At GITEX Nigeria 2026, Mastercard executives argued that identity, payment and government-service systems should connect, while a Lagos and Abuja technology firm says businesses need infrastructure built for Nigeria’s uneven connectivity and regulations. The discussion puts control of digital systems, local technical capacity and the costs of fragmented technology work at the center. The pitch is collaboration. But who builds, owns and benefits from the systems people and businesses rely on?
Who Builds the Digital Infrastructure
GITEX Nigeria ran in Abuja and Lagos from August 31 to September 3. Mastercard hosted stakeholders, including the Deputy Governor of Lagos State and the U.S. Consul General, at its exhibition booth. In discussions, executives promoted interoperability, financial innovation, local capability and cybersecurity as foundations for a more connected digital economy.
Kari Tukur, vice president, Core Payments, West Africa, Mastercard, said identity, payment and service-delivery systems should work together from the outset. Mastercard’s Community Pass uses digital credentials to connect underserved communities with financial institutions, governments and service providers. The company says the service helps farmers and small traders build digital profiles that can support access to payments, markets and financial tools. Those profiles may open doors. But the account presents them through a corporate platform, not through a farmer or trader explaining what they need or who should control their data.
At a discussion titled “What the Digital Future Requires – From Dependency to Ownership,” Olusola Olakanmi, vice president, Account Management and head of Sales, West Africa, Mastercard, said global partnerships can speed access to technology, infrastructure and expertise. He added that their long-term value should be judged by whether they strengthen local capability, develop infrastructure and create opportunities for African businesses to generate sustainable value. Proposed measures include skills transfer, engineering and cybersecurity training, product development, local suppliers and ways for African businesses to create and retain value.
Mastercard said its acceptance network across Africa grew by 45% in 2025, extending digital-payment participation to consumers and merchants, including smaller and informal businesses. Its Mastercard Move service connects bank accounts, cards, digital wallets and cash endpoints across more than 200 countries and territories and more than 150 currencies. That’s a vast reach, which the company describes as connection. But the account doesn’t say who sets the terms for each connection.
Local Conditions, Local Costs
ZikarelHub LTD says it is tackling fragmentation in Nigeria’s technology talent supply chain by bringing the product lifecycle into one ecosystem. Its article says the Nigerian tech sector contributed ₦7 trillion to the country’s GDP in the first half of 2025, or 14% of total economic output. Yet the company argues that imported software frameworks can misfit local conditions: approaches built around seamless 5G, frictionless payments and unified regulation may fail businesses that need offline-first tools, 3G-optimized architecture, USSD integration and compliance with changing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directives.
ZikarelHub describes a familiar split: agencies in Europe handle UI/UX design, freelance developers in India or Eastern Europe build backend systems, and local engineers manage Paystack or Flutterwave integrations and CBN compliance. The company says this fragmentation can mean higher budgets, stalled timelines and products that fail with local users. It says it has centralized the lifecycle and works across twelve technological verticals, from custom software and mobile applications to blockchain integration and AI-driven automation.
Its teams prioritize lightweight Progressive Web Applications for legacy devices and fluctuating bandwidth, along with offline-first mobile applications that let rural field workers enter data without an internet connection and sync it when service returns. The company also says Nigerian fintech products need localized know-your-customer systems, multi-tiered authentication, fraud-prevention logic and regulatory awareness. These are concrete constraints, not abstractions. Architecture has to work where connectivity and compliance requirements vary.
ZikarelHub reports a 98% client satisfaction rate across more than 60 deployed projects. It describes work on Enterprise Resource Planning software for manufacturing and logistics firms, business-to-business software platforms, and AI workflows for financial institutions. Its roadmap includes expansion as cross-border digital trade accelerates, and development of proprietary SaaS products and reusable fintech payment rails. Mastercard’s Gabriel Swanepoel, division president, Africa at Mastercard, said: “Africa's digital future will be shaped by the partnerships that bring together technology, innovation and local expertise to create real opportunities for people and businesses.” The promise is opportunity. Ownership and value retention remain the measure.