Abidjan to host 600 leaders at Next Fintech Forum

More than 600 people are set to touch down on Côte d’Ivoire’s commercial capital Abidjan for the Next Fintech Forum, the leading fintech gathering in Francophone Africa. This year, it will be held on Saturday, 22 and Sunday, 23 November at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Organisers say the 2022 edition will feature a market intelligence room giving fintech leaders access to insights from more than 15 different countries. Also, a market entry room will be the go-to space for information on fintech licensing processes and business proceedings.

The Next Fintech Forum will also host a pre-launch event of the Smart Village, Blockchain & Crypto Expo and Open Finance conferences, all set for 2023. It is a source of inspiration for start-ups and investors alike with a series of speakers from the business, political, and academic worlds shaping the local and regional fintech agenda.

Modibo Samaké, advisor to the prime minister of Côte d’Ivoire, notes that the country has become “a privileged meeting place” for the world’s finest fintech players.

He says, “With growth of 8% over 10 years, the country is in perfect economical health which opens the Ivorian economy to the world. Although this growth has experienced a 2% regression due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it finally rebounded to 6% from 2021.”

Organisers tell Ventureburn that the forum will also help high-potential entrepreneurs to better market themselves, find financing and create links with other actors of the ecosystem. This, as regulators will also gather to better understand the latest business and technological changes affecting the fintech sector.

“The Next Fintech Forum is now positioned as a major player in the digital finance ecosystem,” remarked Abdel Aziz Dahi, the minister of digital transition, innovation and modernisation in Mauritania.

He said, “More than 40% of fintechs are involved in payment and transfer services money and other services are emerging and will grow sustained over the next few years such as insurance, loans and financing.”

Formerly known as the Africa Fintech Forum, the Next Fintech Forum has become a voice of authority in particularly French-speaking Africa. Last year’s event saw 600 in-person participants with an additional 500 virtual attendees from across the world. The forum boasted more than 50 sponsors, 40 exhibitors and 30 speakers.

On the programme will be a number of high-ranking regulators from the Central Bank of West African States, the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea, the Central Bank of Mauritania, the Stock Exchange Authority of Ghana, and the Kigali International Finance Centre. Among the fintech associations set to participate are representatives from the Africa Fintech Network, Fintech Association of Nigeria, Rwanda Fintech Association, Ghana Fintech and Payment Association, and the Cote d’Ivoire Fintech Association.

Registration for the Next Fintech Forum can be done online.

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