AfricaNenda Foundation is leveraging the media to strengthen public understanding of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (IIPS) across Africa. During a two-day workshop held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 17 journalists from 12 African countries received training designed to help them turn complex financial concepts into accessible stories that build public trust and deepen understanding of inclusive digital finance.
Inclusive instant payment systems have the potential to transform how Africans send, receive and manage money. However, for these innovations to deliver meaningful benefits, people must understand how they work and have confidence in using them. With this objective in mind, AfricaNenda Foundation brought together journalists from across the continent on 20 and 21 July 2026, to strengthen media capacity to report on digital payments and financial inclusion.
More than a technical training session, the workshop sought to position journalists as key contributors to public understanding and financial education. The goal was to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to explain digital payment innovations in clear, engaging language, ask informed questions and help citizens make informed decisions about using these services.
Throughout the workshop, AfricaNenda experts unpacked the core principles underpinning instant payment ecosystems. Participants explored concepts such as interoperability, gender inclusion, financial inclusion, cross-border payments, and policy harmonization. They also learned how to assess the inclusiveness of payment systems and understand the factors that drive their maturity.
Expanding the use of inclusive instant payments also requires tackling fraud and strengthening consumer confidence. The workshop therefore highlighted the main threats affecting electronic transactions and explored mechanisms that can help protect consumers and strengthen trust in digital payment services. Recognizing that financial journalism is about more than explaining technology, AfricaNenda also devoted sessions to human-centered storytelling, data-journalism and data interpretation. This approach enables journalists to translate technical jargon and statistics into compelling stories that illustrate the real-life impact of inclusive instant payment systems on individuals and communities.
One of the workshop’s highlights focused on the opportunities that instant payment systems create for women, particularly those involved in trade and entrepreneurship.
Jacqueline Jumah, Director of Advocacy and Capacity Development at AfricaNenda Foundation, emphasized that digital payment solutions can be powerful tools for women’s economic empowerment. They allow women to send and receive money at lower cost, manage business cash flows more efficiently and avoid long queues at financial institutions.
She noted that when women gain meaningful access to digital payment systems, they are better positioned to expand their businesses and transition from subsistence activities to sustainable economic growth. She highlighted the need for policymakers to establish regulatory frameworks that ensure equitable access to digital financial services for women in both urban and rural communities.
Cross-border payments were another major topic discussed during the workshop. Sabine F. Mensah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AfricaNenda Foundation, observed that transferring money across African borders remains slow, expensive and unnecessarily complex, despite its importance for millions of households and businesses across the continent.
She underscored the need for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, regional institutions, payment service providers and development partners to remove the barriers that continue to hinder seamless cross-border transactions.
Through this initiative, AfricaNenda Foundation aims to empower journalists as trusted voices in Africa’s digital financial transformation. By reporting not only on the benefits but also on the challenges of inclusive instant payment systems, they can foster informed public debate, promote accountability, strengthen public confidence and support the development of a digital financial ecosystem that is more accessible, affordable and inclusive for all Africans.
The media workshop brought together journalists from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Togo.
