Nigeria’s payments infrastructure provider, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc, has launched NIBSS Digest, a new quarterly digital publication examining the infrastructure, policy and innovation shaping the future of financial services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.

The maiden edition of the pan-industry journal, to be released on Friday, is themed “Redefining the Future of Payments” and brings together perspectives from regulators, commercial banking executives, fintech founders and other stakeholders across the financial ecosystem.

According to NIBSS, the publication is designed to provide a platform for industry experts and decision-makers to examine emerging trends and developments influencing digital payments and financial services.

The inaugural edition explores how interoperable, intelligent and inclusive payment infrastructure can support sustainable economic growth.

Among the issues examined are financial inclusion, operational resilience, customer experience, artificial intelligence, digital identity, payment infrastructure and cross-border integration.

The publication also explores emerging initiatives and technologies including Open Banking, application programming interfaces (APIs), sovereign payment rails and the National Payment Stack (NPS).

Adewunmi Oshilaja, Head of Corporate Communications at NIBSS, said the publication was conceived to broaden the conversation around payments and shift attention from the movement of money to the wider economic activity enabled by payment infrastructure.

“NIBSS Digest was conceived to broaden the conversation around payments, shifting the focus from simply moving money to actively moving economies,” Oshilaja said.

He added that the rapid evolution of payment ecosystems makes it important to create a platform where regulators, financial institutions and technology innovators can exchange actionable insights.

“Establishing a unified platform where regulators, financial institutions, and tech innovators can share actionable insights is vital,” he said.

Oshilaja described the maiden edition as a reflection of the ambition of the payments industry at a defining moment, adding that it provides a forward-looking perspective on building a more inclusive, secure and interconnected financial system.

He also acknowledged the support of the NIBSS Board and Executive Management, the editorial team and contributors who participated in the publication.

“Our sincere appreciation also goes to all contributors for sharing their expertise and commitment to building a payments ecosystem that is open enough to innovate, secure enough to trust, and intelligent enough to protect,” he said.

NIBSS Digest is available free of charge on desktop, tablet and mobile browsers through the company’s official website.

The publication will be issued quarterly, with each edition focusing on a central theme connected to critical developments within the payments ecosystem.

NIBSS said submissions are already open for the second edition, inviting regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies, academics, development partners and technology leaders to contribute articles, case studies and commentary.

Submission guidelines and details for upcoming editions are contained in the maiden issue.

NIBSS, incorporated in 1993, is owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and licensed deposit money banks in Nigeria. The company provides payment infrastructure supporting interbank clearing and settlement, as well as financial services infrastructure including the Bank Verification Number (BVN) system and point-of-sale payments.

Through its infrastructure, NIBSS plays a central role in Nigeria’s digital payments ecosystem and the expansion of financial inclusion.