LAGOS-
Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos is playing host to the inaugural PAPSS COWRY Forum, a landmark gathering set to redefine the future of cross-border payments and settlement across Africa. Scheduled for 2–3 December 2025 at the prestigious Lagos Continental Hotel, the event marks a significant milestone in the continent’s journey toward financial integration and trade facilitation.
As Africa intensifies its drive to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the need for seamless, fast, and secure cross-border transactions has become a top priority. The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)—powered by Afreximbank—stands at the forefront of this transformation, and the COWRY Forum provides the ideal platform to advance this vision.
A Line-Up of Continental Leaders and Visionaries
The two-day forum will bring together high-level leaders, innovators, and financial sector strategists. Among the renowned speakers are:
- H.E. Wamkele Mene
Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA) - Mr. Haytham El-Maayergi
Executive Vice President, Afreximbank - Mike Ogbalu III
CEO, Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)
These leaders—alongside other experts from central banks, fintech ecosystems, trade institutions, and policy circles—will engage in critical discussions on interoperability, sovereignty in payment infrastructure, and the technology powering Africa’s emerging payment backbone.
Driving Innovation, Trade, and Economic Growth
The PAPSS COWRY Forum is designed as a hub for collaborative solutions. Participants can expect:
- Insightful panel sessions on building a harmonized and sovereign payment system
- Innovation showcases from fintech leaders
- High-level dialogues on strengthening the AfCFTA through seamless payments
- Roadmaps for enhancing intra-African trade, business scalability, and economic resilience
By reducing reliance on external currencies and simplifying cross-border settlements, PAPSS aims to save Africa billions annually while enabling faster, more reliable trade flows across all 54 member states.
Africa’s Payment Backbone Begins a New Chapter
The launch of the PAPSS COWRY Forum in Lagos symbolizes Africa’s determination to own and modernize its financial infrastructure. As policymakers, innovators, and industry players converge, a new era of connected, real-time, and efficient payment systems is taking shape.
Africa is building its own payment backbone—and the next chapter begins here.
