Sunday, September 28, 2025
27.2 C
Lagos

PAPSS Hosts Inaugural Bank CEOs Consultative Forum

 
Promoters of the Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS), namely African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Union Commission (AUC) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, successfully organised the first Consultative Forum of CEOs of African Banks bringing together executives of African commercial banks, bankers’ associations, payment switches, the association of African stock exchanges and other financial service providers.
Participants reaffirmed their strong support to the decisions of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of States and Governments of 2019 and 2020. The 2019 decision adopted PAPSS as the African Financial Market Infrastructure for cross-border payments and settlements while the 2020 decision mandated Afreximbank, AUC and AfCFTA Secretariat to urgently introduce and scale up the implementation of PAPSS.
The Forum therefore provided an avenue for participants to deliberate on the successes and challenges of the PAPSS payment system and explore potential path forward on how it can be optimised to facilitate seamless and efficient cross-border payments to support the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Following productive discussions, participants at the Forum agreed to take collective ownership of the success and the future of PAPSS given its significant and hugely positive impact on the facilitation of cross-border payments and the development of intra-African trade. In addition, participants advocated to leverage PAPSS as a pathway to increasing the share of African currencies in intra-African trade and other cross-border payments, as well as increasing the volume of intra-regional payments for mutual benefits to drive rapid adoption of PAPSS by businesses. Participants agreed to embed PAPSS into their digital channels to enable ease of access and seamless integration for existing customers.
Mr. Mike Ogbalu III, Chief Executive Officer of PAPSS, stated: “PAPSS is fully operational and making rapid progress. We have signed on thirteen African Central Banks, and connected over 115 commercial banks, and ten payment switches across Africa. Another 115 commercial banks are in the pipeline for connection. Our foundation is solid, and the time has come for action and acceleration. It is time to use the system to drive trade in Africa, for Africans, by Africans. We urge all banks to join us in our collective effort to promote intra-African trade and development through PAPSS.”
Further commenting, Mr. Ogbalu said: “We are pleased to see overwhelming support of this forum by the leadership of the African financial institutions. PAPSS is a revolutionary initiative that has the potential to significantly transform the financial and payments landscape of our continent. As managers of PAPSS, we are committed to ensuring it succeeds. We urge all African financial institutions to join us in transforming the way payments are done in Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

About PAPSS:
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System – PAPSS is a centralised Financial Market Infrastructure that enables the efficient flow of money securely across African borders, minimising risk and contributing to financial integration across the regions. PAPSS works in collaboration with Africa’s central banks to provide a payment and settlement service to which commercial banks and licensed payment service providers across the region can connect as ‘Participants’.

Afreximbank and the African Union (AU) first announced PAPSS at the Twelfth Extraordinary Summit of the African Union held on July 7, 2019, in Niamey, Niger Republic, therefore adopting PAPSS as a key instrument for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Further, in its thirteenth (13th) extraordinary session, held on December 5, 2020, the assembly of the African Union directed Afreximbank and the AfCFTA secretariat to finalise, among others, work on the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS).

The 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU further directed the AfCFTA and Afreximbank to deploy the system to cover the entire continent. PAPSS was officially launched in Accra, Ghana, on January 13, 2022, thus making it available for use by the public.

spot_img
spot_img

Hot this week

AIICO Deepens Bond with Retirees, Holds Annuity Forum in Lagos, PH

Mr. Gbenga Ilori, Head, Retail Business at AIICO, in...

Sovereign Trust Insurance Holds 30th AGM

L-R: Eric Balogun, Independent Director, Emi Faloughi, Director, Kayode Adigun,...

Unity Bank Shareholders Approve Merger with Providus Bank

  EGM: From left: Mr. Usman Abdulkadir, Executive Director, Risk...

NNPCL: Ogoni Re-entry is a Beacon of Reconciliation through Collaboration

The re-entry into Ogoniland marks a historic turning point...

NLNG, NCDMB Celebrate 122 Graduates of Train 7 HCD Training Program

NLNG in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development and...

Topics

15 Students Shortlisted for Heirs Insurance Essay Championship

Heirs Insurance Group, Nigeria’s fastest-growing insurance Group, has shortlisted...

Commonwealth Short Story Award Winner Releases The Talent Coach

Dr. Frederick Mordi, a Commonwealth Short Story Award winner,...

HR: Mercer South Africa, EZ37 Solutions Nigeria in Strategic Partnership

Mercer South Africa (Consulting) (Pty) Limited announced on 25...

Sovereign Trust Insurance: N16.3bn Assets, N13bn Premium, N4bn Claims in 2021

Olaotan Soyinka Managing Director/CEO Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc...

NCC: Nigeria Achieves 14% Broadband Penetration

The Nigerian Communications Commission says Nigeria has achieved...

NNPC Says Crude Oil Production, Price Benchmark for 2024 Budget Realistic

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has assured that...

NLNG Debunks Misleading Claims of Total Shutdown

Our attention has been drawn to a Thisday newspaper report on...

NEXIM, World Bank Collaborate to Develop Nigeria’s Mining Sector

…The clear intention of The World Bank to collaborate with the NEXIM Bank towards a structured intervention in the Nigeria’s solid minerals sector is quite expedient. More so, with commitment and firm resolve of President Muhammad Buhari to diversify the economy, revitalize the mining sector towards boosting job creation and enhancing foreign exchange earnings - Orya The Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Mr. Roberts Ungwaga Orya, received a team from the World Bank led by Dr. Francisco Igualada, Senior Mining Specialist, Energy & Extractives Unit, and Mr. Linus Adie Utsu of Mining Investments Consultthat visited the Bank to share ideas on how to provide structured intervention towards revamping and deepening Nigeria’s mining sector.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img