By Omobayo Azeez
The organiser of Lagos Fintech Week has postponed the 2020 edition of the weeklong activity of fintech events due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Covid-19 has been declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and every party, ranging from public to private sectors is avoiding giving fillip to the spread of the disease through gathering of many people in a place.
Yele Okeremi, the chairman of the organizing committee of the Lagos Fintech Week, said the decision came after much deliberation and consultation with industry stakeholders who have strongly endorsed the prioritization of the collective interests of all participants.
“We have a role to play in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and on our part as the organizer of the biggest Fintech event in Lagos State; we are postponing this year’s edition from April 14-17 to September 22-25, 2020,” Okeremi said.
He explained that the event is an invigorating week of distinct Fintech events that delivers exciting discussions, stimulating demos and insightful debates.
It also features case studies and panels in consumer banking, corporate banking, financial markets and insurance, among others with the postponed 2020 edition anchored on the theme ‘Agenda for Cashless Lagos.’
“We urge Nigerians from all walks of life to comply with the Lagos State government and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) by maintaining proper hygiene and avoiding any gathering that is more than 50 people,” he cautioned.
While appreciating all the sponsors, speakers, panellists and volunteers that would participate at the 2020 Lagos Fintech Week, Dr. Okeremi promised that in September, the organiser would put up a top-notch event that will further move the industry forward.
The organiser described the event as a multi-format conference that covers technology topics such as artificial intelligence, authentication, advanced sensors, digital and mobile payments as well as application programming interfaces (APIs), blockchain, big data and learning machines.
