Steady momentum continues to build around how Nigeria’s non-banking financial sector navigates digital transformation, and this year’s Leadway Digital Summit offered a clear view of what that evolution now looks like. Co-hosted by Intense Group—one of Africa’s rapidly rising marketing and growth technology firms—the gathering drew industry leaders, digital specialists, and senior executives for a full day of reflection, strategy, and forward planning.

The forum explored the sector’s most persistent challenges, particularly the difficulty of building trust in low-trust markets and the gap between digital activity and measurable business outcomes. Speakers also examined the growing need for brand experiences that resonate with Nigeria’s increasingly discerning consumers, emphasizing that digital engagement must be both culturally relevant and strategically grounded.

A pivotal moment came with insights from Leye Makanjuola, CEO and Founder of Intense Group, who underscored a shift away from short-lived, campaign-heavy marketing toward “system-led” engines that prioritize sustained customer value. This theme carried across multiple interactive sessions delivered by Intense Group’s strategy, creative, and innovation units, as well as by global partner Aleph.

Meta’s Creative and Brand Lead, Timilehin Oyedeji, expanded the conversation with a data-driven look at Nigeria’s digital landscape, outlining how financial digital channels are set to influence customer growth in 2026. His contribution reinforced the summit’s central message: financial services must blend trust-building with emotionally resonant storytelling and customer-centric design to win in a complex market.





Beyond the keynote stages, the Summit offered space for deeper collaboration. Leaders from across Leadway Group’s subsidiaries—ranging from insurance and pensions to asset management, trusteeship, health, and hospitality—participated in panels and strategic breakout sessions. Each unit left with practical frameworks aimed at strengthening customer relationships, modernizing digital touchpoints, and enhancing brand cohesion across the Group’s portfolio.

A consistent takeaway emerged: growth in the NBFS sector will increasingly rely on systems, not spur-of-the-moment tactics. Data, cultural insight, and long-term experience design are becoming the pillars of competitive advantage. For Intense Group, the event affirmed its role in driving digital excellence and brand innovation. For Leadway Group, it set a clear benchmark for trust-building and delivering measurable, cross-portfolio results.

As Nigeria’s non-banking financial ecosystem continues shifting toward a digital-first reality, the strategies showcased at the Summit are expected to influence how brands foster loyalty, communicate value, and ultimately shape their long-term impact.