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Interswitch, a leading payments and digital commerce company, has hosted a senior delegation from EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national payment switch, at its Lagos headquarters as part of a knowledge-sharing and capacity-building engagement.
According to a statement, the visit reflects Interswitch’s continued commitment to strengthening payment ecosystems across Africa through collaboration, shared innovation, and institutional capacity development.
The engagement formed part of EthSwitch’s preparations for its next five-year strategy and long-term 15-year roadmap aimed at modernising Ethiopia’s payments infrastructure and expanding financial inclusion. By engaging with Interswitch—widely recognised as one of Africa’s most established payment infrastructure providers—the delegation sought practical insights from proven operational and governance models to support its transformation agenda.
During the visit, the EthSwitch team examined Interswitch’s business architecture, corporate governance structures, product development processes, technology infrastructure, operational standards, and security frameworks. The discussions highlighted Interswitch’s experience in building secure, interoperable, and scalable payment systems across the continent over more than two decades.
The Managing Director, Payment Processing and Switching at Interswitch Purepay, Akeem Lawal, provided an overview of the company’s business lines and integrated ecosystem, demonstrating how Interswitch supports daily transaction processing, enables innovation, and partners with institutions to deliver scalable digital payment solutions.
Lawal reaffirmed Interswitch’s commitment to cross-border collaboration, noting that knowledge-exchange initiatives are critical to strengthening regional interoperability and accelerating Africa’s digital transformation.
“At Interswitch, we believe Africa advances faster when institutions learn from one another and work toward shared objectives. Engagements like this deepen interoperability, encourage innovation, and strengthen the digital foundations of the continent’s financial ecosystem,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of EthSwitch, Yilebes Addis, said the visit aligned with Ethiopia’s ambition to build a more innovative, efficient, and inclusive financial system. He noted that insights gained from Interswitch would contribute meaningfully to shaping EthSwitch’s strategic direction.
Yilebes also expressed openness to deeper collaboration with Interswitch, highlighting shared goals around strengthening digital payment infrastructure and delivering scalable, interoperable solutions across Africa.
Both organisations described the engagement as a step toward closer alignment, with discussions focusing on enhancing regional interoperability, expanding digital payment acceptance, and supporting solutions tailored to Africa’s evolving financial landscape. The visit, they said, sets the stage for future partnerships aimed at building a more connected and resilient African payments ecosystem.
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