…Delegation visits Lagos headquarters
Interswitch Group, a leading integrated payments and digital commerce company in Africa, hosted a delegation from the British Deputy High Commission and the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade at its Lagos headquarters. The visit focused on exploring collaboration in Africa’s fintech ecosystem.
The delegation was led by British Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter and UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria Florence Eshalomi. The discussions centred on strengthening bilateral trade ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, identifying areas of partnership, and supporting Interswitch’s international expansion plans.
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Focus on partnerships and growth
Founder and Group Managing Director of Interswitch Group, Mitchell Elegbe, underlined the importance of alliances in driving growth across Africa’s digital payments space.
“As we continue to scale our operations and deepen our impact across the continent, collaborations with global partners like the UK present invaluable opportunities to accelerate growth, expand access, and deliver transformative financial solutions,” Elegbe said.
The meeting highlighted Interswitch’s commitment to expanding access to financial services and creating pathways for innovation through international collaboration.
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Attendees from UK and Interswitch
The British delegation included Ceri Smith, Director General of Investments in Africa; Ben Ainsley, His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner in Africa; Mark Smithson, Country Director at the Department for Business and Trade; Morayo Adekunle, Deputy Country Director and Investment Officer; and James Harding, Private Secretary to the DG Investments.
On the Interswitch side, Elegbe was joined by senior executives such as Akeem Lawal, Managing Director, Payment Processing and Switching (Interswitch Purepay); John Maguire, Group Chief Financial Officer; Chinyere Don-Okhuofu, Managing Director, Interswitch Industry Ecosystems (Interswitch Indeco); Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Payment Tokens (Verve International); Ndifreke Nkose, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Chief of Staff; and Adaobi Okerekeocha, Chief Innovation Officer.
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Strengthening trade relations
The UK delegation reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting strategic investments in Nigeria. Focus areas include technology, financial services, and digital infrastructure, with the aim of fostering stronger trade relations and advancing growth opportunities across both markets.
