Oladipo Alabede examines the future of payments
Ten years ago, opening a bank account on your phone, getting instant payments, or buying goods without cash in remote areas seemed out of reach. Now these are everyday experiences for millions of Africans. What comes next could be even more transformative.
Artificial intelligence, embedded finance, blockchain, and new types of digital commerce are already changing how people and businesses handle money. Consumers will increasingly expect payments to happen smoothly in the background. Smart systems will help people find products, compare choices, and finish transactions with fewer steps and less hassle.
Consumers are ready for this change. KPMG’s latest banking survey shows that six out of ten people in West Africa use artificial intelligence in their daily lives, highlighting the demand for smarter, more personal financial services. Still, even with the excitement about technology, trust is most important.
However, the real importance of this change is about more than just convenience.
At its core, the future of payments is about helping more people take part in the economy. It means giving more people the tools to save, invest, trade, and start businesses. In countries like Nigeria, where financial inclusion is both an economic and social need, payments have become a key way for people to join the formal economy.
In the last ten years, changes in regulations, mobile technology, agent banking, and digital platforms have made financial services more accessible. Easier account-opening rules have helped millions create a financial identity for the first time. In cities and rural areas, digital channels are breaking down barriers that once kept many people out of economic opportunities.
People often forget that every digital transaction does more than make things easier. It builds trust, creates visibility, and adds to a person’s economic history.
For people and small businesses, having transaction records can open doors to savings accounts, insurance, and credit. For banks, these digital records offer better insights into customer habits and help them make smarter lending choices. Often the problem isn’t a lack of ambition but a lack of financial records. Payments help bridge that gap.
We can already see the impact. KPMG reports that eight out of ten Nigerians now save money through formal banks. This shows growing trust in digital financial services and highlights how banks shape people’s saving habits.
At FCMB, we see this transition daily. Customers can open accounts online without going to a branch. USSD services help people with basic phones access banking. Our agency banking network brings financial services to underserved communities, allowing more Nigerians to join the formal economy.
These efforts show an important truth: financial inclusion can’t rely on one channel or technology. We need different approaches that fit the variety of our markets and how people use financial services.
The next big step goes beyond our national borders.
Even though trade and economic ties are growing across Africa, sending money between countries is still hard. High fees, currency changes, and long settlement times make things difficult for businesses and consumers.
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) could help solve this problem. By allowing payments in local currencies across Africa, PAPSS can lower costs, make transactions easier, and boost regional trade.
For traders, exporters, small businesses, and families who need to send money across borders, smooth payment systems could open up new opportunities. Even more, they could help the African Continental Free Trade Area by making trade across the continent easier and more efficient.
Trust, security, accessibility, and customer experience will continue to be the foundation of strong payment systems. As payments become a regular part of daily life, people will expect them to work quietly and reliably in the background. Reliability is no longer a bonus but the basic expectation. KPMG’s survey shows weekly mobile banking use in Nigeria grew from 58 percent in 2024 to 69 percent in 2025, and customers are much happier with app availability and uptime. The report says reliability has moved from a technical issue to a key customer expectation.
Customers are also changing what safety means in the digital world. KPMG found that protection against fraud, data privacy, and strong security measures like PINs, one-time passwords, and biometrics are now the top three factors people use to judge trust in digital banking.
The organizations that thrive in this new world won’t just be the ones with the latest technology. They will be the ones that understand how payments meet real human needs, help businesses grow, connect communities, and create new opportunities.
At FCMB, getting ready for the future means investing in technology, financial inclusion, customer experience, and cross-border connections all at once. It’s about looking ahead to where payments are going, not just where they are now.
The future of payments might be hidden from view, but its effects on business, inclusion, and economic growth will be clear for everyone to see.
