In April, Kamal hosted a Digital Financial Services (DFS) workshop in Nigeria, supported through a research-to-practice engagement grant from the ESRC Digital Good Network. Published 26 May 2026.
The Digital Financial Services (DFS) workshop was designed as an applied knowledge exchange activity aimed at translating academic and practice-oriented research on digital finance into practical, context-sensitive insights for participants operating in underserved and financially constrained environments.
The discussions were situated within broader questions on how digital financial ecosystems are reshaping economic participation in emerging economies. Attention was given to the ways DFS may contribute to resilience, productivity, and long-term sustainability in contexts characterised by irregular income flows, limited access to formal banking systems, and heightened exposure to financial shocks. In this framing, digital financial tools were considered not as isolated technological innovations, but as embedded components of wider economic and institutional systems shaping how financial risks and opportunities are managed.
Practical engagement with DFS tools such as mobile money platforms, digital lending systems, and e-wallet applications formed a core part of the exchange. These tools were examined in relation to everyday financial behaviours, including payments, savings practices, credit access, and cash flow management. The discussion highlighted how digital finance is increasingly integrated into routine economic activities, reshaping how individuals interact with money, markets, and financial institutions. Rather than being treated as purely technical developments, DFS was situated within broader socio-economic contexts shaped by informal economic activity, uneven infrastructure development, and persistent inequalities in access to formal financial services.
Strong emphasis was placed on translating research insights into usable knowledge for practical decision-making. Participants were introduced to approaches for improving liquidity management, reducing transaction costs, enhancing payment efficiency, and supporting more predictable financial planning. These ideas were discussed in relation to irregular income patterns and limited access to conventional financial instruments. A key point of reflection concerned how sustained engagement with digital financial systems can support the gradual development of financial histories, creating alternative pathways to financial visibility for individuals who may lack traditional credit records.
An interactive format encouraged active engagement and dialogue through group discussions, scenario-based exercises, and open exchange sessions. Experiences with DFS platforms were shared; covering both successful applications and challenges encountered in practice, ensuring that insights remained grounded in lived realities and reflected diverse operational contexts.
Barriers to effective adoption and use were examined in depth. Trust in digital financial systems emerged as a central concern, particularly in relation to fraud, unauthorized transactions, and perceived limitations in accountability mechanisms. These concerns were closely linked to broader social and institutional conditions shaping willingness to engage with digital systems, especially among those with limited prior exposure to formal financial services or who rely heavily on cash-based transactions.
Infrastructure constraints were also highlighted, including inconsistent internet connectivity, network disruptions, and uneven access to digital infrastructure. These challenges were especially evident in peri-urban and less developed areas, where stable connectivity remains limited. Such conditions were understood as structural constraints that directly affect the reliability and usability of digital financial services.
Transaction costs were another recurring issue. Fees associated with certain DFS platforms were noted to accumulate over time, with disproportionate effects on low-income users. These costs were discussed in relation to affordability and broader questions of financial inclusion, particularly how pricing structures can shape accessibility and usage patterns.
Differences in digital literacy also played a significant role in shaping engagement. Variations in confidence and familiarity with digital financial tools influenced how effectively individuals were able to use DFS platforms. This uneven capability was linked to broader inequalities in access and underscored the importance of strengthening education, training, and capacity-building efforts to support more inclusive digital engagement.
In response, attention turned to potential improvements across systems and practices. Strengthening user education and onboarding processes was seen as important, particularly for first-time users. Greater transparency in fees, risks, and user rights was emphasised, alongside the need for stronger consumer protection mechanisms addressing fraud prevention, dispute resolution, and accountability.
Design considerations were also raised, particularly the need for fintech solutions that reflect the realities of low-income and informal-sector contexts. Simpler interfaces, reduced transactional complexity, and improved accessibility for users with limited literacy or digital experience were consistently highlighted. Trust remained a central requirement, understood as shaping adoption alongside availability and usability.
Broader conceptual and policy discussions situated DFS within wider debates on financial inclusion and digital transformation. Digital financial systems were seen as having the potential to expand access to economic opportunities, reduce exclusion from formal financial systems, and improve participation in markets. At the same time, it was recognised that inclusion does not occur automatically through technological diffusion, but depends on institutional arrangements, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, and user-centred design.
The implications for labour markets, entrepreneurship, and informal economic activity were also considered. Digital payment systems were associated with more flexible forms of economic participation and reduced reliance on cash-based transactions. These outcomes were understood as uneven, shaped by differences in access, skills, and trust across user groups.
About the author
Kamal Tasiu Abdullahi
Summer School attendee
Kamal Tasiu Abdullahi is a PhD student in Economics at Istanbul University with research interests in digital transformation, governance systems, sustainable development, and broader processes of economic change. His academic work examines how technological, institutional, and structural factors influence economic and social outcomes, including how patterns of inclusion and resilience emerge within evolving development dynamics in contemporary economies.
