West Africa’s fintech sector is entering a new phase, with attention shifting from how quickly digital financial services are being adopted to how much economic value they can create for businesses, investors and the wider economy.
That shift will be at the centre of two regional fintech gatherings expected to take place in Cotonou, Benin, organised by Alliance Fintech UEMOA, bringing together regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies, investors, development partners and technology leaders from across Africa and beyond.
The Next Fintech Forum 2026 (NFF) will focus on how the region can move “from adoption to value” by building a more structured fintech industry capable of supporting businesses, attracting capital and contributing more directly to economic growth.
The Africa Blockchain & Crypto Conference (ABCC) will, meanwhile, examine the growing role of digital assets, stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure, with particular attention to regulation, financial security, cross-border payments and the economic opportunities emerging from the sector.
The conversations come as digital financial services have expanded significantly across the region.
By the end of 2024, mobile money accounts in the region had reached about 248 million, up 18.9% from the previous year, according to figures contained in the forum’s briefing documents. Yet the organisers argue that high usage has not necessarily translated into comparable levels of economic value.
The NFF briefing estimates that mobile money represents only about 2% of regional GDP, while fewer than 20% of formal SMEs use fintech services.
That gap is increasingly becoming part of the region’s fintech conversation: how can existing digital payment and financial infrastructure move beyond transactions to support investment, business expansion, trade, agriculture and government services?
For fintech companies, the next stage could therefore involve building products that serve businesses and supply chains, rather than focusing primarily on consumer transactions.
The forum is also expected to examine how interoperability, digital identity, open APIs, cybersecurity and regulatory frameworks can help create the infrastructure needed for a more integrated regional fintech market.
Capital will be another major part of the discussion, with investors, development finance institutions, banks and fintech companies expected to explore financing, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, as well as opportunities to scale African fintech businesses.
The blockchain and digital-assets conversation is developing along a similar line.
The ABCC will focus on how digital assets, particularly stablecoins, could influence payments, cross-border settlement, capital mobilisation and access to foreign currency, while also raising questions around monetary stability, consumer protection, taxation, cybersecurity and financial integrity.
For the organisers, the challenge is no longer simply whether digital financial technologies will be adopted. It is whether the region can build the regulatory systems, infrastructure, businesses and investment channels needed to capture more of the value being created.
The Cotonou forums are therefore expected to bring together public and private sector stakeholders around what could become the next stage of West Africa’s fintech development: turning widespread digital adoption into stronger businesses, deeper investment and measurable economic value.
