discuss

Distinguished guests and industry leaders from finance, tech, law enforcement, and regulatory sectors recently gathered at the inaugural edition of the Piggyvest Cybersecurity Roundtable held at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event, themed “Unified Front: Tackling Industry-Wide Fraud Challenges Together,” was designed for stakeholders to share insights, collaborate on best practices, and strengthen a collective approach to combating fraud within their organisations and the industry at large.

In attendance were Adebayo Adebeshin, Chief Audit Executive, Interswitch; Oluwatosin Obadimu, Head, Industry Fraud Desk, NIBSS; Kayode Agbetoye, Head, Fraud Risk Management, Stanbic IBTC Bank; Adeolu Adepoju, Head, Fraud Risk, Kuda Bank; Charles Ugbebor, VP, Fraud & Investigation, Moniepoint; Nujinim Egwegbete‑Odukwu, Head, Infrastructure Security, Flutterwave.

In his welcome address, Oluwasegun Ojumola, Senior Fraud & Investigation Analyst at Piggyvest, explained that the gathering was born from a shared commitment to strengthen customer confidence across the industry, emphasising the critical role of trust, security, and collaboration in the payment ecosystem.

“This conversation is important for us,” Ojumola told the gathering. “If we’re going to harness what’s possible within the ecosystem, we need to find ways to collaborate as stakeholders and businesses in this space.”

Adebayo Adebeshin, Chief Audit Executive at Interswitch, gave the first keynote address titled, “Strengthening Resilience: The Role of Internal Collaboration in Threat Defense.” He emphasised the importance of efficient internal collaboration in fighting fraud threats.

Adebesin said strengthening the internal collaboration and resistance systems is a proactive approach to fighting fraud and allows companies and the ecosystem at large to present a united front. “Collaboration is key. No single person or single organisation can act alone and survive. We actually need each other,” he stressed.

In a panel session moderated by Oluwaseunfunmi Okuntola, Fraud and investigation Analyst at Piggyvest, Agbetoye, Adepoju, Ugbebor, and Egwegbete‑Odukwu shared strategies and tactics for tackling industry-wide fraud challenges together.

They discussed the importance of collaboration and practical frameworks for approaching a fraud management strategy within an organisation that can help it stay ahead of evolving threats.

Attendees also commended Piggyvest for providing a unique opportunity for professionals in the compliance and cybersecurity ecosystem to meet their industry colleagues in person to build professional relationships.

David Samson, a Fraud Analyst at Paystack, said the event and others alike offer rare opportunities to meet colleagues across the industry: “It’s also very helpful for our day-to-day jobs. I’ve been able to find answers or at least get a general direction on how to approach some of the problems I face.”

Esther Ahmed, Internal Auditor and Control Officer at Titan Trust Bank, added, “This event allowed us to meet others, learn from them, hear different case studies, and take home lessons from their mistakes. This way, we stay abreast of industry trends and fraud tactics, ensuring we are prepared to curb them and protect our customers from exposure.”

In closing remarks, Ibukun Akinola, Head of Customer Finance, PiggyTech Global Limited, parent company to Piggyvest and PocketApp, shared about the importance of a collaborative effort to fighting fraud and emphasised the company’s commitment to cybersecurity.

“We’re very security conscious at PiggyTech. This was a great forum for industry leaders to find a way to move forward in combating fraud in this industry. We need more events like this that can influence policy and regulation and allow us to share information that can help us present the best front we can,” she added.

Kayode Agbetoye, Head, Fraud Risk Management Stanbic IBTC Bank, said, “Let’s do more of this so that we can create awareness, not only within our ecosystem but also see how we can fight fraud and reduce the losses that banks and other financial institutions are exposed to. We can collaborate more, engage more, and fight fraud together more.”