The network was formally inaugurated in Lagos, Nigeria, on Tuesday 4th December 2018 during the first Africa Fintech Festival by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the President of Africa Development Bank, with the active participation of the Country Head of the IMF, and representatives of UK-DFID, UNECA, Ecobank Group, Ghana’s Minister of Business Development, and other local and global corporations.
There was overwhelming interest, support and endorsement for the African Fintech Network initiative by these leaders and institutions. The formal launch of the network took place in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 24th March 2019 as one of the events of the 2019 UNECA Conference of Ministers of Finance & Economic Planning. The launch was coordinated by the Executive Secretary of UNECA in the presence of representatives of various regional and global institutions.