Akeem Lawal, Managing Director of Interswitch Purepay, has emphasized the critical importance of scalable digital infrastructure in unlocking Africa’s next wave of technological advancement. Speaking at a recent fintech forum, Lawal highlighted how the continent’s digital economy is growing rapidly, but warned that without robust and adaptable infrastructure, that growth could stall.
According to Lawal, scalable infrastructure — particularly in payments, cloud computing, and data connectivity — is the backbone of innovation in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, healthtech, and edtech. As more Africans come online and demand faster, more secure services, tech providers must be able to scale efficiently to meet that demand without compromising performance or security.
“Infrastructure is not just about hardware or servers,” Lawal said. “It’s about building systems that can adapt to changing needs and support millions of users seamlessly. That’s what will enable startups and enterprises alike to innovate and grow.”
Interswitch Purepay, the digital payments arm of Interswitch Group, has been at the forefront of providing infrastructure services to banks, fintechs, and businesses across Africa. The company’s APIs and payment gateways are used by organizations to process transactions, manage digital wallets, and enable cross-border payments.
Lawal also noted that collaboration between private and public sectors is essential for developing the kind of infrastructure that can support Africa’s digital future. This includes policy support, investment in internet access, and incentives for local data centers and cloud services.
With increasing global attention on Africa’s tech potential, the spotlight is now on how well the continent can build foundational systems that support sustainable innovation. “The next leap for African tech will depend not just on ideas, but on the strength and scalability of the infrastructure behind those ideas,” Lawal concluded.
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