Interswitch Discovery Series Return To Campuses, Empowering Students To Turn Ideas Into Impact
LAGOS, Nigeria – October 18, 2026: Interswitch Group, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, is set to take its Discovery Series to three more Nigerian universities as it continues its drive to nurture the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and technology leaders across Africa.
This latest phase of the initiative will commence at Ekiti State University from October 28th –30th, 2026, followed by Lead City University, Ibadan, from November 18th – 20th, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, from November 26th – 28th.
Launched in 2024 as part of Interswitch’s #SwitchAFuture initiative, the Discovery Series was conceived as a collaborative “town-meets-gown” platform connecting industry expertise with the creativity and problem-solving potential within Africa’s higher education institutions. The initiative forms part of Interswitch’s broader commitment to building technology and innovation capacity while creating opportunities for young people to develop solutions to real-world challenges.
Over the past two years, the programme has grown from its inaugural edition at Babcock University into a wider innovation platform spanning several tertiary institutions. Subsequent editions have taken the experience to institutions including Landmark University, Cosmopolitan University, Redeemer’s University, Covenant University and Afe Babalola University, among others.
The initiative has also extended beyond Nigeria, reflecting Interswitch’s broader ambition to support and connect Africa’s emerging technology ecosystem. Students from Epitech University, Benin have engaged with Interswitch through various innovation-driven activities in Lagos, while Interswitch has continued to deepen its engagement with the technology ecosystem in Cotonou.
Commenting on the return of the Discovery Series, Abdul-Hafiz Ibrahim, Chief Technology Officer, Interswitch, said the programme reflects the company’s belief that Africa’s youth must be equipped not only to participate in the future but to actively create it.
“The future of Africa will be shaped by the ideas, ingenuity and determination of its young people. At Interswitch, we believe that talent becomes truly transformative when it is given the opportunity, knowledge and platforms to turn ideas into solutions. The Discovery Series is our way of creating that bridge between what students imagine and what they can build. As the programme continues to grow across institutions and beyond Nigeria, our focus remains on helping young innovators discover what is possible and giving the most promising ideas a pathway towards real-world impact.”
At each participating university, students will be immersed in a 3-day practical programme designed to move them from identifying problems to developing and presenting potential solutions. The programme will feature an Entrepreneurship Workshop, Design Thinking Session, Human-Centred Design Session, Hackathon and Grand Pitch, culminating in opportunities to win exciting prizes.
Through these experiences, participants will be challenged to think beyond conventional academic approaches, work collaboratively across disciplines, understand the needs of potential users and develop solutions that address real problems within their communities and beyond.
The competitive elements of the Discovery Series also provide students with an opportunity to showcase their ideas before industry experts and peers. At previous editions, promising student innovations have progressed beyond the pitch stage, with selected teams gaining opportunities to further develop their concepts through engagement with the Interswitch innovation ecosystem.
For Interswitch, the Discovery Series represents an important part of the company’s commitment to developing Africa’s innovation pipeline. By bringing industry practitioners into university environments and giving students access to practical knowledge, mentorship and platforms to test their ideas, the initiative seeks to narrow the gap between academic learning and the skills required to build solutions for a rapidly changing digital economy.
As the scope of the Discovery Series expands, Interswitch remains committed to working with tertiary institutions, students and innovation ecosystems across Africa to inspire a generation of problem-solvers who can transform ideas into products, businesses and solutions that contribute to the continent’s progress.
