At 6:00pm prompt on the 9th of October, 2026, BusinessDay held the 14th edition of its Banking and other financial institutions (BAFI) awards at the prestigious Civic Centre, Lagos.

This event pulled senior bank executives, institutional leaders, regulators, and monetary policy figures in a ‘black-tie’ ceremony that brought together the prominent pillars of Nigeria’s financial services industry.

Cardtonic earned major recognition at the award event, having been nominated for two awards: the Digital Payments Disruptor of the Year Award and the Virtual Access Card Market Leader of the Year Award, and clinching the win in both categories. The awards were received by the Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Sohe and Lead Creative Associate at Cardtonic, Ima Asuquo. Also present at the award event were other Cardtonic senior executives, team members, and beloved community members of Cardtonic.

This feat is a significant milestone for a bootstrapped fintech that started from the simple roots of manual gift card trading, now being recognised on the same stage as Nigeria’s banks, insurers and monetary institutions.

The Digital Payments Disruptor of the Year Award

The Digital Payments Disruptor of the Year Award is awarded to recognise businesses whose product innovation has consistently proven to be ‘customer-centric’. And Cardtonic is a classic embodiment of this principle.

From starting out as a simple gift card trading business in 2018, Cardtonic’s growth has always been borne out of the simple question: How does this help make the customer’s life easier? Every new product in the pipeline had to answer this question before getting shipped; from virtual dollar cards to global and local bill payments (across 140+ countries), Just Gadgets, and eSIMs.

This principle also explains why they decided to build an all-in-one app that puts the typical consumer’s everyday needs in one place instead of creating isolated financial products.

[Chief Executive Officer of Cardtonic, Emmanuel Sohe (left)  and Lead Creative Associate, Ima Asuquo (centre) receiving the two awards at the 14th edition of the BAFI awards.]

Today, Cardtonic’s recent innovations still exemplifies this disciplined approach, with recent rollouts in 2026 like the integration of stablecoin funding options (USDT and USDC) for topping up their virtual dollar cards, which gives users decentralized and borderless flexibility for funding. The Platinum virtual dollar card also embodies this, making life even much easier for the consumer, with global contactless ‘tap-to-pay’ feature and ApplePay and GooglePay integrations (where accepted).

The Virtual Access Card Market Leader of the Year Award

This award is given to businesses that have demonstrated real impact in terms of providing global payment access for individuals and businesses, and also consistently expanded their market reach over the years.

From launching in 2023, Cardtonic’s virtual dollar card has undergone significant improvements in its product infrastructure and market reach.  What started out with the “Basic Card” rollout featuring an industry-leading card creation fee, zero maintenance fee, and strong payment capabilities has now grown, with the new “Platinum Card” rollout which has even more impressive capabilities, including global contactless ‘tap-to-pay’ feature and ApplePay and GooglePay integrations (where accepted).

Regarding market reach, a product that was first launched only in Nigeria has become the flagship product for recent expansion into South Africa and Kenya, this year. Virtual dollar cards were also introduced to Ghana this year, although Cardtonic has had operational presence there since 2020.

Cardtonic has also expanded into North American territory with a recent successful registration with the presiding regulatory body – Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) in Canada. Global user registrations have also been enabled with the Cardtonic platform with access to their various products. This makes Cardtonic a truly ‘borderless platform that can serve every customer irrespective of their geo’, as the Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Sohe, consistently puts it.

Standing Among Giants: Responsibility and the Road Ahead

Cardtonic’s presence at the Civic Centre represented more than just an award ceremony; it showcased the increasing overlap between traditional banks and disciplined fintech innovators. Winning on one of the country’s premier financial stages demonstrates how disciplined fintechs are playing an essential role alongside traditional banks in shaping the future of payments.

For Asuquo, Lead Creative Associate at Cardtonic, she framed the award achievement around two principles: recognition and responsibility:

“Winning both awards on a night alongside Nigeria’s leading institutions is a massive milestone for us. It validates years of quietly solving real problems for real people; it truly feels like a well-deserved pat on the back.”

“But more than recognition, it brings a healthy sense of responsibility. We have set a benchmark, and the bar can only go higher. It is good pressure that pushes us to maintain this standard and deliver even greater value to our community next year”.

The Chief Executive Officer, Sohe, was also engaged at a red-carpet interview hosted by BusinessDay, speaking on the win and the growing demand for virtual card and digital financial services. Representatives from other institutions came to the Cardtonic table to congratulate them, and likewise, Cardtonic networked with other institutions and took photos after the ceremony.

Closing Thoughts

Winning two major awards at the BAFI Awards marks an important milestone in Cardtonic’s journey from such humble roots. Yet for Cardtonic, the accolade is less of a destination and more of a reminder of the work ahead.

As global digital commerce evolves, the demand for accessible, reliable, and borderless payment infrastructure will only continue to expand. Supported by its community of users across Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and beyond, Cardtonic remains committed to refining its products, introducing new features, and building practical financial tools designed for the modern global citizen.