Lagos, Nigeria – October 18,2026. Interswitch Group, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, is set to expand its Discovery Series to three additional Nigerian universities, reinforcing its commitment to developing young innovators, nurturing entrepreneurial talent and bridging the gap between academic learning and practical industry experience.
The latest phase of the initiative will begin at Ekiti State University from October 28 to 30, 2026, before moving to Lead City University, Ibadan, from November 18 to 20, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, from November 26 to 28.
Through this initiative, Interswitch aims to provide students with practical knowledge, industry exposure and opportunities to transform their ideas into solutions capable of addressing real-world challenges. The programme is designed to encourage young people to think creatively, develop entrepreneurial skills and explore how technology and innovation can contribute to economic growth and community development.
Launched in 2024 under the company’s #SwitchAFuture initiative, the Discovery Series has evolved into a platform for collaboration between the technology industry and higher education institutions, bringing together industry professionals and students to explore innovative approaches to solving problems.
The Discovery Series was conceived as a collaborative “town-meets-gown” initiative, connecting the expertise of industry practitioners with the creativity, technical knowledge and problem-solving abilities of university students.
While universities provide students with academic foundations, the transition from classroom learning to developing commercially viable products and practical solutions can present significant challenges. Students may have promising ideas but lack access to industry mentors, practical innovation frameworks, professional networks or opportunities to test their concepts in real-world settings.
The Discovery Series seeks to address this gap by creating an environment where students can move beyond theoretical knowledge and gain hands-on experience in identifying problems, developing ideas, working in teams and presenting potential solutions.
The initiative also reflects Interswitch’s broader commitment to strengthening Africa’s technology and innovation ecosystem by supporting the development of young people who can contribute to the continent’s digital transformation.
By engaging directly with students across different institutions, the company aims to encourage a culture of innovation in which young people are equipped not only to understand emerging technologies but also to explore how these technologies can be applied to everyday challenges.
Since its launch, the Interswitch Discovery Series has expanded beyond its inaugural edition at Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, in March 2024.
The second edition took place at Landmark University in Kwara State from January 29 to 31, 2025, demonstrating the programme’s continued engagement with Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Interswitch subsequently identified Cosmopolitan University in Abuja as another destination for the initiative, with the programme scheduled for February 26 to 28, 2025.
Other institutions associated with the broader initiative, as outlined in the latest announcement, include Redeemer’s University, Covenant University and Afe Babalola University.
The initiative has also extended its engagement beyond Nigeria. According to the announcement, students from Epitech University in Benin have participated in innovation-focused activities with Interswitch in Lagos, while the company has continued to strengthen its engagement with the technology ecosystem in Cotonou.
This growing institutional reach reflects an ambition to encourage collaboration across academic and technology communities, creating opportunities for young people to exchange ideas, learn from industry professionals and explore solutions to challenges affecting their communities.
At each of the three universities scheduled to host the programme, students will participate in an intensive three-day experience combining entrepreneurship education, creative problem-solving, collaborative development and innovation pitching.
The programme will feature an Entrepreneurship Workshop, Design Thinking Session, Human-Centred Design Session, Hackathon and Grand Pitch.
These activities are intended to guide participants through different stages of the innovation process, from identifying a problem and understanding the people affected by it to developing a potential solution and presenting the idea to an audience.
The entrepreneurship workshop will expose students to the principles of identifying opportunities, evaluating business ideas and thinking about how solutions can be developed into sustainable ventures.
The design thinking sessions will encourage participants to approach challenges from different perspectives, question assumptions and explore alternative ways of solving problems. Rather than beginning with a product and searching for a market, students will be encouraged to understand the problem they want to solve and consider the needs of the people who may use their solutions.
The human-centred design session will further emphasise the importance of understanding users, their experiences and the practical challenges they face. This approach can help students develop ideas that are not only technically interesting but also relevant, accessible and useful to their intended audiences.
The hackathon will provide an opportunity for participants to work collaboratively on developing their concepts, applying lessons from the workshops to potential solutions.
The programme will culminate in a Grand Pitch, where students will present their ideas to an audience that includes industry professionals and fellow participants. The competition will also provide opportunities to win prizes.
By combining these activities, the Discovery Series seeks to give students a practical introduction to the process of taking an idea from an initial concept towards a more developed solution.
Commenting on the return of the Discovery Series, Abdul-Hafiz Ibrahim, Chief Technology Officer at Interswitch, said the programme reflects the company’s belief that young Africans should be equipped with the knowledge, opportunities and platforms needed to shape the continent’s future.
“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 solution.“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.”
The company’s position underscores the importance of providing young people with more than theoretical knowledge. Access to practical learning, industry experience and constructive feedback can help students better understand the process of developing ideas into solutions that respond to identifiable needs.
For aspiring entrepreneurs and technology professionals, such experiences can also provide valuable exposure to teamwork, communication, problem-solving and the presentation of ideas—skills that are relevant across several industries.
An important element of the Discovery Series is its focus on helping promising ideas progress beyond the presentation stage.
At previous editions, selected student innovations have had opportunities to further develop their concepts through engagement with the Interswitch innovation ecosystem.
The company’s earlier description of the programme identified opportunities for promising ideas to receive further development support through its Innovation Lab and Incubator.
Such opportunities can help students better understand the practical considerations involved in developing an innovation, including evaluating its usefulness, refining its design and exploring its potential application.
However, developing a successful product or business requires more than an initial idea. It often involves testing assumptions, understanding customer needs, assessing feasibility and making improvements based on feedback.
By exposing students to these considerations, the Discovery Series seeks to encourage a more practical approach to entrepreneurship and innovation.
The initiative also offers students an opportunity to present their ideas in a competitive environment, receive feedback and learn how to communicate the value of their proposed solutions.
For participants whose ideas show promise, continued engagement with industry professionals could provide a useful starting point for further exploration and development.
Africa’s long-term digital development depends partly on its ability to nurture skilled people who can identify local challenges and develop solutions suited to the needs of their communities and markets.
Universities play an important role in this process by equipping students with academic knowledge and technical skills. However, sustained collaboration between educational institutions and industry can help students better understand how their knowledge can be applied outside the classroom.
The Discovery Series is positioned within this broader effort to strengthen the relationship between education, entrepreneurship and industry.
For Interswitch, engaging with students at the university level creates an opportunity to share practical knowledge while encouraging a new generation of technology professionals and entrepreneurs to explore innovation.
The initiative also complements the company’s other youth-focused educational programmes, including the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition, which is designed to identify, inspire and reward young STEM talent.
Together, such initiatives form part of a wider approach to supporting technology education and developing the skills needed for a changing digital economy.
Beyond individual participants, campus-based innovation programmes can encourage collaboration among students from different academic backgrounds, helping them recognise that many real-world problems require a combination of technical, business and human-centred perspectives.
This collaborative approach is particularly relevant to developing solutions that can be adapted to the needs of businesses, public institutions and local communities.
