ABUJA/Nigeria: Preparations are in top gear for the 2026 RegTech Africa Conference & Expo (RACE 2026), Africa’s flagship platform on regulatory technology, digital innovation and policy reform, scheduled to hold from May 20 to 22, 2026, at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The conference, which will be held under the patronage of the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, is being organised in partnership with the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI) and in collaboration with the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), underscoring its strategic relevance to Nigeria’s and Africa’s economic transformation agenda.
Anchored on the theme “Building Trust, Infrastructure, Inclusion, and Policy for a Borderless Economy,” RACE 2026 is expected to convene regulators, policymakers, technology leaders, innovators, investors and development partners to chart the future of Africa’s digital and regulatory landscape amid accelerating cross-border trade and financial integration.
Organisers said the conference comes at a critical moment as Africa advances the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a single market of more than 1.4 billion people with a projected value of about $3.4 trillion. According to them, RACE 2026 will confront one of the continent’s most pressing challenges—how to align technology, regulation and policy to enable seamless, trusted and inclusive economic activity across borders.
Chair of the Organising Committee, Cyril Okoroigwe, described the conference as a strategic policy and innovation platform where technology-enabled regulation can serve as a catalyst for trust, inclusion and sustainable economic growth across Africa.
The conference will spotlight the role of RegTech, SupTech, artificial intelligence, digital identity systems, interoperable payments, cybersecurity and data-driven compliance solutions in reducing friction, lowering risk and unlocking opportunities for governments, businesses, startups and citizens.
Key outcomes are expected to focus on strengthening trust through smarter, technology-enabled regulation; building resilient digital infrastructure for payments, identity and data exchange; driving inclusion for SMEs, startups, women and underserved communities; and modernising policy frameworks to support innovation while safeguarding financial integrity.
RACE 2026 is projected to feature more than 50 speakers, 10 thematic tracks and over 1,000 in-person and virtual participants drawn from across Africa and the global financial and technology ecosystem. The hybrid event will host ministerial dialogues, regulators’ CEO forums, innovation showcases, as well as curated business-to-business and business-to-government networking sessions.
A major highlight of the conference will be the Global Startup World Cup – Regional Challenge, which is expected to position Abuja as a launchpad for Africa’s most promising technology startups to compete on the global stage.
Speaking on the partnership, Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, Technical Adviser to the President and Executive Secretary of PreCEFI, said the conference aligns strongly with Nigeria’s commitment to economic and financial inclusion.
He noted that by bringing together regulators, innovators and policymakers, RACE 2026 would provide a critical platform to deploy technology and smart regulation as tools for trust-building, inclusion and sustainable economic growth within Nigeria and across the continent.
Attendance at the conference is strictly by registration, with organisers urging early registration due to limited capacity and heightened security protocols at the Presidential Villa venue. Organisations interested in partnerships, sponsorships, exhibitions or strategic participation have also been invited to engage with the organising committee.
Through strategic media engagement and the #BorderlessAfriconomy and #RACE2026 campaigns, the conference is expected to help reposition Africa globally as a policy-aware, innovation-ready and investment-attractive continent, while playing a defining role in advancing the continent’s journey towards a truly borderless and inclusive digital economy.
