African digital finance pivots from access to trust
A new policy framework from Bridgforte warns that the next phase of Africa's digital finance growth depends on solving platform-led governance and consumer confidence issues.
Bridgforte, a new advisory firm founded by former Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor Aishah N. Ahmad, is publishing a policy report on digital finance. The paper argues that trust has replaced access as the primary constraint on financial services growth in Africa and the Global South.
The report, titled Trust Architecture in Platform-Led Finance, asserts that while financial inclusion has expanded rapidly, the fragmented nature of digital ecosystems creates fresh governance risks. Banks, fintechs, payment infrastructures, and technology platforms now collectively shape the customer experience. For investors and executives, the findings suggest an impending regulatory pivot toward how these interconnected platforms manage consumer confidence and systemic stability.
The 100-minute virtual event, hosted by Lehlé Baldé and Nairametrics founder Ugodre Obi-Chukwu, will feature a keynote by South African Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Nomfundo (Fundi) Tshazibana. The subsequent panel bridges traditional finance and disruptive startups, featuring Bank of Kigali CEO Diane Karusisi and Sparkle founder Uzoma Dozie. They will be joined by PiggyVest co-founder Odunayo Eweniyi and consumer advocate Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, with Lagos Business School Dean Olayinka David-West moderating.
The framework originates from high-level dialogues on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, held alongside the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program and ConsumerCentriX. Those conversations identified confidence as the sector's critical frontier, leading to a closed-door Executive Table in Lagos in February 2026. Convened with the UNDP Nigeria Innovation Centre, that session gathered 30 senior leaders from banking, fintech, insurance, and capital markets to inform the research.
"Digital financial systems must now prove themselves worthy of public trust," Ahmad said. "That is the defining challenge for policymakers, regulators and industry leaders alike. It is the shift in thinking African finance now requires."
