- L–R: Abraham Kassahun, Payment Systems Consultant, EthSwitch; Assefa Yeshanew, Chief Information Officer, EthSwitch; Yilebes Addis, Chief Executive Officer, EthSwitch;Akeem Lawal, Managing Director, Payment Processing & Switching (Interswitch Purepay);Chinyere Don-Okhuofu, Managing Director, Industry Ecosystems (Interswitch Indeco); and Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve International, during the EthSwitch delegation’s knowledge-exchange visit to Interswitch’s Head Office in Lagos, Nigeria.
Admin I Sunday, Dec. 14.25
LAGOS, Nigeria – Interswitch, Africa’s leading payments and digital commerce company, recentlyh welcomed a high-level delegation from EthSwitch, the national payment switch of Ethiopia, to its Lagos headquarters for an immersive exposure and knowledge-exchange session.
The visit underscores Interswitch’s ongoing commitment to strengthening payment ecosystems across the continent through collaboration, capacity building, and shared innovation.
The engagement formed a significant part of EthSwitch’s efforts as it develops its next 5-year strategy and 15-year roadmap, designed to modernize Ethiopia’s payments landscape and deepen financial inclusion. By visiting Interswitch, widely regarded as one of Africa’s most successful and resilient payment infrastructure providers, the delegation sought practical insights into proven models that can support their long-term transformation journey.
During the session, the EthSwitch team explored Interswitch’s business architecture, corporate governance frameworks, product development approach, technology stack, operational excellence standards, and platform security systems. These learnings reflected the breadth of Interswitch’s capabilities and the company’s pioneering role in advancing secure and interoperable payment systems across Africa for over two decades.
Akeem Lawal, Managing Director, Payment Processing & Switching (Interswitch Purepay), delivered a comprehensive overview of the organisation’s diverse business lines, demonstrating how Interswitch’s integrated ecosystem continues to power daily transactions, enable innovation, and support partners in driving scalable digital payment
solutions.
Lawal reaffirmed Interswitch’s dedication to fostering collaboration with institutions across Africa and emphasized that knowledge-sharing sessions like this play an essential role in strengthening regional interoperability, accelerating digital transformation, and advancing the continent’s financial services industry. He said,
“At Interswitch, we believe that Africa’s
progress is accelerated when institutions learn from one another and work together toward shared goals. Engagements like this are invaluable because they deepen interoperability, inspire innovation, and strengthen the digital foundations that power our continent’s financial ecosystem. We remain committed to fostering these collaborations and supporting partners like EthSwitch as we collectively drive Africa’s digital transformation forward.”
Chief Executive Officer, EthSwitch, Yilebes Addis, highlighted Ethiopia’s ambitions for its evolving financial system, emphasising a focus on driving innovation, expanding critical infrastructure, and enhancing ecosystem efficiency.
The insights gained from the visit to Interswitch were noted as valuable input for shaping EthSwitch’s strategic blueprint. Yilebes also welcomed the prospects for deeper collaboration with Interswitch, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening Ethiopia’s digital payments landscape and advancing scalable, interoperable solutions across the continent.
This successful visit signals a growing alignment between both organisations, setting the stage for future partnership opportunities aimed at shaping a more connected and innovative African payments ecosystem.
Discussions touched on shared priorities such as enhancing regional interoperability, strengthening digital payment acceptance, and supporting the development of scalable solutions tailored to Africa’s evolving financial landscape. This alignment of vision further underscored the importance of partnerships in accelerating sustainable progress across the continent.
Linteroperability, strengthening digital payment acceptance, and supporting the development of scalable solutions tailored to Africa’s evolving financial landscape. This alignment of vision further underscored the importance of partnerships in accelerating sustainable progress across the continent.
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