C.E.O. Africa Fintech Network (AFN)
Dr. Patrick S Conteh is a financial sector and development finance professional with experience spanning over twenty-five years across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. A trusted thought leader and international speaker on fintech and the wider digital finance ecosystem of Africa.
Patrick is currently the CEO of the Africa Fintech Network (AFN)- Africa’s fintech advocacy body for catalyzing digital economic development across the continent. AFN is headquartered in Nigeria with membership comprising 40 National Fintech/Digital Finance Associations (including Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, etc. AFN partners with several international institutions including the Africa Development Bank, Ecobank Transnational, Africa Nenda, etc., and their advocacy work aligns with the World Bank’s blueprint for Africa’s Digital Economic Development (DE4A) and covers: National Innovation Policy and Strategy, Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, Fintech Strategy, Fintech Policy and Regulations, Consumer Protection, Competition Policy, Women-in-fintech, ESG-in Fintech, Financial Inclusion, Financial and Digital Literacy, etc.
He was before his current role USAID Senior Economic Policy Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning of Liberia and before that Resident Advisor at the Central Bank of Liberia.
Patrick was Regional Lead for Sub Sahara Africa overseeing a unique collaboration between Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) UK and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA), to strengthen the creation, dissemination, and adoption of fintech related knowledge by financial sector regulators in the continent.
He was Governor of the Central Bank of Sierra Leone, where amongst other reform initiatives, he pioneered one of Africa’s first exploratory regulatory sandboxes as part of an overarching financial inclusion strategy. Before that, he served as Minister of State for fiscal affairs Sierra Leone.
Patrick also served as Alternate Executive Director at the African Development Bank contributing to the formulation and implementation of major developmental programs and projects across Africa.
His earlier career was in commercial/retail banking holding various senior management roles and exiting at the level of Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer.
Patrick holds an excellent combination of academic and professional qualifications and competences in economics, finance, and management.
