Interswitch Backs MIPAN AGM, Urges Bold Reinvention in Media Business

 Interswitch Backs MIPAN AGM, Urges Bold Reinvention in Media Business

OGUN — Interswitch Group, a leading African integrated payments and digital commerce company, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth and evolution of Nigeria’s media industry.

The company made the commitment as a sponsor of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Ogun State.

The AGM, themed “Monetising Tomorrow: Outpacing Disruption, Capturing Growth,” provided a platform for media, advertising and communications professionals to examine the forces reshaping the industry and explore pathways to sustainable growth.

Speaking on the partnership, Tomi Ogunlesi, Divisional Head, Brands, Communications and CSR, Interswitch, said infrastructure alone was insufficient without storytellers, disruptors and independent voices capable of translating innovation into trust.

“That is why we are particularly pleased to support this year's MIPAN AGM. The questions being asked in this room are not exclusive to media; they speak to every industry navigating a world where technology is dissolving traditional boundaries and rewriting the rules of value creation,” Ogunlesi said.

He said the accelerating convergence of media, technology and marketing was challenging conventional definitions of industry ownership, with agencies expanding into influencer networks, platforms evolving into media companies, and data becoming an increasingly important part of the value proposition.

Ogunlesi added that the boundaries between media, public relations, digital, content, experiential marketing and influencer engagement were becoming more fluid, creating both tensions and opportunities for practitioners willing to rethink traditional models.

According to him, the industry's ambition should not necessarily be to outpace disruption, but to remain agile enough to keep pace with change, anticipate its direction and turn it into an opportunity for growth.

He said Interswitch’s position was informed by more than two decades of experience evolving alongside Africa’s digital economy and building infrastructure that enables the movement of value across the continent.

The company, he noted, had repeatedly challenged its own assumptions and reinvented established business models in anticipation of market developments.

“The lesson is securing tomorrow's sustainable value over the protection of today's revenue,” he said.

For the media industry, Ogunlesi said, the changing landscape presented an opportunity to rethink what constitutes value, as falling barriers to entry and advancing technology enabled new players to participate in the ecosystem.

He urged traditional media businesses to explore new revenue streams, partnerships, products and platforms beyond established models.

He further said Interswitch remained committed to supporting platforms that foster dialogue, innovation, professional excellence and stronger ecosystems across Africa.

The company charged media practitioners to build deliberately, independently and boldly as the industry enters a new phase of evolution.