About us

Mike Ogbalu III is an Electrical/Electronic Engineer and a Fellow of The International Academy of Cards and Payments with an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School. He has more than eight years of sound IT industry experience in planning, deployment and management of enterprise-wide infrastructure, as well as more than 15 years’ banking experience in Retail Banking, Commercial Banking and E-Business. He spent the last six years in Payments and Technology. His roles ranged from team membership to group leadership to Chief Executive.

Mike managed the E-Business Group of Afribank (now Polaris Bank) and represented Afribank on the boards of Valucard Nigeria (now UPSL) and ATMC. Mike was recognised with the award of Card Personality of Year 2012 for his work at Ecobank.

Mike joined Interswitch Group initially as Divisional CEO – Interswitch Financial Inclusion Services where he was responsible for driving a mandate to create the largest agent network and thereby becoming a prime facilitator of financial inclusion in Nigeria. Later, as Chief Executive Officer of Verve International, he was responsible for making Africa’s most successful card scheme truly pan-African and expanding its footprint globally.

Today, as CEO of PAPSS, he is overseeing the building of a continent-wide payment infrastructure that will help to accelerate trade on the continent. He is currently a board member of the CBN mobile payments scheme board, an advisory board member of the Bridge International Academies and a Grand Patron of IAMCP-WIT Nigeria (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners – Women In Technology).

John Bosco Sebabi is the Deputy Chief Executive of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

John Bosco holds a MSc in International Economics, Banking and Finance from Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales (UK), a BSc in Economics and an Associate degree in Economics, both completed with distinctions from the University of Rwanda (formerly the National University of Rwanda) and a certificate in Financial Programming and Policy from the IMF. John Bosco is also a fellow of the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion of the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He also holds an executive education certificate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP), a sandwich programme from three prestigious universities: Strathmore, Lagos and IESE business schools.

John Bosco comes with more than 20 years’ experience in the financial sector and was, until joining Afreximbank, a consultant with the World Bank on the establishment of the Africa Wide Payment Platform. John Bosco is the former chairman of the Rwanda Airports Company, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (formerly the PTA Bank), vice-chairman of Cogebanque and, to date, serves on the Board of Bralirwa and BancABC Botswana.

From July 2014 to October 2018 John Bosco served as the Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Social Security Board, in charge of funds management, managing assets over $1 billion in value.

Between March 2013 and April 2014, he was the CEO for the East Africa Commodity Exchange, which is mandated to uplift national and regional economies by eliminating market barriers to trading, providing access to financing for farmers and traders in return for commodities, and more broadly engaging in regional capital market development.

Prior to this, John Bosco was the Director General of the Operations Directorate at the National Bank of Rwanda, where he had a successful career spanning 13 years. He joined the bank as a Foreign Exchange Analyst and rapidly progressed to Director, Payment Systems, and to Director General, Operations. In this position, he was charged with the responsibility of providing executive leadership over three functions: currency and banking operations management, payment systems and financial markets. He oversaw the implementation of monetary policy decisions, managing the country’s reserves, overseeing sale of government debt, providing banking services to the government and other public entities, guiding the development of the payments and securities settlement systems, and currency management. One of his notable achievements was spearheading the bank’s payment systems modernisation programme, notably, the implementation of the Rwanda Integrated Payments Processing System (RIPPS), the Central Securities Depository, mobile payments, and remittances.

As a seasoned banker, John Bosco has served as a key resource person on several boards, committees and task forces. He was a member of the G25 Panel of experts that was constituted by the World Bank to set guidelines for successful regional integration of financial infrastructures. Outside work, he is an ardent squash player, swimmer and golfer. He is married with two daughters.

Mr. Ugwu holds a master’s in information technology from the University of Liverpool United Kingdom, an MBA in Finance from the University of Lagos, a Degree in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria and a CTO program Certificate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA.

He recently served as Manager of Technology & Operations at PAPSS, where he led strategic initiatives and technological innovations to advance the PAPSS’ mission of transforming the African payments landscape.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Mr. Ugwu has been at the forefront of technology transformation in the African Fintech industry, while working with leading financial institutions such as Standard Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Union Bank. He has also led technology advisory services for multinational organizations during his tenure with global technology firms including Dell Consulting and IBM, covering markets across the Middle East and Africa.

Mr. Okesola holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria, and a Digital Explorer with Digital Explorer Program from Lithuania, EU.

