At GITEX Nigeria 2026, Mastercard executives discussed how local expertise, connected digital services and cybersecurity could shape Nigeria’s digital economy. Lagos- and Abuja-based ZikarelHub says it’s building technology products around the country’s infrastructure and regulatory conditions.
The event 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. They discussed digital government, technology ownership, financial innovation and cybersecurity.
Connecting services and building capability
Mastercard’s Kari Tukur, vice president, Core Payments, West Africa, said identity, payment and service-delivery systems should work together. Africa has invested in digital identity, real-time payments and digital government platforms, the article said. Linking these systems could help people verify identities, access services and make or receive payments more smoothly. Digital transaction records can also contribute to business financial profiles and pathways to credit.
Mastercard’s Community Pass uses digital credentials to connect underserved communities with financial institutions, governments and service providers. The company says it helps farmers and small traders build profiles that can support access to payments, markets and financial tools.
At a discussion titled “What the Digital Future Requires – From Dependency to Ownership,” Mastercard’s Olusola Olakanmi said global partnerships can provide access to technology, infrastructure and expertise. He said their long-term value should be measured by how much they strengthen local capability, develop infrastructure and create opportunities for African businesses to generate sustainable value. The approach he described includes skills transfer, engineering and cybersecurity training, product development and local supplier participation.
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.
Local systems, financial access and security
At “Africa’s Financial Reset: The New Architecture of Money, Markets and Movement,” Mastercard’s Unwana Esang discussed infrastructure, trust and collaboration. The company said interoperability can reduce the cost and complexity of connecting banks, fintech companies, mobile-money operators and payment systems, including for cross-border commerce, remittances and business payments.
Mastercard Move supports money movement across more than 200 countries and territories and more than 150 currencies, linking bank accounts, cards, digital wallets and cash endpoints. Mastercard Threat Intelligence uses AI to assess transaction risk in real time, the company said. At a cybersecurity workshop, Can Elbeyli, senior vice president, Security Solutions, EEMEA, discussed AI-driven risks and the integration of cybersecurity, fraud prevention and resilience into transformation strategies.
ZikarelHub’s locally tailored approach
Separately, ZikarelHub says fragmented technology contracting can lead to higher budgets, stalled timelines and products that fail with local users. It says Nigerian businesses have divided product work among European agencies for design, developers in India or Eastern Europe for backend work, and local engineers for payment integrations and compliance with changing Central Bank of Nigeria directives.
The company says imported software frameworks may not suit conditions requiring offline-first functions, architecture optimized for 3G, USSD integration and regulatory compliance. It reports expertise across twelve technological verticals. Its teams build lightweight Progressive Web Applications and mobile apps that can store field data offline, then sync it when connectivity returns.
ZikarelHub reports a 98% client satisfaction rate across more than 60 deployed projects. Its stated roadmap includes developing proprietary SaaS products and reusable fintech payment rails, alongside plans to expand as cross-border digital trade accelerates under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Mastercard’s Gabriel Swanepoel said GITEX Nigeria brings together innovators, entrepreneurs and organizations working on Africa’s digital transformation.