The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched a new Mojaloop Country Accelerator Programme to build local expertise in digital payments, inaugurating the programme at its Karachi office on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
What happened?
The central bank launched its Innovation Hub Collaboration Framework under SBP Vision 2028, and the Mojaloop accelerator is the first initiative under it, run in partnership with the Mojaloop Foundation, the non-profit organisation behind the open-source Mojaloop payment software. The inauguration ceremony was attended by central bank leadership, representatives of the Mojaloop Foundation, banks, financial institutions, technology companies, fintech firms and academia. Speaking at the ceremony, SBP Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah described the accelerator as an important opportunity to strengthen Pakistan’s financial technology ecosystem.
Key details
- The 16-week programme runs from November 2026 to February 2027, combining self-paced learning with expert-led training sessions, including a five-day in-person workshop from November 2 to 6, 2026, at the SBP Head Office in Karachi.
- It is designed for local system implementers, digital financial service providers and payment-hub operators seeking to develop expertise in digital payment infrastructure.
- The Mojaloop Foundation will support the programme through specialised training, technical guidance and programme development, and participants will gain access to the wider Mojaloop technical community.
- The framework promotes capacity building, knowledge exchange and ecosystem development through non-exclusive, technology-neutral and provider-neutral partnerships.
- The programme builds skills in open-source instant payment technology; SBP has not announced any plan to adopt Mojaloop for a Pakistani payment system.
What it means for people in Pakistan
Nothing changes for customers yet, but stronger local expertise in payment infrastructure could support faster, cheaper digital payments and wider financial inclusion over time. By connecting Pakistani developers and payment firms with international experts, the programme aims to turn ideas into practical payment solutions that reach more people.
Source: https://pkrevenue.com/sbp-mojaloop-country-accelerator-digital-payments/
