PayPal will now allow Nigerians to receive payments on its platform through a partnership with local fintech firm Paga, marking a major shift in its long-restricted engagement with the country.
The development was disclosed by Paga’s founder, Tayo Oviosu, in a LinkedIn post announcing the long-awaited collaboration.
The partnership comes nearly 13 years after Oviosu first reached out to PayPal with a proposal to work together, at a time when Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem was still in its early stages.
For years, Nigerians were unable to receive funds through PayPal due to restrictions placed on accounts in the country.
Under the new arrangement, users can now link their PayPal accounts to Paga wallets, enabling them to receive funds directly through PayPal, a functionality that had previously been unavailable.
What the Paypal founder is saying
While announcing the partnership, Oviosu reflected on his first outreach to PayPal in 2013, when digital payments infrastructure in Nigeria was still evolving.
He said the idea was driven by a belief in Nigeria’s long-term economic potential and the role global payment platforms could play in unlocking that growth.
“In August 2013, I emailed the PayPal team. Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem was still young. Paga was just a few years old. And the ‘Africa opportunity’ wasn’t yet part of most global boardroom conversations,” he said.
- Oviosu added that in the email, he shared a simple belief: that Nigeria would become one of the most important economies in the world, and that there was strong alignment between PayPal and Paga to make payments, financial services, and global commerce work for Nigerians.
- He said he also attached a presentation outlining how the two companies might collaborate: Paga could power on-ramps and off-ramps to and from PayPal in Nigeria.
“It would take more than a decade for that belief to fully materialize. Today, I’m proud to share that PayPal is now live in Nigeria through Paga,” he said.
Oviosu described the announcement as the result of patience, trust-building, and sustained investment in local infrastructure rather than a single breakthrough moment.
Backstory
PayPal’s relationship with Nigeria has long been defined by restricted access and limited functionality for users.
Around 2004, the company placed Nigerian accounts on a “send-only” status, allowing users to make payments abroad but largely preventing them from receiving funds or withdrawing to local bank accounts.
- PayPal cited fraud risks, regulatory challenges, and compliance concerns as reasons for limiting services in Nigeria and similar markets.
- Limited expansions in the mid-2010s enabled outbound payments through select local banks but did not allow inbound flows for individuals or small businesses.
- Freelancers, merchants, and digital workers were forced to rely on alternative platforms and informal workarounds to access international earnings.
These restrictions effectively excluded Nigerians from fully participating in the global digital economy through one of the world’s largest payment platforms for nearly two decades.
More insights
The new PayPal–Paga integration introduces inbound payment functionality that was previously unavailable to Nigerian users.
- Through the partnership, users can link their PayPal accounts to Paga wallets, view PayPal balances within the Paga app, and convert and withdraw funds in Naira.
- Freelancers and gig workers can now receive international payments directly through PayPal.
- Nigerians in the diaspora can send money home using PayPal routed through Paga.
- Local merchants can accept PayPal payments from global customers using Paga as the local settlement layer.
Oviosu noted that the milestone reflects years of regulatory engagement and investment in infrastructure that complements global platforms rather than competing with them.
What you should know
PayPal’s return to Nigeria was first hinted at in December 2025, when the company announced it was in talks with local fintech firms to expand its presence in parts of Africa.
The expansion is tied to a broader initiative known as PayPal World, which aims to enable cross-border interoperability between PayPal and local digital wallets.
- Many Nigerians reacted at the time by expressing frustration on X over years of restricted access and lost income opportunities.
- Some questioned the relevance of PayPal’s return, noting that Nigeria’s fintech market had matured significantly in its absence.
- Others welcomed the move, arguing that PayPal’s long absence pushed Nigerians to innovate and build strong local payment alternatives.
The paypal interface and functionality for Nigeria is still the same, nothing has changed compared to Paypal interface for South Africa