Access Bank Champions Africa’s Payment Integration at PAPSS COWRY 2025 Forum
L-R: John-Bosco Sebabi, Deputy CEO PAPSS; Naco Bolote, Head of International Remittance & Payments for African Subsidiaries, Access Bank Plc; Gabriel Edgar, Chairman and Group CEO Oakwood Green Africa; Vincent Chuunga, COO Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco); Mike Ogbalu, CEO PAPSS; and Obi Ejimofo, Head of Commercialization PAPSS at the inaugural Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) COWRY 2025 Participants Forum, held in Lagos, Nigeria, recently.
Access Bank showcased leadership in advancing cross-border payments at the inaugural Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) COWRY 2025 Participants Forum, held on December 2-3, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria. The event brought together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, and payment experts to explore pathways toward “Building an interoperable and sovereign African payment ecosystem for trade and economic growth.”
In alignment with the theme, discussions emphasized the importance of resilient, interoperable, and sovereign African payment infrastructure that empowers businesses, supports SMEs, and strengthens intra-African trade under the AfCFTA.
Designed to facilitate instant, secure, and efficient cross-border transactions in local African currencies, PAPSS reduces dependency on third-party currencies, enhances settlement efficiency, and promotes regional economic integration.
Access Bank, through its AccessAfrica initiative, plays a leading role in this evolution. AccessAfrica enables fast, secure, and affordable payments across more than 20 African corridors. During the forum, Access Bank representatives Naco Bolote, Head of International Remittance & Payments for African Subsidiaries and Aminat Olatunji, Unit Head of Remittances actively contributed to conversations on the emerging settlement landscape and the future of continental financial integration.
“The progress made with PAPPS reinforces Access Bank’s commitment to real-time settlement and financial integration across Africa, and we remain dedicated to collaboration and innovation, ensuring Africans can move money quickly, reliably, and at scale.” said Bolote.
Bolote also highlighted that PAPPS unlocks instant, local-currency settlement, reducing FX reliance and transaction times; combined with AccessAfrica, allows faster, predictable, and cost-efficient transfers across 20+ African countries; is live in eight Access Bank markets, with further rollouts planned for 2026.
Access Bank commended PAPSS, Afreximbank, and the AfCFTA Secretariat for their leadership in advancing the infrastructure required for a more connected, sovereign, and prosperous African economy.
About Access Bank
Access Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, is a leading full-service commercial bank operating through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets spanning 3 continents, 24 countries and over 60 million customers. The Bank employs over 28,000 people in its operations in Africa, Asia and Europe, with representative offices in China, Lebanon, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Access Bank is a diversified financial institution which combines a strong retail customer franchise and digital platform with deep corporate banking expertise, proven risk management, and capital management capabilities.
The Bank services its various markets through three key business segments: Corporate and Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, and Retail Banking. The Bank has enjoyed what is Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last 23 years, becoming one of the continent’s largest retail banks. As part of its continued growth strategy,
Access Bank is focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations. The Bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant, helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams.
