The Presidency on Wednesday said Nigeria must build a trusted digital economy capable of expanding opportunities for citizens, deepening financial inclusion and supporting sustainable economic growth.
Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 RegTech Africa Conference and Expo held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking on the role of technology in advancing economic and financial inclusion under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Zauro said nations that would succeed in the emerging global economy would be those capable of building trusted digital ecosystems.
“Today, the world is witnessing a transformation where technology is no longer merely supporting governance; it is redefining it,” he said.
“In this new era, nations that succeed will not simply be those with natural resources, but those capable of building trusted digital ecosystems that expand opportunity for every citizen. Nigeria must be one of those nations.”
He said inclusive growth could not be achieved while millions of Nigerians remained outside the formal financial system.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda recognizes that inclusive growth cannot be achieved if millions remain outside the formal financial system. Economic transformation requires trust, transparency, and accessible digital infrastructure. This is where Regulatory Technology becomes indispensable,” he said.
Zauro described Regulatory Technology (RegTech) as “the intelligent bridge between innovation and accountability,” adding that it enables regulators, financial institutions, fintech firms and governments to improve compliance and consumer protection.
“RegTech provides the intelligent bridge between innovation and accountability. It enables regulators, financial institutions, fintechs, and governments to detect fraud faster, strengthen consumer protection, improve compliance, and reduce the cost of onboarding underserved populations into the formal economy,” he said.
According to him, technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, digital identity systems and real-time analytics can help Nigeria build “a financial ecosystem that is secure, interoperable, and inclusive.”
The presidential adviser warned that innovation without trust could expose citizens and institutions to risks.
“However, innovation without trust creates vulnerability. Citizens will only embrace digital finance when they are confident that their identities, transactions, and livelihoods are protected,” he said.
“RegTech therefore becomes not just a compliance tool, but a national development instrument.”
He further disclosed that the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI) was supporting digital public infrastructure, consumer trust frameworks, data governance standards and inclusive onboarding systems.
According to him, the initiatives are aimed at ensuring that “no Nigerian is excluded because of geography, income level, or lack of formal identification.”
Zauro said achieving Nigeria’s target of becoming a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030 would require collaboration across sectors.
“The journey toward a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030 will not be achieved by policy declarations alone. It will require collaboration between regulators, financial institutions, technology providers, development partners, and the private sector,” he said.
“We must collectively build systems that are not only efficient but equitable. Systems that do not merely process transactions, but create trust. Systems that do not only digitise finance, but democratise opportunity.”
Meanwhile, organisers of the conference disclosed that Nigeria processed over 10 trillion transactions valued above N1,000 trillion in 2025 across instant payment systems.
Chairman of the Organising Committee of the RegTech Africa Conference and Expo, Cyril Okoroigwe, disclosed this during his opening remarks at the event.
