Africa no longer waits for aid, it’s building the future with Europe and China
Fintech
Africa no longer waits for aid, it’s building the future.
Image: Sunday Independent/Ron AI
EQUATORIAL Guinean economist, author, and entrepreneur Oscar Nchaso has been appointed Ambassador for Africa and China by the Madrid Capital FinTech Cluster (MAD FinTech).
The role marks a strategic expansion of MAD FinTech’s global outreach and reinforces Nchaso’s mission to foster structured collaboration among the financial and innovation ecosystems of Africa, Europe, and Asia.
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the global digital economy, as emerging markets increasingly shift from being consumers of innovation to co-creators of financial and technological solutions.
MAD FinTech and Foro ECOFIN — where Nchaso already serves as a regional representative — praised his “exceptional ability to connect people and build bridges of understanding across continents”.
Historically, MAD FinTech’s engagement in Africa has been limited to select partnerships in Morocco and participation in regional entrepreneurship events. Nchaso’s ambassadorship signals a significant turning point: the launch of a coordinated, long-term strategy to integrate African and Asian innovation hubs with Madrid’s thriving fintech ecosystem.
This vision, which extends into 2026 and beyond, aims to position MAD FinTech not just as a European hub but as a global catalyst for inclusive and sustainable digital growth.
Nchaso is the founder of Africanian News, XAPIENS, and Dreams Hub, and a recognised leader in Africa’s innovation landscape. Named one of Africa’s 50 Digital Champions in 2020, he also serves as an Ambassador for AfriLabs — the continent’s largest network of over 500 tech and innovation hubs across 53 countries.
His career blends African pragmatism, European strategic insight, and deep engagement with Asia, reflecting a unique capacity to navigate and connect diverse economic and cultural contexts.
For AfriLabs, Nchaso’s new role represents more than personal recognition — it’s a strategic advance in Africa’s digital diplomacy. By embedding African voices within a key European fintech institution, the appointment creates new channels for investment, knowledge exchange, and co-innovation linking Madrid’s capital and expertise, Africa’s entrepreneurial energy, and China’s technological scale.
In his acceptance remarks, Nchaso emphasised a broader mission: “This is an opportunity to bridge not only continents, but mindsets — to move Africa from an aid-based narrative to one defined by innovation, value creation, and self-determination.”
Through initiatives like Dreams Hub and Africanian News, he has long championed Africa’s right to shape its own development story and build homegrown tools for progress.
As Ambassador, Nchaso will spearhead cross-continental initiatives focused on:
- Facilitating European and Asian investment in African-led projects in fintech, clean energy, and sustainable infrastructure;
- Expanding access to inclusive financial services, including digital payments and microfinance;
- Supporting cross-border innovation programs and regulatory frameworks that empower young entrepreneurs.
Salvador Molina, President of Foro ECOFIN and MAD FinTech, called the appointment “a decisive step toward transforming collaboration into tangible growth — economic, technological, and human”. He added that it “reaffirms Madrid’s role as a bridge between continents and a laboratory for the future of global cooperation”.
Nchaso’s appointment reflects a broader shift in the geography of innovation. As Africa’s startup ecosystems mature and continental networks like AfriLabs gain influence, the continent is increasingly viewed not as a periphery, but as a driver of the next wave of global digital transformation.
In this evolving landscape, Oscar Nchaso embodies a new model of transcontinental leadership — one that fosters a triangular partnership between Africa, Europe, and China, grounded in mutual respect, shared innovation, and inclusive growth.
His role signals a growing alignment among the world’s financial and innovation ecosystems, finally speaking a common language of collaboration.