Global payment platform PayPal has re-enabled payment reception in Nigeria through a new partnership with local fintech company Paga, marking a major shift after years of restricted access for Nigerian users.
The development was announced by Paga’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Tayo Oviosu, in a LinkedIn post on Monday, describing the collaboration as the culmination of a 13-year effort to bring PayPal fully into Nigeria’s payments ecosystem.
Under the new arrangement, Nigerians can now receive funds on PayPal by linking their PayPal accounts to Paga wallets, a function that had long been unavailable due to restrictions placed on Nigerian accounts.
Oviosu revealed that he first approached PayPal in 2013, at a time when Nigeria’s fintech sector was still emerging and global payment companies were largely hesitant about the market.
“In August 2013, I emailed the PayPal team. Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem was still young, Paga was just a few years old, and Africa was not yet a focus for many global boardrooms,” he said.
According to him, the proposal was based on a belief in Nigeria’s long-term economic potential and the need for global platforms to work with local infrastructure providers to unlock cross-border payments.
“It took more than a decade for that belief to materialise. Today, PayPal is live in Nigeria through Paga,” Oviosu stated, adding that the milestone was achieved through sustained regulatory engagement, patience and infrastructure investment.
For nearly two decades, PayPal’s presence in Nigeria was limited. Nigerian accounts were largely placed on a “send-only” status, allowing outbound payments but restricting the receipt and withdrawal of funds due to concerns around fraud, compliance and regulation.
The restrictions forced freelancers, online merchants and digital workers to rely on alternative platforms and informal channels to receive international payments, effectively excluding many Nigerians from the global digital economy.
With the new PayPal–Paga integration, users can now receive PayPal payments, view balances within the Paga app, convert funds to naira and withdraw to local accounts. The service is expected to benefit freelancers, small businesses, online merchants and Nigerians in the diaspora sending money home.
PayPal had hinted at a return to Nigeria in December 2025, as part of its broader “PayPal World” initiative aimed at enabling interoperability between PayPal and local digital wallets across emerging markets.
While reactions among Nigerians have been mixed with some questioning PayPal’s relevance after years of absence others have welcomed the move, saying it strengthens payment options and reflects the maturity of Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem.
