NCC boss to serve as Special Guest of Honour at Business Journal Fintech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2026

Stanley Ihedigbo

Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has been confirmed as the Special Guest of Honour at the 3rd Business Journal Fintech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2026, scheduled to hold on July 31, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The annual event, organised by Business Journal Media Group, will focus on the theme, “Fintech: Driving the Future of Digital Financial Ecosystem in Nigeria,” bringing together regulators, financial experts, fintech operators, investors, policymakers, insurance executives, economists and other stakeholders to discuss the future of Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital finance industry.

Dr. Maida’s participation is expected to provide valuable insights into the critical role of telecommunications infrastructure in expanding digital financial services and accelerating financial inclusion across Nigeria.

Appointed by President Bola Tinubu as Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC on October 11, 2023, Maida has earned recognition as one of Nigeria’s leading technology and digital economy experts.

His appointment marked a new phase in the country’s efforts to strengthen telecommunications regulation and advance digital innovation.

Academically, Maida possesses an impressive background. He obtained a Master of Engineering degree in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London in 2002 before earning a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, United Kingdom, in 2006. He later completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship with a FinTech pathway at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, between 2018 and 2019.

Before assuming leadership of the NCC, Maida served as Executive Director, Technology and Operations at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), where he played a central role in standardising Nigeria’s electronic payment infrastructure. Under his leadership, interoperability among payment terminals and card systems was significantly strengthened, enabling seamless transactions across financial institutions and licensed payment providers.

His professional journey also includes serving as Chief Technical Officer at Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems in the United Kingdom. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of the BT Group, and as a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading developer of intelligent 3G and LTE small-cell technologies that later became part of Cisco.

Business Journal Media Group Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Prince Cookey, described Maida as a visionary leader whose experience in telecommunications and financial technology has helped reposition Nigeria’s digital economy.

According to Cookey, participants at the roundtable are eager to hear the NCC chief’s perspectives on the current state of Nigeria’s digital economy, the growth of fintech companies and the country’s financial inclusion drive.

He also announced that the Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, will serve as Special Guest of Honour, while the Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, will chair the event.

The keynote address will be delivered by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PufferPay Limited, Mr. Emmanuel Ovaga, while the President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, will attend as Guest of Honour.

The panel discussion will feature some of Nigeria’s foremost business and financial experts, including Dr. Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE); Mrs. Idu Okeahialam, Group Managing Director and CEO of Royal Exchange Plc; Mr. Jide Orimolade, Managing Director and CEO of Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited; Dr. Obioha Oti, President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN); and Mr. Sarafadeen Fasasi, President of the Association of Financial Inclusion Agents of Nigeria (AFIAN).

The roundtable comes at a time when Nigeria’s fintech industry continues to transform the country’s financial services landscape. Companies such as Moniepoint, OPay, PalmPay and Flutterwave have expanded access to digital payments, lending and investment products, helping millions of Nigerians and small businesses access financial services that were previously beyond their reach.

Industry reports indicate that fintech innovation has significantly increased financial inclusion in Nigeria, with digital platforms helping raise the country’s banked population while accelerating cashless transactions and digital commerce.

The sector has also attracted substantial investor confidence, accounting for a significant share of technology funding across Africa despite challenging global economic conditions.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s decision in January 2026 to grant national operating licences to leading fintech companies, including Moniepoint and OPay, further underscored the growing importance of digital financial institutions in driving inclusive economic growth and expanding access to financial services nationwide.

Organisers said the 2026 Business Journal Fintech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable seeks to highlight the immense contributions of fintech companies in promoting financial inclusion, strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy and supporting sustainable economic development.

The event is expected to attract regulators, financial institutions, technology companies, insurance operators, investors, policymakers, media practitioners and members of the public, providing a platform for robust discussions on policies and innovations shaping the future of Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem.