The Presidency has announced plans to address challenges hindering seamless digital payments and e-commerce across Nigeria.
The initiative, led by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and development partners, seeks to ensure citizens can transfer money and access financial services easily through mobile phones and other devices.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja on Tuesday. He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to driving financial inclusion by expanding digital payment infrastructure to reach underserved communities.
Hadejia described digital payments and identity as critical to unlocking Nigeria’s e-commerce potential. He noted that resolving issues of payment systems and digital identity would remove major obstacles to trade and financial access, saying: “By the time we address these issues, eligible Nigerians, no matter where they are, can access quality, simple financial services beyond educational and poverty levels.”
He further explained that seamless payments would not only ease domestic transactions but also strengthen cross-border trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The government, he added, plans to use data gathered from the roundtable to push for reforms in regulation, infrastructure, and enabling laws.
Principal Research Fellow at the International Economic Development Group, Dr. Max Mendez-Parra, highlighted the group’s work with the AfCFTA Secretariat and African governments on digital trade protocols, stressing their transformative impact on Nigeria’s economy.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, represented by her Special Adviser, Patience Okala, said the ministry and AfCFTA Secretariat have introduced the “AfCFTA DG Pass,” a digital identity initiative still in its early stage.
Special Assistant to the President on ICT Policy, Mallam Salisu Dasuki Nagode, added that the project, backed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was designed to align payment reforms with trade policies, ensuring Nigerians can trade and make payments seamlessly.