Mr. Okesola recently served as Vice President of Product Engineering at Flutterwave Incorporated focusing on empowering businesses of all sizes with seamless payments solutions to accept and make payments over APIs, devices, and emerging technologies. Prior to this, he worked at United Bank for Africa in the role of Head of Solutions Architecture, where he strengthened the bank’s customer solutions across 19 African countries with technical dept using cloud technologies, observability, and scalable architecture principles. Additionally, Mr. Okesola contributed as Enterprise Payment Architect at Venture Garden Group Nigeria, in pioneering the VIGIPAY borderless payment platform.

Obi has over 12 years of corporate experience in digital business transformation delivering enterprise-wide change for global corporates, as well as more than 15 years’ experience in digital entrepreneurship on the African continent, launching, managing and commercializing pan-African digital ventures. He has spent the last six years at Afreximbank focused on the commercialization of its digital portfolio of platforms.

Obi drove the commercialization and adoption of Afreximbank’s digital trade ecosystem – the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) – facilitating cross-border trade, due diligence, market intelligence, and financing to establish a continental marketplace for the region’s leading commercial banks and trading companies.

Prior to joining Afreximbank, Obi was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at corporate data provider – Asoko Insight, establishing the leading pan-African intelligence platform for information and data on mid-to-large African corporates. Before that, Obi was Managing Director at online real estate venture – Jumia Home (Lamudi) establishing the venture as Nigeria’s largest property marketplace prior to its acquisition. Before focusing on the African digital ecosystem, Obi led global digital transformation initiatives at Thomson Reuters, Philips Electronics, BSkyB and Vodafone.

As Head of Commercialization, PAPSS, he is overseeing revenue growth, product adoption, stakeholder participation, and commercial strategy development and execution across the PAPSS portfolio.

Mr. Ejimofo holds an Executive MBA from the London Business School and a degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Nigeria.

Monica has over 12 years’ experience in managing the transformation and enhanced usage of payment systems at a global, regional and national level. Prior to joining PAPSS, she worked at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) where she was responsible for developing and implementing national and regional payment system policies and systems to improve market access and ease of trade in Kenya, East Africa and the COMESA regions.

Her achievements include building SWIFT Governance for the Central Bank of Kenya and the Kenyan financial industry; being nominated to the ‘African Emerging Leaders Programme’ at the Egyptian Banking Institute; creating a regulatory framework for National Payment Systems in Kenya; managing integration of securities and retail payments to Kenya’s Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system; and being appointed to CBK’s Financial Innovation and Inclusion Team as policy recommendation lead.

Monica holds an MSc in Computer Science from University College London and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Pharmacology from the University of Edinburgh.

Papa Samba, a digital marketing and communications expert, began his career 11 years ago as Digital Project Manager at Geoxia Group in France.

Most of his experience then followed at PI Group, a leading consortium of agencies (People Input, Voice Africa, Dentsu) in Sub Saharan Francophone Africa, where he held several positions: Digital Consultant (2013), Digital Product Manager (2014), Country Development Director (2016), Digital Director (2018) and Director, Digital & Strategy (2020). He also managed and developed the activities of the Abidjan and Douala branches.

He has built, designed and launched multiple communications campaigns that added real value to sales and branding across a range of sectors including telecoms, FMCG, banking, insurance, fintech and NGOs.

Papa Samba holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Institut Supérieur de Management (ISM) in Senegal, a Master’s degree in Marketing & Sales from Ecole Supérieure de Gestion (Paris) and a Master’s degree in Digital Innovation from PPA Business School in France.

ISHIMWE Jean d’Amour, is a technology and cybersecurity enthusiast with an experience of 10 years’ experience in cybersecurity and risk management within the financial sector. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and information technology from the University of Madras, India and has occupied several responsibilities ranging from Information security officer, Information security manager and Cybersecurity Director.
Amongst his significant achievements, Jean d’Amour, managed several initiatives that transformed the Central bank of Rwanda (BNR) and impacted lives of the Rwandan financial community. This includes the implementation of an Information security management system and an IT governance framework against which BNR was certified in 2017. He also managed and innovated around BNR and Financial security operations centers (SOC) to establish a center of financial services information sharing and threat analysis towards a cyber resilient Rwandan financial sector.

Jean d’Amour was recognized by the central bank of Rwanda (BNR) as the best employee of the year 2018 and is a member of different cybersecurity networks and professional forums through his professional achievements such GCFE|CGEIT|CISM|CRISC to name few.

Elvis Ebeh has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), a master’s degree in environmental management (University of Lagos), and an Executive MBA with Quantic School of Business and Technology

He is an adept product manager with 15 years’ experience in diverse sectors (Banking, ICTs, MNOs, and Fintechs) spanning products, projects, partnerships, mobile applications, digital payments, clients’ engagements, business integrations, value chain management, and financial inclusion.

