in Nigeria dominate the tech landscape, securing 35% of total tech funding ($2 billion total) in 2024, with over 430 companies attracting roughly 36% of all African fintech investment. Despite global challenges, the sector remains highly resilient, driven by high demand, with significant deals including Moniepoint’s $110 million series C”.
In January 2026, the Central Bank of Nigeria granted national licences to Moniepoint, Opay etc, giving them the regulatory authority to operate across the 36 States of the Federation. The decision firmly underscores the great strides by Fintechs in driving Financial Inclusion and supporting sustainable economic growth in the country.
The third Business Journal Fintech and Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2026 aims to underscore the positive contribution of Fintechs in deepening Financial Inclusion, expanding access to financial services and contributing to economic growth in the country.
Expected participants at the Roundtable include regulators, operators from key sectors of the economy, media and members of the public.
