PayPal has begun allowing Nigerians to receive payments on its platform following a new partnership with local fintech company Paga, marking a major shift in its long-restricted operations in the country.
The development was disclosed by Paga founder and CEO, Tayo Oviosu, in a LinkedIn post announcing the collaboration.
Under the new arrangement, Nigerian users can link their PayPal accounts to Paga wallets, enabling them to receive international payments—functionality that had been unavailable for nearly two decades.
Oviosu said the partnership comes more than 13 years after he first approached PayPal in 2013, when Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem was still in its infancy.
“At the time, Paga was just a few years old, and the ‘Africa opportunity’ wasn’t yet part of most global boardroom conversations,” Oviosu said. He added that his proposal was based on a belief in Nigeria’s long-term economic potential and the role global payment platforms could play in unlocking that growth.
He explained that the idea involved Paga serving as an on-ramp and off-ramp for PayPal transactions in Nigeria—a vision that took more than a decade to materialise.
PayPal had previously placed Nigerian accounts on a “send-only” status, citing fraud risks, regulatory hurdles, and compliance concerns. While limited expansions later allowed outbound payments through select banks, Nigerians remained unable to receive funds directly.
The new PayPal–Paga integration allows users to view PayPal balances within the Paga app, convert funds to naira, and withdraw locally. The functionality is expected to benefit freelancers, digital workers, merchants, and Nigerians in the diaspora sending money home.
Oviosu described the milestone as the result of sustained regulatory engagement, infrastructure investment, and long-term trust-building rather than a single breakthrough.
