African neobank PalmPay used its appearance at GITEX 2025 to underscore the importance of trust, simplicity, and local partnerships in scaling financial services across the continent.

Speaking at the Landmark Centre in Lagos on September 4, Vice President of Partnerships Chibuzor Melah joined a high-level panel titled ‘From Idea to Infrastructure—The African Tech Executive & Founders’ Playbook’, which explored how bold ideas are being turned into scalable systems across Africa’s growing digital economy.

Melah highlighted persistent challenges to financial inclusion, including heavy reliance on cash and low levels of financial literacy. He said addressing these barriers requires more than technology.

“Our greatest responsibility is to earn trust. Security and compliance must come first, because customers deserve to feel protected. But beyond that, we must make financial tools simple, accessible, and truly usable for every Nigerian, no matter their background.”

Simplicity, he noted, is key to adoption, especially in regions with low financial literacy. PalmPay’s platform, which serves 40 million customers, is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate.

Melah outlined PalmPay’s approach to moving from concept to infrastructure: launch with a hero product that delivers immediate value, build strong local partnerships to meet real community needs, and maintain agility through decentralised decision-making to adapt to Africa’s diverse markets.

He concluded by urging African innovators to remain agile, tailor branding and solutions to local conditions, and never lose focus on the customer experience.

PalmPay’s presence at GITEX 2025 reflects its broader strategy of combining technology with local insight to foster financial inclusion and empower millions across Africa.