Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, is the driving force behind the continent’s fintech revolution. The country accounts for 28% of all African fintech companies and is a leading hub for venture capital (VC) funding, capturing the highest share of fintech funding in African fintech companies between 2020 and H1 2024 at roughly 36%.
This rapidly growing ecosystem, which now comprises more than 430 fintech companies, also hosts some of the continent’s most prominent and influential players in the industry.
Today, we take a look at Nigeria’s top fintechs, showcasing the country’s most impactful fintech companies, highlighting their value propositions, and delving into their recent milestones.
For this list, we focus on private, independent fintech companies based in Nigeria, excluding the likes of Flutterwave, which is headquartered in the US, and Kuda Bank, based in London. We also exclude those that have been acquired or which are affiliated with major banks, telecom providers, or established entities, such as Paystack (acquired by PayPal in 2020), and MoMo Payment Service, a subsidiary of MTN Nigeria Communications. This approach aims to provide a clear view of Nigeria’s homegrown fintech trailblazers.
OPay
Established in 2018, OPay is a leading fintech company from Nigeria providing financial services to consumers and merchants across Africa and Asia. The company offers a one-stop financial service platform for payments, transfers, savings, loans and other essential consumers services, as well as point-of-sale (POS) services for agents, and acquiring services for merchant.
With a strong presence in Nigeria, Egypt, and Pakistan, OPay has rapidly expanded. In April 2024, the company claimed over 50 million users and 1 million merchants, 10 million daily active trading users, and monthly transaction volumes surpassing US$12 billion. It has also had a significant impact, fostering 400,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.
Last year, OPay achieved its first monthly profit.
Its growth and performance has also garnered international media attention and industry recognition, with features in Forbes, CNN, CB Insights’ Global Fintech 250 list for three consecutive years, as well as the CNBC’s 2023 Global Fintech 200 ranking.
OPay has also secured major investments, including a US$120 million Series B in 2019 and a US$400 million Series C in 2021, valuing the company at US$2 billion.
Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its reach in its existing markets of Egypt and Pakistan, while also venturing into new countries and regions. The company’s vision is to serve 1 billion users and 10 million merchants, ultimately creating 3 million job opportunities by 2031.
Interswitch
Founded in 2002, Interswitch is a Nigerian-founded digital payments and commerce company. Originally established as a transaction switching and electronic payments processor, the company has evolved into an integrated payments services provider, building infrastructure and delivering innovative, omni-channel payment solutions across the continent.
With a stronghold in Nigeria and growing influence across Africa, Interswitch supports over 8,000 billers via its Quickteller platform, enables more than 41,000 Quickteller Paypoint agents, and facilitates daily transactions for over 190,000 active businesses. Its Verve card network, meanwhile, has surpassed 70 million activated cards. Quickteller is a multi-channel payments platform, while Verve is a Pan-African chip and PIN payment card solution.
Interswitch’s rapid growth has attracted significant investor interest, with over US$300 million raised to date, including a US$200 million Visa-led round.
Interswitch has considered going public multiple times, but these plans have been postponed due to various economic factors and market conditions. As of now, the company remains privately held. However, in 2020, it listed a NGN 23 billion (US$63.3 million) bond on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as part of a NGN 30 billion (US$82.5 billion) debt issuance program.
Cowrywise
Founded in 2017, Cowrywise is an investment company and wealth manager that aims to democratize access to savings and investment products for the underserved African middle class and millennials.
Licensed by the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company provides a platform that digitizes investment management, offering tools that allow individuals to save and invest on their own terms and build better financial habits. These tools include goal-based savings, easy access to secure investment products, real-time tracking of their net worth, as well as features such as Sprout for business treasury management, and Triggers for automated, event-based investing.
Cowrywise claims more than 1,000,000 users, making it a prominent wealthtech startup in Nigeria. The startup was the first Nigerian company to be accepted into Catalyst Fund program, backed by JP Morgan and UKAID, and is also an Y Combinator alumnus.
It has received backing from prominent investors including Quona Capital, Venture Souq, SHL Capital, and Kairos 50 Ventures, and has earned a number of accolades, including being named one of the Top 10 Startups in Nigeria in 2022, as well as one of the best apps made in Nigeria in 2022.
Paga
Founded in early 2009, Paga aims to deliver innovative and universal access to financial services in Africa. Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Paga operates a secure and flexible payments platform accessible via basic mobile phones, smartphones, online channels, and a widespread agent network. It enables users to send money to any phone number, make deposits to bank accounts, pay bills, and perform cardless ATM withdrawals.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Paga provides a suite of payment solutions that allows merchants to collect debit card or mobile money payments securely. The company claims its platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solution to used by over 150 businesses.
As of 2024, Paga had processed over 335 million transactions totaling NGN 14 trillion (US$32 billion), and served 23 million users, underscoring the startup’s position as a key platform in Nigeria’s digital payments landscape.
