Naija247news – New York (October 6, 2025):
At the United Nations 80th General Assembly’s Foreign Policy Tech & AI Forum, Oluwabankole Falade, Chief Legal, Regulatory Affairs, and Public Policy Officer at Flutterwave, delivered a compelling address urging bold innovation to unlock Africa’s digital potential.
Falade set the stage by painting Africa as a continent brimming with opportunity:
“A truly young population, extremely curious people, and early adopters of technology,” he said, emphasizing that Africa’s demographic and technological dynamism could help the continent leapfrog infrastructure gaps and drive sustainable growth.
In a dialogue with Afua Osei, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Foreign Policy, Falade highlighted recent fintech milestones demonstrating cross-border collaboration, including the MoU between Ghana and Rwanda to implement a licence passporting framework and cross-border payment interoperability for regulated fintech companies, as well as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“We have only scratched the surface of Africa’s vast potential,” Falade noted, underscoring the importance of cooperation among regulators, innovators, and businesses to realize transformative digital progress.
Flutterwave, which now operates in over 30 African countries, remains at the forefront of this revolution. Yet Falade cautioned that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute over 90% of African businesses, still face hurdles including high operational costs and fragmented systems. Millions of entrepreneurs with ambition struggle to scale due to these avoidable barriers, he explained, urging practical reforms to empower business growth.
Closing his talk, Falade issued a clarion call to global investors and industry leaders:
“If you’re truly serious about business, Africa is the next frontier.”
With Flutterwave driving digital infrastructure and fostering collaboration, Africa’s digital transformation is no longer aspirational — it is tangible, fueled by ambition, partnerships, and a commitment to real, meaningful change.
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Reporting by Naija247news in Lagos, Nigeria.
