Walk into any busy market in Lagos or Accra and you will find vendors accepting mobile payments without a second thought.
Drive two hours into the rural hinterland of the same country, and the picture changes completely. Cash is king, bank branches are a distant memory, and the nearest ATM might require half a day’s travel. This is the digital divide in West Africa — not an abstract policy problem, but a lived daily reality for millions of people who remain locked out of the formal financial system.
The good news is that the gap is closing. The more important story, however, is how it is closing — and what that means for the banks, fintechs, and regulators navigating one of the world’s most dynamic financial landscapes.
Two markets, two realities
Urban and rural West Africa are not simply different points on the same spectrum. They are, in meaningful ways,
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