Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Consultant at AfricaNenda

Role Summary

• AfricaNenda seeks to engage a senior consultant to support market development, stakeholder engagement, ecosystem coordination, and coalition-building activities that advance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (IIPS), and broader payment ecosystem development across Africa.
• The consultant will lead AfricaNenda’s engagement with public and private sector stakeholders across the continent’s payments and DPI ecosystem, driving strategic partnerships, facilitating dialogue platforms, identifying market opportunities, and advancing the establishment of the Africa DPI Private Sector Coalition.
• This includes direct engagement with senior leaders from financial institutions, fintechs, payment system operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, development partners, industry associations, and digital platforms.
• The consultant will support AfricaNenda’s management and work closely with the Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Building team and the designated project leads to deliver market development, partnership building, and advocacy activities.
• Key strategic outputs include stakeholder engagement, coalition formation, public-private dialogue, DPI use-caseprioritization, and the development of the DPI Investment Playbook, policy position papers, and the Phase II roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

The DPI Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks and deliverables:

• Coalition Development and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
• Identify, map and engage prospective coalition members, including leading banks, fintechs, telecommunications companies and payment system operators etc...
• Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and outreach plans to secure participation up to 20 senior executives and decision-makers.
• Coordinate the formation of the Africa DPI Private Sector Coalition, including development of coalition materials, engagement packages and participation commitments.
• Organize and facilitate a CEO-level roundtables to establish the coalition, align on priorities and secure commitment letters from at least 10 institutions.
• Maintain relationships with participating institutions and support ongoing stakeholder engagement throughout the project lifecycle.

Market Development and Ecosystem Engagement

• Identify, map and engage strategic institutions, influencers, partnerships, and opportunities relevant to AfricaNenda’s priorities.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen adoption, investment, and collaboration around IIPS and DPI across priority markets and sectors.
• Support relationship-building with regulators, industry associations, development partners, financial institutions, payment ecosystem actors, and regional organizations.
• Support resource mobilization opportunities around DPI programming and high level convenings (SIIPS report launch)
• Monitor emerging market developments, partnerships, and ecosystem trends relevant to AfricaNenda’s strategic priorities to identify opportunities to strengthen adoption, investment, and collaboration around IIPS and DPI

Facilitate Public-Private Dialogue and Coalition Activities

• Facilitate structured dialogue between private sector actors, regulators, development partners, and other stakeholders on priority DPI and payment system topics.
• Coordinate at least four coalition meetings, side sessions, peer-learning engagements, and stakeholder consultations at relevant regional and continental events.

Support DPI Use-Case Prioritization and Working Groups

• Facilitate identification, validation and prioritization of at least 5 high-potential DPI enabled use cases e.g. agriculture, MSMEs, G2P, health.
• Support establishment and coordination of at least 3 thematic working groups involving coalition members and nominated experts.
• Synthesize working group discussions and support development of practical recommendations and implementation pathways.
• Develop Knowledge Products and Outputs
• Lead development of a DPI Investment Playbook targeted at private-sector stakeholders.
• Coordinate development of at least 2 policy and regulatory position papers informed by coalition discussions, market evidence, and stakeholder engagement.
• Contribute to thought leadership products, market intelligence, stakeholder briefing notes, and advocacy materials as required.
• Support preparation of presentations, briefing materials, talking points, and strategic stakeholder engagement products for AfricaNenda leadership.

Develop Sustainability and Scale-Up Framework

• Support design of the coalition’s governance and coordination approach.
• Develop a Phase II roadmap outlining future priorities, partnerships, investment opportunities and scale-up pathways.
• Provide strategic recommendations for sustaining coalition activities and stakeholder engagement beyond the project period.

Other Support Activities

• Provide strategic, technical, and operational support to AfricaNenda’s stakeholder engagement, partnership development, policy and advocacy activities.
• Support the Deputy CEO and other AfricaNenda team members on priority initiatives related to payments, DPI, interoperability, financial inclusion, and market development.
• Undertake any other relevant duties and responsibilities reasonably assigned by AfricaNenda’s Deputy CEO and CEO.

Skills and experience

• Education Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Public Policy, ICT or a related discipline. Additional certificates / training in digital financial services will be an asset.

Experience 

• Minimum 12 years of experience in Digital Public Infrastructure, digital financial services, payments, fintech, banking, digital economy, or market development.
• Demonstrated experience engaging C-suite executives, regulators, financial institutions donors, industry associations, regional organizations and ecosystem stakeholders.
• Proven experience designing and facilitating industry coalitions, alliances, or public private partnerships.
• Strong understanding of African payment systems, interoperability, digital identity and DPI ecosystems.
• Demonstrated experience producing strategic publications, market assessments, investment cases and policy papers.
• Experience working across multiple African markets is strongly preferred.
• Excellent analytical capabilities, strong project management and organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills - Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite).