Interswitch has launched the sixth edition of its TechConnect industry engagement series in Owerri, Imo State, bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to examine how Nigeria can build stronger and more adaptable infrastructure for the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
The latest edition of the initiative, themed “Built for What’s Next: Designing Adaptive Financial Infrastructure for a Dynamic Market,” is focused on the growing need for organisations to develop systems capable of responding to changing consumer behaviour, emerging technologies and evolving business models.
The engagement series provides a platform for stakeholders across government, financial services, technology and business to exchange ideas on the infrastructure, partnerships and capabilities required to support sustainable digital transformation.
Following the opening engagement at Protea Hotel in Owerri, TechConnect 6.0 will continue its multi-city tour with stops in three major commercial centres across Nigeria.
The roadshow is scheduled to move to Abuja on October 8, Ibadan on October 22 and Lagos on October 27, where the series will conclude.
Building for a Changing Market
Speaking on the need for organisations to prepare their technology infrastructure for an increasingly unpredictable business environment, Interswitch’s Vice President, Business Innovation and Growth, Tyoyila Aga, said flexibility must be at the heart of technology deployment.
He said, “Building for what’s next means designing infrastructure with change being top of mind. Markets, customer expectations and business needs will continue to evolve, so the systems that support them must be scalable, interoperable, secure and resilient enough to evolve with them. The opportunity is not simply to adopt new technology, but to build connected infrastructure that can support new services, new channels and new possibilities as they emerge.”
Aga's comments underscore the central theme of this year's TechConnect series, which seeks to move conversations around digital transformation beyond technology adoption towards the development of infrastructure that can support long-term innovation.
The initiative will examine how businesses and public institutions can create interconnected systems that are secure, scalable and capable of adapting as new digital services and channels emerge.
Public-Private Partnerships in Focus
The Owerri edition will feature a keynote address by the Executive Chairman of the Imo State Internal Revenue Service, Justice Okoye.
His presentation will examine the role of adaptive financial infrastructure in strengthening state institutions, improving revenue collection and service delivery, as well as expanding economic participation.
A major feature of the event will be a panel session titled “Driving Digital Transformation Through Public-Private Partnerships.”
The discussion will bring together professionals with experience spanning financial services, technology, public-sector revenue administration and digital transformation.
Among the panellists are the Managing Director/CEO of Zikora Microfinance Bank Limited, Dr. Kalu Nnachi; Managing Director of Premise2Cloud ICT Solutions Limited, Celestine Obiosa Uzor; Technology and Process Automation Lead at Abia State Internal Revenue Service, Emmanuel Alozie; and Aga of Interswitch.
The session will be moderated by Interswitch’s Lead for Partner & Client Management, Faith Ukpai.
Discussions will centre on some of the key issues confronting organisations as they accelerate their digital transformation journeys, including interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection and system resilience.
Roadshow Across Nigeria
The continuation of TechConnect 6.0 beyond Owerri is expected to provide opportunities for stakeholders in different regions to examine the challenges and opportunities associated with building a more connected digital economy.
With stops planned in Abuja, Ibadan and Lagos, the roadshow will bring the conversation to some of Nigeria's major government, commercial and technology centres.
The initiative comes at a time when businesses, financial institutions and government agencies are increasingly relying on digital infrastructure to deliver services, process transactions and engage consumers.
Through TechConnect 6.0, Interswitch is positioning the conversation around digital transformation around the need for infrastructure that can not only meet current demands but also remain capable of supporting future services and innovations.