Last year, Paga was recognized in the Financial Times Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies special report, highlighting its remarkable growth and journey.
FairMoney
Founded in 2017, FairMoney is building a leading mobile bank for emerging markets, focusing on providing accessible, tech-driven financial services to the underbanked.
Licensed by the CBN as a microfinance bank, FairMoney offers neobanking solutions including current accounts, savings, lending, deposits, peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, bill payments, POS payment acceptance, investments, and business solutions, amongst many other disruptive services.
With over 17 million app downloads, 5 million users, and 10,000 daily loan disbursements, FairMoney is considered one of the fastest-growing companies in Africa. The startup is backed by some of the most prominent fintech investors like DST, TLcom Capital, newfund, Flourish Ventures, SpeedInvest, and Tiger Global.
Moniepoint
Founded in 2015, Moniepoint, formerly known as TeamApt, is building an all-in-one financial platform. The company provides services spanning POS terminals, business accounts, and payment processing solutions to help businesses manage their operations, accept payments, and access credit. It also serves personal banking solutions, allowing users to make transfers, pay bills and buy airtime, and more.
Moniepoint claims to serve more than 10 million businesses and individuals. It also says it is one of Nigeria’s largest merchant acquirers, powering most of the country’s POS transactions. The startup processes over 1 billion transactions monthly, with total payments volume exceeding US$22 billion.
Moniepoint reached unicorn status in October 2024 following a US$110 million funding round. In January 2025, the startup secured an investment from Visa to further accelerate its growth and expansion across the continent. This partnership aims to support Moniepoint’s continental expansion and enhance transaction visibility through Visa’s Cybersource system. Additionally, the company plans to integrate with Visa Direct for remittances and money transfers as it looks to expand into markets within and outside Africa.
PalmPay
Launched in 2018, PalmPay is a leading Africa-focused fintech platform committed to driving economic empowerment in Africa. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay brings top-tier products into the pockets of everyday Nigerians, offering money transfers, bill payments, credit services, and savings on its app as well as via its expansive network of over 500,000 mobile money agents.
In addition to personal banking services, PalmPay also provides a suite of business-to-business (B2B) offerings for local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and international merchants. These services include smart POS terminals and a business app, payment orchestration and checkout solutions, bulk payment tools via a self-service merchant portal, and application programming interfaces (APIs) for embedding and reselling PalmPay’s services.
Since launching in Nigeria under a mobile money operator license, PalmPay has grown its customer base to over 35 million registered users and more than 600,000 merchants. The startup has also expanded to new markets, establishing operations in Tanzania, Ghana, and Bangladesh. It claims to process up to 15 million transactions daily.
Recently, PalmPay was recognized as one of the World’s Top 250 Fintech Companies in 2024 by CNBC and Statista, further underscoring its position as a major player in Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem.
PiggyVest
Originally launched as Piggybank.ng as a savings-only platform in 2016, the platform rebranded to PiggyVest in April 2019 to offer direct investment opportunities to users in addition to savings.
Today, PiggyVest offers a range of financial tools including automated savings, fixed savings, target-based savings, Flex Naira/Dollar accounts, and group savings for rent and household expenses. These tools allow users to customize their savings journey to match their goals, whether they are saving daily, weekly, or monthly.
PiggyVest claims 5 million users. In January 2025, the startup hit a major milestone, reaching NGN 2 trillion (US$1.25 billion) in total payouts to users since inception, with NGN 835 billion (US$547.3 million) paid out in 2024 alone, representing a 53% YoY increase. It also reported a 76% increase in assets under management (AUM).
In 2024, PiggyVest was recognized among the world’s top 250 fintech companies by CNBC, underscoring its innovative approach to financial planning and its significant role in shaping the future of finance.
Looking ahead, the startup plans to expand its offerings further. In particular, it will introduce a budgeting feature aimed at helping users manage daily expenses and ensure their salaries last until the next payday. PiggyVest has also hinted at potential plans for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the future.
Nomba
Founded in 2016, Nomba, formerly known as Kudi, aims to simplify financial services for businesses and individuals across Africa. Initially launched as a chatbot that responds to financial requests, allowing users to make transfers, buy airtime, and pay bills, the company quickly pivoted to agency banking services, adding payments and business banking services for its users.
Today, Nomba offers a payment platform and mobile wallet that facilitate digital transactions, allowing individuals and merchants to send and receive money, make payments for goods and services, and manage their finances from a mobile device.
As of May 2023, the company served more than 300,000 businesses and processed US$1 billion in monthly transactions.
In April, it announced a partnership with Mastercard to integrate Mastercard Gateway into Nomba Checkout, enabling businesses to process payments seamlessly, securely, and efficiently, both locally and globally. The startup also plans to expand its payment offerings, supporting multiple transaction methods, including international cards and QR codes.
Featured image credit: edited from freepik
