Mastercard has called for African countries to connect existing digital identity, payment and government service systems rather than continue building isolated platforms, saying interoperability could help expand financial inclusion and bring more informal businesses into the formal economy.
The payments technology company made the case in an account published by BusinessDay on Friday, September 25, 2026, following its participation in GITEX Nigeria, held in Abuja and Lagos from Monday, August 31, to Thursday, September 3, 2026.
Kari Tukur, Mastercard’s Vice President for Core Payments in West Africa, said during a GITEX Nigeria discussion on digital government and interoperability that identity, payments and service delivery should be designed to work together from the outset.
According to Tukur, connecting these systems can create a more seamless way for citizens and businesses to verify their identities, access services and make or receive payments.
Mastercard said its Community Pass platform illustrates how connected digital infrastructure can support economic participation. In its December 17, 2025 statement on its African expansion, the company described Community Pass as a social enterprise initiative that digitises and connects remote and rural communities with governments, non-governmental organisations and private-sector services.
Mastercard said on December 17, 2025, that it aimed to register 15 million users in Africa through Community Pass within five years and that the platform had already reached 1.2 million smallholder farmers in Uganda.
The company said the platform provides secure digital credentials that can help farmers and small traders build digital profiles and access payments, markets and financial services.
Cross-border payments were another focus of Mastercard’s GITEX Nigeria discussions. Unwana Esang, the company’s Vice President for Service Business Development, said interoperable infrastructure is important for helping financial innovations move beyond pilot programmes and achieve scale.
Mastercard said its Mastercard Move platform supports money movement across more than 200 countries and territories and more than 150 currencies, connecting bank accounts, cards, digital wallets and cash endpoints.
The cost of moving money across African borders remains significant. The International Monetary Fund, citing World Bank data in a 2026 report, said the average cost of sending $200 from Sub-Saharan Africa was 8.5% in the first quarter of 2025.
Olusola Olakanmi, Mastercard’s Vice President for Account Management and Head of Sales for West Africa, said at GITEX Nigeria that partnerships with global technology companies should create lasting local value by strengthening skills, infrastructure, innovation and opportunities for African businesses.
Mastercard said on December 17, 2025, that its acceptance network across Africa had grown by 45% during 2025. The company linked the expansion to new market entries, investment, product development and collaborations focused particularly on small and medium-sized businesses.
Cybersecurity also featured prominently in Mastercard’s GITEX Nigeria programme. Can Elbeyli, the company’s Senior Vice President for Security Solutions in EEMEA, led a Mastercard cybersecurity workshop on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Landmark Centre in Lagos.
According to the official GITEX Nigeria programme, the workshop examined the changing cyber threat landscape, AI-powered fraud prevention, cyber resilience and the need to integrate cybersecurity into digital transformation.
Mastercard also highlighted artificial intelligence-based tools for identifying suspicious transactions and strengthening fraud prevention as digital financial services expand.
Gabriel Swanepoel, Division President for Africa at Mastercard, said Africa’s digital future would be shaped by partnerships that combine technology, innovation and local expertise to create opportunities for people and businesses.
The Mastercard discussions at GITEX Nigeria point to a strategy centred less on creating separate digital platforms and more on connecting identity, payments, financial services and cybersecurity systems so they can operate together across African markets.
