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Nigeria and other African countries could face a new wave of digital colonisation if they fail to assert control over their data and technological infrastructure, the Chief Technology Officer of Remita Payment Services Limited, Mujib Ishola, has cautioned.
Speaking at the FITC Fintech Nigeria Technovation Conference, Ishola urged African governments and industry leaders to reduce reliance on external technology systems and instead pursue genuine, mission-driven collaboration to safeguard the continent’s digital future.
The plenary session—moderated by Catherine Onelum—also featured Interswitch Group’s Group Head of Corporate Retail and Energy Business, Adeyinka Adekoya; Flutterwave’s Vice President of Operations, Tomi Badejo; and Chief Executive Officer of Precise Financial Systems, Dr. Yele Okeremi.
Ishola stressed that Africa must reclaim ownership of its digital evolution. “Nigeria’s long-standing identity as a consuming nation is extending into the digital realm. We must change this narrative and avoid deepening cycles of technological dependency,” he said, underscoring the continent’s exposure to digital colonisation.
He linked Africa’s relationship with data to its historical knowledge systems, noting that indigenous methods—from hieroglyphics to traditional knowledge repositories—embodied unique interpretations of information. These foundations, he said, should shape the continent’s contemporary digital infrastructure.
On governance and data-sharing, Ishola highlighted the need for frameworks anchored in trust, accuracy, and accountability. “Any emerging standards must address core questions—data integrity, ownership structures, secure storage, and consent-driven sharing models that protect information assets,” he stated.
As artificial intelligence accelerates the value and vulnerability of data, Ishola warned of the dangers of outsourcing data custodianship. “Our greatest risk is surrendering our information to external entities and then paying indefinitely to access insights derived from our own data,” he remarked.
He also spotlighted Remita’s early innovations in open banking, noting that the company developed foundational architecture long before global terminology took shape. African innovation, he added, often emerges from necessity and deep contextual understanding rather than external templates.
According to Ishola, African technology expertise remains undervalued despite driving significant global advancements. “Nigerian and African technologists are key contributors to frontier innovation. Our resilience and ingenuity place us at the forefront of global tech evolution,” he said.
Addressing the panel’s theme of collaboration, Ishola called for a shift from symbolic gestures to meaningful partnership. “Collaboration is losing its weight from overuse. What we need is transparent, authentic cooperation that contributes real value—not corporate theatre,” he noted.
He reiterated Remita’s commitment to national development, emphasising purpose-led innovation. “At Remita, our priority in national projects is impact. We focus on solving critical national challenges and building long-term value over short-term gains,” he said.
When asked whether Africa could lead in building trust-driven digital ecosystems, Ishola challenged the assumption behind the question. “Africa is already leading. Nigerian fintechs—PFS, Interswitch, Remita, and many others—have made meaningful contributions to global technology and financial innovation,” he asserted.
His remarks highlighted Remita’s pivotal role in strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, integrating payments, collections, and financial intelligence across public, private, and continental systems.
Remita Payment Services Limited is a Nigerian fintech company providing secure, seamless financial transactions for individuals, businesses, and public institutions.
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