The Committee of Heads of Bank Operations in Nigeria will hold its annual conference, centring discussions on how cash is adapting in an increasingly digital economy.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Sunday.

The Annual Banking Operations Conference is scheduled for Friday, 23 January 2026, and will bring together key decision-makers across Nigeria’s banking and payments ecosystem to examine the evolving role of cash in a rapidly digitising economy.

Themed ‘Re-imagining the Future of Cash in a Digital-First Economy’, the conference will interrogate the balance between accelerating digital payment adoption and the continued relevance of physical cash, particularly within informal markets and underserved communities. Discussions will focus on how cash can be repositioned to coexist efficiently, securely, and sustainably alongside digital channels.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Chairman of CHBO, Mr Abraham Aziegbe, said the 2026 edition comes at a defining moment for the financial services industry.

“As Nigeria deepens its digital payments infrastructure, cash remains an indispensable part of economic activity. This conference is about confronting operational realities head-on and charting a future where cash is smarter, more efficient, and better integrated with digital systems,” he stated.

The Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Tolulope Ogundipe, disclosed that the agenda for the conference has been carefully curated to deliver actionable insights.

“This year’s theme reflects the industry’s shared responsibility to rethink cash beyond legacy processes. Our objective is to provide a platform where banks, regulators, switches, and service providers can align on sustainable models for cash management in a digital-first era,” he noted.

CHBO expects the conference outcomes to shape industry thinking, inform policy conversations, and support more resilient and forward-looking banking operations as digital adoption continues to accelerate nationwide.