Elvis was regional e-banking coordinator in Fidelity Bank Plc where he managed the penetration and use of digital products. He also led the product acquiring team of the channels group of Access Bank where he managed development of bespoke digital products and services as well as delivered the AMEX acquiring and MTIP/ADVT contactless projects.

He was Head of Program Management in Arca Payments where he provided leadership and oversight on strategic partners’ integrations and products launches. He successful delivered the payment gateway (ArcaPay), card issuance project with Mastercard and acquiring processing projects with major banks in Nigeria.

Elvis joined Airtel Group where he was tasked to drive the digital channels and partnership department of Smartcash Payment Service Bank. On this role, he developed the digital channels – USSD, Customer and Merchant Applications and drove penetration within Nigeria.

Today, as Head Products and Innovation of PAPSS, he is building innovative and continent-wide payment products that will help to accelerate and ease trade on the continent. He is currently a member of PMI and CIPS and holds professional certifications in project, products, & procurement (PMP, The Product School, and MCIPS). He volunteers with Do Good Africa and Engaged Lifestyle NGO where he handles various projects.

Abraham is a seasoned strategy professional with over 10 years of cumulative experience as a management consultant in financial services and as a strategy leader in the fintech sector.

Prior to joining the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), Abraham served as Senior Strategy Manager for New and Emerging Categories in Africa at The Coca-Cola Company. In this role, he focused on establishing and scaling a new beverage product across multiple African markets.

Before this, he worked at M-Pesa Africa, where he held various positions across commercial, strategy, and international expansion. His key contributions included leading the development of 3 year strategic plan, creating a comprehensive international expansion playbook, and orchestrating global and pan-African strategic partnerships.

Abraham began his career at KPMG East Africa, where he spent over five years as a Senior Management Consultant. He delivered tailored solutions to clients in both the public and private sectors, with a primary focus on financial services (banking and insurance). For these organizations, Abraham led initiatives such as the development and review of five-year strategic plans, HR redesign, operating model reviews, investor readiness support, and due diligence processes.

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Spain and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Kenya. He is also a certified Prince 2 Practitioner and a Certified Human Resource Professional.

For more than three years Noel Adja worked for Standard Chartered Bank, where he held various position. He started his journey with Standard chartered Bank as client onboarding and account maintenance specialist for corporate and institutional clients. He also worked as Analyst client delivery (Integrated Middle Office) and Associate, Client delivery (Integrated Middle Office) in corporate and institutional banking. During his career at Standard Chartered bank, Noel Adja has spent 8 months completing a short-term assignment as credit analyst in corporate and institutional banking.  Prior to that, he worked as Banking Consultant for Halifax and as a Customer Service Assistant for Lloyds Bank. He is currently working for the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) as Assistant Manager Participants & Membership Management.

Noel holds Master’s degree in International Business Law (LLM) and Master’s degree in International Business and Management (MSc) from the University of Bedfordshire in the UK. He also holds a BA in Law from the Catholic University of West Africa.

Ms. Gloria Atanga is a Business Development Associate for the Pan-African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS) where she has worked for the past two years. In the context of her role, she is at the forefront of engagements with participants of the PAPSS ecosystem such as central banks, commercial banks, and fintechs. She also manages a portfolio of over 30 FinTechs and is responsible for coordinating the implementation of PAPSS Memorandums of Understanding with strategic partners. Passionate about advocacy, Gloria has represented PAPSS as a speaker at events such as AfCFTA Workshops for East African SMEs and the AfCFTA webinar on the Empowerment of Women and Youth. She is a graduate from the prestigious CASS Business School (now Bayes Business School) where she holds an MSc in International Business, in addition to a BSc in International Finance from the American University of Paris.

Joyce Ampaire is a payments and financial inclusion expert. She has been in the banking industry for over 7 years. She previously worked with Equity bank where she was the Customer Experience Manager and handled Payments and channels. Before that she worked at Centenary Bank Uganda in different capacities: Financial Inclusion Supervisor and Sales Supervisor. She also worked with Equity Bank as a Relationship Officer Payments and Channels.

Joyce has been very impactful on the payment and digitalization journey of Uganda. She was a crucial member of the team that introduced and pushed the usage of agent banking in Uganda which is currently the most used channel for transactions.

Joyce holds a Bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics from Makerere University and a Master’s in business administration from Makerere University Business School.

