OPay has declared that the next phase of Africa’s fintech revolution will be driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), arguing that the technology can do more than automate payments by expanding financial inclusion, fighting fraud and connecting millions of underserved people to the formal financial system.
The fintech company made the case at the Digital PayExpo 2026 in Lagos, where it served as the headline sponsor of the two-day industry conference that brought together regulators, banks, fintech companies and technology experts to discuss the future of digital payments.
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The message signals a shift in Africa’s fintech industry. While the last decade focused on bringing more people into the financial system through digital wallets and mobile payments, industry leaders now believe AI will determine which companies can deliver faster, safer and more personalised financial services at scale.
Speaking during a keynote titled “The African Fintech Frontier: Leveraging AI to Unlock a Unified Digital Economy,” Dotun Adekunle, OPay’s chief operating officer and chief technology officer, said Africa has a unique opportunity to lead global fintech innovation because of its young population and rapidly growing digital economy.
