The Bridgforte Centre for Global Impact has warned that the rapid expansion of digital finance is moving faster than public confidence in the financial system, prompting the organisation to introduce a new governance framework and establish the Trust Lab to strengthen confidence in platform-led finance.
The announcement was made during the unveiling of Bridgforte’s flagship policy report, “Trust Architecture in Platform-Led Finance,” launched at a global online dialogue attended by more than 400 participants, including central bankers, regulators, financial institutions, fintech executives, consumer advocates, researchers and development partners.
Speaking at the event, Bridgforte founder and former Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor, Mrs. Aishah Ahmad, said the future of financial inclusion would depend not only on expanding access to digital financial services but also on deliberately building trust across the financial ecosystem.
According to Ahmad, customers interact with the financial system as a whole rather than with isolated institutions, and trust is often strengthened or damaged during the connections between different organisations.
She stressed that trust should be treated as a governance outcome rather than a communication exercise and must be intentionally designed into financial systems.
The report revealed that financial sector leaders who participated in Bridgforte’s Executive Table in Lagos in February 2026 rated the resilience of trust in Nigeria’s platform-led financial ecosystem at 5.4 out of 10.
Participants at the global launch this week gave a similar score of 5.7 out of 10, indicating a shared view that digital financial services have expanded more quickly than public confidence in the system.
Delivering the keynote address, Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Nomfundo Tshazibana, described trust and confidence as “economic infrastructure.”
She said resilient financial systems depend on credible institutions, sound governance, effective collaboration and public confidence that is continually earned.
To address the confidence gap, Bridgforte introduced a Trust Architecture Framework built on five pillars: Infrastructure Integrity, Institutional Accountability, Technology Governance, Ecosystem Coordination and Cultural Confidence.
Ahmad also announced the launch of the Trust Lab, which she described as a long-term platform for research, dialogue and measurement aimed at helping policymakers and industry leaders strengthen confidence in increasingly interconnected digital financial systems.