David Olatunde brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in pan-African payment systems and trade finance. He is a is a results-driven Trade Finance professional and holds an MSc. in Economics, Finance, and Investment Management from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom, and a B.Sc. from Covenant University in Nigeria.

He currently works as the Business development Senior Analyst managing over 60 banks in West Africa anglophone region for Pan African Payment and settlement system (PAPSS). He previously worked at Global Trade and Trade Finance Unit at Access Bank Plc from March 2018 to September 2023.

His role at Access Bank encompassed various responsibilities, including trade relations and operations, trade finance analysis, trade research, payment specialist, trade relationship management, trade product management, trade application development, and trade sales. Notably, he was pivotal in successfully implementing the Access Bank Trade Plus application. This application has since been adopted across Access Bank subsidiaries in Africa. Additionally, he was part of the team that managed a trade finance portfolio and collaborated with 38 corresponding banks. Their collective efforts earned Access Bank the title of the Best Trade Finance Provider in 2020. David’s contributions also extended to facilitating trade facilities, leading to Access Bank being recognized as the Best FX Services provider in Africa in 2021.

Omar Tawfik is diligent banker, acquired good work experience in the banking sector in Egypt, experience of how institutions work at the ground-level in developing countries, Working for five years in several financial intuitions from trade finance to corresponding banking, Omar started as an international trade finance officer at Banque du Caire third largest  governmental bank in Egypt handling all trade finance products (letters of credits, letters of guarantees, trade remittance and documentary collections), after that he held the position of Relationship manager correspondent banking relations covering the regions Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa maintaining the relationship with foreign FIs constructing agreements and  setting up loan deals  later he joined HSBC GTRF Operations associate  handling Import Documentary credits  In UK,

Omar combined skills and expertise in the banking sector varies form trade operations, credit analysis and relationship management, this resulted in a strong based knowledge in international trade operation and in relationship management in dealing with correspondent banks inside and outside the continent

Omar Tawfik holds Masters of Business Administration (Banking and Finance Diploma) and Bachelor of Business Administration from Arab Academy for Science and Technology.

Adel ATTIA is a seasoned compliance professional with 10 years of experience in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Financing of Terrorism (CFT), sanctions screening, and fraud risk management. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Information Technology and is certified in Managing Sanctions Risk by the International Compliance Association (ICA).

Adel has served in leadership roles across global banks, fintech, and e-commerce, including HSBC, Amazon, and Jumia Group. At HSBC, he led complex AML investigations and quality assurance reviews across both retail and corporate banking. At Amazon, he managed sanctions compliance for multiple jurisdictions, ensuring zero regulatory breaches during successive audit cycles. At Jumia, he built and led a regional compliance team overseeing AML and Sanctions compliance frameworks across North-West Africa.

He joined PAPSS in 2024 as part of the Enterprise Security, Risk & Compliance function, where he leads the development of its financial crime compliance programme across the continent. His role focuses on safeguarding the integrity of cross-border transactions while embedding strong governance practices throughout the system.

Patricia is a results-driven finance professional with deep expertise in cross-border payments, settlement operations, and treasury management. As Senior Analyst for Settlement & Operations at the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), she leads the day-to-day execution and optimization of operational processes that ensure the efficiency and integrity of intra-African transactions.

With a strong background in treasury and payment operations from her time at a leading pan-African bank, she has successfully driven key initiatives in risk control, regulatory audit readiness, and high-value transaction governance. Her professional foundation is complemented by an MBA from the University of East London, a first-class Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Botswana, and a certification in Financial Modelling and Valuation from the Corporate Finance Institute.

Known for her strategic thinking, attention to detail, and collaborative spirit, she is passionate about leveraging financial innovation to accelerate Africa’s economic integration.

Dina is the personal Assistant of PAPSS Chief Executive Officer/Mr. Mike Ogbalu. She is an experienced and technically skilled business professional with over twenty-four years progressive hands-on experience in office management and business support for senior executives.

Prior to joining PAPSS, Dina worked at the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA) – a subsidiary of Afreximbank – as Personal Assistante to FEDA CEO.

Dina had worked at Cargill as an executive Assistant to Egypt Leadership Team, managing diaries and commitments, regional events, complex travel arrangements, exercising intuitive judgments on the fly with clear strategic management and leadership responsibility and accountability. Dina also coordinated activities of both internal stakeholders across department and offshore teams, as well as external stakeholders (service providers and clients) to ensure statutory and contractual requirements were met.
Dina has a Bachelor of Arts from Ain Shams University of Cairo.