EMTECH, a Fintech for Central Banks, and Global InfoSwift have announced a new Nigeria-based partnership to deliver capacity building in three core areas: Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), Regulatory Sandbox Framework, and API & Open Banking.
This partnership will enable Nigerian regulators, banks and local fintechs to accelerate the transformative changes seen in the evolving financial services regulatory environment. African central banks are moving forward with their innovation and digitization efforts across the continent, and with change, there is a need for collaboration and regulatory frameworks to enable successful outcomes that will impact more than one billion Africans across the continent. This program is set to launch in the next 90 days with engagements of key stakeholders across the Nigerian ecosystem.
The Capacity Building Program will facilitate the convergence of knowledge on innovative solutions – enabling supervisory agencies’ regulatory frameworks to foster innovation, financial inclusion and financial system resilience as well as compliance of financial service providers’ (FSPs) emerging product and business models with relevant regulatory and consumer protection requirements.
Carmelle Cadet, the Founder and CEO, EMTECH, said of the Capacity Building Program, “EMTECH is pioneering a new approach as a Fintech for Central Banks and other financial services regulators and financial services providers. We are positioned to serve as a bridge between the regulator and regulated within the financial services industry by providing modern technology platforms and tools to enable an inclusive and resilient financial market. That’s always been our mission and we’re doing so with our Modern Central Bank Sandbox™ Platform and a Modern CBDC Platform built with an Open Banking architecture. With that, we recognize the need to complement this by providing enhanced education and understanding of the impact of technological innovation on regulatory and policy approaches to the ecosystem players.”
“The program will provide deep and broad-based insights on Central Bank Digital Currency, Regulatory Sandbox Framework, and API & Open Banking,” said Tunji Odumuboni, Executive Director – Africa, EMTECH. “These three domains were selected as they represent the core pillars enabling regulators and innovative financial services providers with the tools to enhance financial inclusion while fostering resilience of the entire financial market infrastructure,” Odumuboni said.
“We are delighted to join forces with GIC because of their expertise and experience in facilitating technology–related capacity building programs for different players within the Financial Services regulatory environment, including regulators and financial service providers,” said Odumuboni.
“Our objective is to provide this ‘Capacity Building Program’ to the entire financial services ecosystem in Nigeria,” said Afolabi Oke, Founder and CEO, Global InfoSwift Consulting Ltd. “This means attracting all financial services regulatory agencies and all financial services providers, from commercial banks to fintechs,” Oke said. “We are excited to team up with EMTECH, who have hands-on experience with their API-led Modern Regulatory Sandbox™ Platform, in enabling Central Banks and other financial services regulators in getting actionable regulatory insights into the broad ecosystem of private-sector innovators while accelerating the readiness of fintechs for regulatory reviews and go-to-market approvals.”
Adeola Azeez, Independent Non-Executive Director Global InfoSwift, said, “New technologies help us level up our lives. Rapid advances in financial innovations (FinTech) provide new opportunities for financial services and allow new products, services and players to enter markets. FinTech is able to strengthen financial development, inclusion and efficiency both domestically and globally. With this, it forces the modern financial community to face new challenges in regulation, in particular associated with data privacy, consumer protection and operational risks. There is therefore a need to consistently build capacity as technology evolves. The partnership with EMTECH is very timely to enable us bridge the knowledge gap within the financial ecosystem.”
