Flutterwave is bringing together senior African and international business and policy leaders in New York as part of activities surrounding the 81st United Nations General Assembly, placing digital financial infrastructure, cross-border trade and investment at the centre of discussions about Africa’s next decade of economic growth.
The Nigerian-founded payments technology company is hosting an invitation-only executive forum, “Africa Forward: Investing in the Next Decade of Growth,” on September 23, 2026, on the sidelines of the UNGA High-Level Week.
The forum comes at a time when the United Nations is focusing its 81st session on “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.” The UN has identified innovation and inclusion, including digital governance, artificial intelligence and technology, among the priorities of the current General Assembly session.
For Africa, where fragmented financial systems and the difficulty of moving money across borders remain obstacles to regional commerce, the discussions have implications beyond the technology sector.
Flutterwave said the forum will examine the financial infrastructure required to expand cross-border trade, improve international money movement and make it easier for businesses to access institutional capital.
The gathering is expected to attract senior decision-makers from the public and private sectors, including state governors, ministers and executives associated with major global institutions and companies such as JPMorgan, Citi, Visa, Google, Microsoft, Standard Bank Group, Africa Finance Corporation and the International Finance Corporation.
The meeting therefore provides a platform where policymakers, financial institutions, technology companies and investors can discuss how Africa can build systems capable of supporting larger volumes of digital commerce and investment.
Flutterwave Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, is leading the company’s executive delegation to the forum. Other members include Chief Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy Officer, Oluwabankole Falade; Managing Director of Flutterwave Services Limited, Risikatu Ahmed; Head of Strategy and Planning, Bridgit Antwi; and Senior Vice-President, Public Sector, Olufunmilayo Olaniyi.
The delegation also includes Head of SME Business, Bolanle Baruwa; Head of Internal Audit, Juliet Aluziwe; and Head of Marketing, Yewande Akomolafe-Kalu.
The event is particularly significant because it coincides with Flutterwave’s 10th anniversary, marking a decade in which the company has grown from an African payments start-up into a broader financial technology platform seeking to connect African businesses with international markets.
According to Agboola, the company is building a multi-rail payments platform that brings together fiat payments, bank transfers, cards, mobile money, stablecoins and blockchain networks.
The underlying issue is important to Africa’s economic future. A business may be able to produce goods competitively but still face difficulties receiving international payments, settling transactions, accessing foreign markets or managing money across different jurisdictions.
Reducing those frictions could make digital infrastructure an important component of efforts to deepen African trade and investment. Flutterwave has argued that its evolving platform is intended to address precisely those challenges.
The global community has reason to pay attention to such a meeting because the conversation about Africa’s development is increasingly moving beyond aid and traditional development financing toward technology, private investment, digital trade and infrastructure.
That shift is also consistent with the priorities of the current UN General Assembly, whose President, Khalilur Rahman, has placed “Innovation with Inclusion” among his six major pillars, with emphasis on digital governance, artificial intelligence, science and technology, and closing the digital divide.
The importance of the Flutterwave forum, however, will ultimately depend on what emerges from the discussions. High-level gatherings can create visibility and relationships, but their economic value is measured by whether conversations translate into investment, partnerships, policy improvements and practical opportunities for businesses.
For Nigeria, the symbolism is considerable. Flutterwave’s presence at one of the world’s most important diplomatic gatherings places a company founded in Nigeria in direct conversation with global financial institutions, technology companies, governments and investors.
It also offers Nigeria an opportunity to demonstrate that its economic story is not limited to oil, agriculture and traditional industries, but increasingly includes technology companies operating across borders.
Nigeria has one of Africa’s largest technology ecosystems, and the international expansion of companies originating from the country can contribute to the country’s visibility as a destination for technology investment, financial innovation and digital entrepreneurship.
The meeting could also strengthen conversations around how African technology companies can participate in the continent’s integration into global commerce rather than merely serving domestic markets.
At a broader level, the forum represents an important meeting point between government and private enterprise. Governments establish regulatory frameworks and public infrastructure, while financial institutions, technology companies and investors provide much of the capital, technology and commercial expertise needed to build modern economies.
That intersection is particularly relevant as African countries seek stronger regional trade, more efficient payment systems and greater participation in the digital economy.
The event also comes during UN High-Level Week, when world leaders are gathering in New York to address issues ranging from development and climate change to peace, security and emerging technologies. Nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to participate in person.
Against that backdrop, putting Africa’s financial infrastructure on the agenda gives the continent’s private sector an opportunity to participate in conversations traditionally dominated by governments and international institutions.
The Flutterwave forum should therefore be viewed not simply as a corporate event but as part of a wider debate about what infrastructure Africa needs to support the next phase of economic expansion.
For Nigeria, its significance lies in the opportunity to showcase home-grown technological capacity, attract international attention to the country’s digital economy and strengthen relationships between Nigerian enterprises and global institutions.
For Africa, the bigger question is whether technology can help turn the continent’s expanding digital economy into deeper trade, stronger businesses and greater access to international capital.
Does Africa Possess Creative Skill In Tech?
The evidence increasingly suggests that Nigeria and Africa possess significant creative and technical talent in areas such as fintech, mobile payments, software development, artificial intelligence and digital services. Companies such as Flutterwave demonstrate that African innovators can build products for complex local markets and scale them across borders.
However, creativity alone is not enough. The continent must continue improving digital infrastructure, access to capital, technical education, research capacity, data protection, regulatory coordination and reliable electricity. These conditions will determine whether promising ideas become globally competitive companies and whether technology creates broad-based economic value.
For the global community, the gathering offers another reminder that Africa’s next economic chapter will increasingly be shaped not only by its natural resources, but also by the financial technology, digital infrastructure, creative skill and entrepreneurial capacity being developed within the continent.
