FirstBank has reinforced its commitment to financial inclusion and global innovation by sponsoring the Canada-Africa Fintech Summit (CAFS 2025), held from August 5-8 at the Sheraton Centre in Downtown Toronto.
Newsonspot reports that convened by Dr. Segun Aina, President of the African Fintech Network, the landmark event brought together fintech leaders, regulators, startups, and investors from Africa and Canada to explore scalable digital solutions, encourage investment, and promote inclusive economic growth across both continents.
Speaking on the bank’s support, Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications at FirstBank, said:
“Our support of CAFS 2025 reflects our belief that collaboration between African and Canadian fintech ecosystems can lead to transformative innovations. FirstBank is proud to help shape that future.”
During a high-level panel with Rudy Cuzzeto, MPP for Mississauga-Lakeshore, and David Stevenson, Country Director for the United Nations World Food Programme (Nigeria), FirstBank’s Group Executive for E-Business & Retail Products, Chuma Ezirim, stressed the importance of digital collaboration in Africa’s financial ecosystem. He highlighted the need for regulatory clarity to foster trust and investment, explaining that fintech in Nigeria has evolved beyond disruption to convergence – integrating banks, fintechs, and regulators into an agile, accountable ecosystem.
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On another panel, FirstBank’s Chief Technology Officer, Rachel Adeshina, shared how the bank is using AI to boost credit access for the underbanked. She revealed that FirstBank has disbursed over ₦1 trillion in digital loans with a repayment rate above 99%, enabled by AI-driven alternative data analysis. She also emphasized the importance of interoperability across Africa’s 54 markets as the next big challenge in scaling digital finance.
The summit was part of Canada’s broader Africa Strategy, aimed at deepening economic partnerships and digital cooperation. As Africa’s fintech ecosystem expands and Canada advances its open banking framework, CAFS 2025 served as a timely platform to align strategies and ignite cross-border collaborations.
