The Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Henry F. Saamoi, has presented Liberia’s remarkable progress in digital payments and financial inclusion at MojaCom 32, one of Africa’s premier forums on interoperable and inclusive payment systems.
Delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Accelerating Financial Inclusion Through Instant and Interoperable Payments: Liberia’s Journey and Lessons for Africa”.
Governor Saamoi highlighted Liberia’s ongoing transformation from a fragmented payments landscape to a system driven by real-time, interoperable digital financial services.
Addressing central bank governors, regulators, development partners, financial institutions, and technology leaders from across Africa and beyond, Governor Saamoi emphasized that while access to financial services has expanded significantly across the continent, the next frontier of financial inclusion is connectivity among financial institutions and payment platforms.
“Financial inclusion is no longer primarily constrained by access and affordability. It is increasingly constrained by connectivity,” Governor Saamoi stated, noting that the future of financial inclusion will depend on how effectively financial institutions connect and enable seamless movement of funds across networks.
The CBL Executive Governor highlighted two landmark achievements under Liberia’s payment system modernization agenda: the launch of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the deployment of the Inclusive Instant Payment System (IIPS). IIPS facilitates real-time interoperability between Liberia’s leading mobile money providers, Lonestar MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money Liberia.
Governor Saamoi disclosed that Liberia’s digital payments ecosystem has already begun delivering measurable results.
In 2025, mobile money transactions in Liberia reached approximately L$585.88 billion and US$6.92 billion in value, while the country’s systemically important payment systems processed approximately 230,367 transactions valued at US$8.5 billion.
He further disclosed that since its launch in December 2025, Liberia’s Inclusive Instant Payment System has processed more than 5.3 million interoperable transactions, including approximately 4.2 million Liberian-dollar transactions valued at over 4.1 billion Liberian dollars and 1.1 million United States dollar transactions valued at US$22.2 million.
According to Governor Saamoi, these achievements demonstrate growing public confidence in digital financial services and underscore the importance of interoperable payment infrastructure in advancing financial inclusion, economic efficiency, and private-sector growth.
The CBL Executive Governor also used the occasion to share key lessons from Liberia’s experience, emphasizing that successful payment system transformation requires strong leadership, collaboration among stakeholders, and recognition of interoperable payment systems as critical national infrastructure.
Looking beyond Liberia, Governor Saamoi called for greater collaboration among African central banks to strengthen regional payment connectivity and support the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stressing that Africa’s economic integration will depend not only on the movement of goods and services across borders, but also on the ability to move money quickly, securely, and affordably across the continent.
He concluded by reaffirming Liberia’s commitment to building a modern, inclusive, and interconnected financial system while contributing to Africa’s broader digital transformation agenda.
“Africa does not need to wait for the future of payments. Africa can build it. The future of African financial inclusion will not be determined by the number of institutions we create. It will be determined by how effectively those institutions connect,” Governor Saamoi said.
MojaCom 32 brought together central banks, regulators, financial institutions, development partners, and technology providers from around the world to discuss emerging trends and innovations in digital payments, interoperability, and financial inclusion.
