At RegTech Africa 2025 in Lagos, industry leaders unveiled how powerful public-private partnerships and smart regulatory tech are set to smash barriers, accelerate cross-border trade, and unlock Africa’s true economic potential.
The conference gathered over 1,000 participants and 50+ speakers from around the globe, all focused on one goal: making it easier for African businesses to trade, invest, and grow across borders.
Under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Cross-Border Payments, Trade, and Investment Opportunities through Public-Private Partnerships,” the event showcased bold solutions aimed at creating a seamless and efficient continental market.
Building a global village through strategic partnerships
One major hurdle for cross-border trade is the maze of country-specific licences. Discussions during the "Policy Harmonization for Seamless Cross-Border Transactions" session revealed the inefficiencies of fragmented licensing systems, where businesses must navigate separate licenses for each country.
A proposed solution was a unified licensing framework, allowing seamless market access and transactions across Africa. Such a system would align with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) goals, reducing friction and boosting intra-African commerce.
Cost reduction through innovation
The session on "Leveraging Technology for Cost-Effective Compliance" tackled operational costs, proposing two key strategies: adopting green energy and embracing remote work.
Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power can significantly lower energy consumption costs for businesses, particularly in the fintech and banking sectors, while also supporting sustainability goals.
Similarly, remote work reduces infrastructure expenses by minimising the need for physical offices, a practical solution for scaling businesses in high-cost urban areas. These approaches not only cut costs but also position African companies as leaders in sustainable practices.
The role of expert advisors
Navigating Africa’s diverse regulatory landscape requires expertise, a point emphasized in the "Strategic Role of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in Regulatory Technology" panel.
Engaging the right advisors—those with deep knowledge of RegTech, compliance, and public-private partnerships (PPPs)—is crucial for businesses aiming to expand across borders.
The conference’s advisory council, featuring global and regional experts like Bob Trojan and Muazu Umaru, highlighted the value of informed guidance in driving scalable solutions.
Accelerating frameworks with cross-continental KYC utilities
A significant strategy discussed during the "Cross-Continental KYC Utility: A Game Changer for Africa" session was the adoption of a cross-continental Know Your Customer (KYC) utility via APIs.
This framework enables seamless data sharing and verification across borders, streamlining customer onboarding and compliance processes. By integrating KYC utilities, financial institutions can reduce costs, enhance trust, and facilitate cross-border payments, supporting the conference’s focus on PPP-driven innovation.
Financial intelligence units: An underutilised asset
The strategic role of FIUs in combating financial crimes was a key discussion point. FIUs are critical for addressing shared risks like trade-based financial crimes and smuggling, often perpetrated through shell companies engaging in illicit activities such as card fraud and identity theft.
However, their effectiveness is hampered by governments’ limited use of their capabilities, stemming from inadequate resources and poor public-private collaboration. Outdated data, such as unupdated addresses in national IDs, further complicates efforts to track bad actors, underscoring the need for better data management systems.
A shared ecosystem to combat financial crimes
To address these shared risks, the conference proposed a shared ecosystem intelligence platform, as discussed in the "Building a Collaborative Ecosystem for Financial Security" session.
This platform would enable public and private sectors to pool data on fraudsters and illicit actors, creating a central database for real-time tracking. FIUs could lead this initiative, enhancing anti-money laundering (AML) efforts and fostering secure cross-border collaboration while ensuring compliance with data privacy standards.
A roadmap for Africa’s prosperity
The RegTech Africa Conference & Awards 2025 illuminated a path toward economic integration and prosperity through collaboration and innovation. By advocating for unified licensing, cost-effective strategies like green energy and remote work, and frameworks like cross-continental KYC utilities, the event addressed systemic challenges head-on.
The underutilization of FIUs highlights a critical gap that governments must address to combat financial crimes effectively. As Africa advances under the AfCFTA, the call for robust public-private partnerships offers a blueprint for a more connected, inclusive, and resilient economic future.
