Nigeria will play host to a major continental policy and technology forum in May 2026, as organisers of the RegTech Africa Conference and Expo (RACE 2026) unveiled plans for the event at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.
Scheduled for May 20–22, 2026, the conference will be hosted by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, and in collaboration with the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).
Speaking at the briefing, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Cyril Okoroigwe, described RACE 2026 as Africa’s leading platform for dialogue at the intersection of regulation, technology, and economic development.
He said the conference aims to address regulatory and infrastructure gaps that continue to hinder cross-border trade, financial flows, and digital innovation across the continent.
Anchored on the vision of “Africonomy”, RACE 2026 seeks to transform Africa into a connected, trusted, and innovation-driven economic space, aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which integrates a $3.4 trillion market of about 1.4 billion people across 54 countries.
Okoroigwe highlighted that despite AfCFTA’s promise, fragmented regulations, weak interoperability, and regulatory uncertainty remain major obstacles to cross-border payments, trade, and digital services, resulting in lost economic opportunities.
He added that the conference, themed “Building Trust, Infrastructure, Inclusion, and Policy for a Borderless Economy,” will focus on regulatory innovation, policy alignment, deployment of trusted digital infrastructure, and advancing financial and digital inclusion, particularly for startups, small businesses, women, youth, and underserved communities.
The event will also showcase African investment opportunities in fintech, compliance, cybersecurity, and digital services, while strengthening collaboration among regulators, governments, financial institutions, technology innovators, and development partners.
Speaking virtually, Ms. Gina Wood, Acting Principal Officer at GIABA, noted that the conference is timely as West African countries prepare for the third round of AML/CFT evaluations.
She stressed the need to move beyond technical compliance towards effectiveness, highlighting the importance of risk-based supervision, improved coordination, and technology deployment to safeguard financial systems.
Wood commended the Federal Government for supporting the RegTech Africa initiative and reaffirmed GIABA’s commitment to capacity building, technical assistance, and regional cooperation, describing RACE 2026 as a platform to advance a trusted, inclusive, and future-ready regulatory framework for Africa’s digital economy.
Thursday’s unveiling marked the official curtain-raiser for the 2026 conference, with organisers urging the media to help shape public understanding of how regulation, technology, and innovation can jointly drive Africa’s borderless digital economy.
