12 Finalists Announced in Ecobank 2024 Fintech Challenge

The 2024 Ecobank Fintech Challenge has unveiled 12 finalists, including Nigerian firms Sawport Video Banking and Sproutly Africa. The announcement was made during the first semifinal event held on Wednesday at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos. The event was graced by the Director/Regional Executive of Ecobank Nigeria, Bolaji Lawal, and the Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Niyi Olagbami.

In addition to the Nigerian firms, the list of finalists includes innovative fintech companies from across the continent: Buupass (Kenya), MiaPay (Togo), EasyEquities (South Africa), PaySika (Cameroon), Exuus (Rwanda), Daba Finance (Cote D’Ivoire), PROBOUTIK (Senegal), Melanin Kapital Neobank (Kenya), YMO Africa (Guinea), VaultPay (Democratic Republic of Congo),

Jeremy Awori, the Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, praised the finalists for their exceptional talent and innovation, stating, "The finalists in this year’s Ecobank Fintech Challenge have showcased exceptional talent and innovation, and we look forward to welcoming them to the finale. At Ecobank, we are committed to collaborating with these business builders to develop products and services that will benefit our customers and contribute to our continent’s progress." Isaac Kamuta, the Group Head of Payments Service, Cash Management & Client Access at Ecobank Group, emphasized the broader purpose of the challenge. He noted, "This challenge is more than just a competition. It is an African initiative designed to identify, nurture, support, and collaborate with innovative businesses that want to scale across Africa. Ecobank is proud to provide comprehensive support, which includes potential commercial partnerships, opportunities for technical integration with our platforms, and market access across our 35 African markets." Kamuta further highlighted the importance of scaling businesses across the continent, stating, "Nobody builds a business and wants it to remain in one country. You all want to build a business that scales across Africa and globally.