PayPal has enabled 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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
The new PayPal–Paga integration introduces inbound payment functionality that was previously unavailable to Nigerian users.
Oviosu noted that the milestone reflects years of regulatory engagement and investment in infrastructure that complements global platforms rather than competing with them.
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.
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.