The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the country from one of the world’s largest users of financial technology into a leading global exporter of fintech solutions, positioning digital finance as a new driver of economic growth, innovation and international competitiveness.
The initiative, encapsulated in the apex bank’s Payment System Vision (PSV) 2028, seeks to leverage Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem, local technology talent and financial infrastructure to build globally competitive fintech companies capable of serving international markets.
Speaking at the Future of Banking Summit 2026, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, said the next phase of Nigeria’s financial sector evolution is to move beyond adopting financial technologies developed elsewhere to creating home-grown fintech solutions for export.
Represented by the Director of the CBN’s Statistics Department, Dr. Okpanachi Usman Moses, Cardoso said Nigeria has already established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic digital payments markets, providing a strong foundation for the country’s next stage of growth.
“Our aspiration now is that Nigeria moves from being a fintech adoption market to a fintech production economy; that the next globally competitive fintech is built in Lagos, in Abuja, in Kaduna, on Nigerian data and Nigerian infrastructure, and exported to the world,” he said.
According to the governor, Payment System Vision 2028 is designed to deepen innovation while strengthening trust, financial inclusion, cybersecurity, transparency and collaboration across Nigeria’s financial ecosystem.
He described payment infrastructure as a strategic national asset that increasingly determines the competitiveness of modern economies, noting that Nigeria is already well positioned to compete globally.
“Over the past two decades, our payments ecosystem has evolved into one of the most dynamic in the world, driven by instant payment platforms, fintech innovation and the rapid expansion of agent banking to approximately two million agents nationwide,” Cardoso said.
He stressed that the new roadmap is intended to build on existing successes rather than address weaknesses in the payments industry.
“In several respects, our performance compares favourably with that of many advanced markets. PSV 2028 builds upon these achievements. It is not a response to failure. It is the next phase of a success story that we must not take for granted,” he said.
Cardoso said the strategy rests on six key pillars—interoperability, security, financial inclusion, purposeful innovation, transparency and collaboration—which will guide the evolution of Nigeria’s digital payments landscape over the coming years.
He said the central bank intends to make interoperability the standard across the financial system, enabling seamless transactions regardless of the financial institution or payment platform used.
“No Nigerian should have to think about which bank, which wallet, or which provider sits on the other side of the transaction. The money should simply arrive,” he said.
The CBN governor also identified cybersecurity and fraud prevention as central to the success of the initiative, arguing that sustained public confidence is critical to the continued expansion of digital financial services.
“Our ambition is straightforward, though demanding: a Nigerian’s money should be safer within the digital financial system than anywhere else,” Cardoso added.
The Payment System Vision 2028 forms part of the CBN’s broader strategy to modernise Nigeria’s financial architecture, accelerate financial inclusion and position the country as a leading digital finance and fintech innovation hub in Africa, with the long-term objective of exporting Nigerian-developed financial technology solutions to global markets.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it plans to transform Nigeria from one of the world’s largest adopters of financial technology into a global exporter of fintech solutions, as part of its Payment System Vision (PSV) 2028.
CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, speaking at the Future of Banking Summit 2026, said the long term objective is to ensure that the next globally competitive fintech company is built in Nigeria and exported to international markets, leveraging local talent, infrastructure and innovation.
Cardoso, who was represented by CBN Director, Statistics Department, Dr. Okpanachi Usman Moses, said the country’s rapidly evolving payments ecosystem has already positioned Nigeria among the world’s leading digital payment markets, adding that the next phase is to convert that success into a globally competitive fintech production economy.
“Our aspiration now is that Nigeria moves from being a fintech adoption market to a fintech production economy; that the next globally competitive fintech is built in Lagos, in Abuja, in Kaduna, on Nigerian data and Nigerian infrastructure, and exported to the world,” he stated.
According to him, the CBN’s Payment System Vision 2028 is designed to deepen innovation while strengthening trust, inclusion, security and collaboration across the financial ecosystem. He noted that payment infrastructure has become a strategic national asset whose efficiency increasingly determines a country’s competitiveness, stressing that Nigeria is not starting from behind.
Cardoso said over the past two decades, the country’s payments ecosystem has become one of the most dynamic globally, driven by instant payment platforms, fintech innovation and the expansion of agent banking to about two million agents across the country.
“In several respects, our performance compares favourably with that of many advanced markets. PSV 2028 builds upon these achievements. It is not a response to failure. It is the next phase of a success story that we must not take for granted,” he said.
The governor explained that the new payment vision is anchored on six strategic pillars, including interoperability, security, financial inclusion, purposeful innovation, transparency and collaboration. He said the CBN intends to make interoperability the default standard across the financial system to ensure seamless movement of funds across banks, wallets and payment providers.
“No Nigerian should have to think about which bank, which wallet, or which provider sits on the other side of the transaction. The money should simply arrive,” he said.
Cardoso also underscored the importance of embedding cybersecurity and fraud prevention into payment infrastructure from inception, insisting that public confidence remains the backbone of digital financial services.
“Our ambition is straightforward, though demanding: a Nigerian’s money should be safer within the digital financial system than anywhere else,” he added.
