Flutterwave took part in a senior investor forum in Beijing focused on Nigeria’s economic prospects and investment potential, as the payments company seeks to expand financial links between Asia and African markets.
Nigeria-China investment dialogue
- On October 22, 2026, Flutterwave joined the “Nigeria’s Economic and Investment Opportunities Sharing Session,” an event jointly hosted in Beijing by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and ICBC Standard Bank.
- Flutterwave founder and chief executive Olugbenga “GB” Agboola spoke on a panel examining foreign-exchange certainty, settlements in domestic currencies and the contribution of financial technology to increased two-way trade.
- Agboola said Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, alongside firmer currency conditions and higher foreign-exchange reserves, was restoring confidence among international institutions and creating fresh openings for African companies.
“A few years ago, a Nigerian business seeking to participate in the international financial system could see discussions end before they properly started once counterparties identified grey-list concerns, exchange-rate instability and low reserve levels,” Agboola said. “That environment has now changed substantially.”
He credited CBN Governor Cardoso and the central bank’s team with rebuilding reserve cushions, meeting compliance requirements needed to leave the grey list and improving foreign-exchange stability.
“Those measures allow African companies to engage global institutions as trusted counterparts,” Agboola said. “Trust is the essential currency of commerce. Where macroeconomic policy is reliable and infrastructure performs consistently, investment and trade can grow in both directions.”
Broader Asian outreach
The forum, held under the theme “Deepening Cooperation for a Shared Future,” gathered Chinese banks, development-finance institutions, investment funds and multinational businesses active in Nigeria and elsewhere in Asia.
It followed CBN roundtables concerning the Nigeria-China financial corridor and formed part of a wider bilateral engagement programme in Asia that also included senior discussions in Singapore and Bangkok.
The Central Bank of Nigeria said stronger commercial relations between Nigeria and China require more than higher trade volumes. “Beyond growing trade, stronger Nigeria–China economic ties also depend on the confidence, financial infrastructure and partnerships needed to support long-term investment,” the bank said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Panel participants and Flutterwave delegation
Peter Poon, ICBC Standard Bank’s head of structured solutions, moderated the discussion. Other participants included Dr. Okey Umeano, acting director of financial markets at the CBN; Kayode Solola, Standard Bank Group’s head of global markets for Africa and chairman of Stanbic IBTC Capital in Nigeria; Samuel Tao, senior vice president for investment at the China-Africa Fund for Industrial Cooperation; and Chen Lu, known as Frank, vice president for solution sales at Huawei Central Bank BU.
Agboola attended with Flutterwave Chief Compliance Officer Mobolaji Bammeke, highlighting the company’s emphasis on compliance systems, risk controls and governance for cross-border payment networks.
Guo Songmei also joined the delegation. She recently became Flutterwave’s regional vice president of sales and partnership for Greater China and Asia, with responsibility for regional commercial planning, winning enterprise customers and building merchant relationships.
Expanding Asia-Africa payment flows
The engagement further positions Flutterwave as a licensed and regulated channel connecting international capital and liquidity with African trade. The company said transaction value between Asia and Africa was approaching $1 billion in the first half of 2025 alone.
Flutterwave is expanding payment infrastructure for large enterprises, including multi-currency accounts, domestic payout networks and compliant settlement services. Its platform is intended to support trade in both directions between Asian markets and more than 30 countries across Africa.
