E-Financial
Consumer Appetite for Digital Payments Takes Off in Nigeria- Mastercard New Payments Index Reveals
As the world went into pandemic lockdown in 2020, consumers shifted their spending habits to embrace contactless tap-and-go payments and online shopping.
As stores closed and social distancing took hold, retailers worldwide moved their businesses online, embraced e-commerce and explored the potential of new ways to pay.
More than a year later, research from Mastercard shows that the adoption of new payment technologies is rising, and consumer appetite for new, fast and flexible digital experiences continues to grow.
The Mastercard New Payments Index shows 96% of Nigerian consumers will consider using at least one emerging payment method, such as cryptocurrency, biometrics, contactless, or QR code, in the next year.
Over two-thirds of respondents (66%) agree they have tried a new payment method they would not have tried under normal circumstances, but the pandemic has galvanized people to try flexible new payment options to get what they want, when they want it.
With this interest and consumer demand also comes a greater expectation for businesses to provide multiple ways to shop and pay.
In fact, 81% of Nigerian consumers say they are more excited about shopping at retailers who offer the latest payment methods.
Additionally, (78%) Nigerian consumers say that digital payment methods help them save money.
“The pandemic made us think differently, partly out of necessity,” said Craig Vosburg, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard.
“To deliver the choice and flexibility that consumers need – and increasingly expect –retailers worldwide need to offer a range of payment solutions that are easy to access and always on.
“As we look ahead, we need to continue to enable all choices, both in-store and online, to shape the fabric of commerce and make the digital economy work for everyone.”
Contactless technology was the digital catalyst to explore new payment options because of its fast, secure, and touch-free experience.
Between the first quarter of 2020 and the same period in 2021, more than 100 markets saw contactless as a share of total in-person transactions grow by at least 50 percent.
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless is showing its staying power and dynamism – in the first quarter of 2021 alone, Mastercard saw 1 billion more contactless transactions worldwide as compared to the same period of 2020.
All signs point to a continued growth path for contactless, with nearly 7 in 10 consumers globally anticipating using a contactless card this year.
“The world as we now know it has changed dramatically since the outbreak of the pandemic, accelerating long-term shifts in consumer transaction and payment methods.
We continue to work with our merchants, fintechs and banking partners to rapidly innovate payment options that meet consumer needs while ensuring we drive financial and digital inclusion,” said Raghav Prasad, Division President, Mastercard, Sub-Saharan Africa.
Looking to the future, digital currencies and wallets, wearables, biometrics, contactless and QR codes are trending as emerging payments technologies as people’s comfort with them and understanding of them increases and the use of cash decreases.
In fact, 86% of consumers in Nigeria have more ways to pay compared to this time last year. The exploding interest in new payment technologies may encourage businesses to expand their options at checkout. The Mastercard New Payment Index found:
- Cryptocurrency1Gains Ground – Today consumers can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency as a commodity or investment. Consumers are also increasingly showing interest in being able to spend crypto assets for everyday purchases. As global interest in digital currencies continues to accelerate, 6 in 10 people (65%) in Nigeria say they plan to use cryptocurrency in the next year, with 76% noting they are more open to using it than they were a year ago. While consumer interest in cryptocurrency – especially floating digital currencies such as Bitcoin – is high, work is still required to ensure consumer choice, protection, and their regulatory compliance. Earlier this year, Mastercard announced that it will start supporting select cryptocurrencies directly on its network.
- Biometric Payments are More Trustworthy – Perceptions of safety and convenience have been front and center for people over the past year. 49% of Nigerian consumers say they plan to use biometric verification methods like gait or walk assessments and fingerprint authorization. In fact, over 6 out of 10 people (66%) feel safer using biometrics to verify a purchase than entering a pin.
- QR Codes are Cleaner and More Convenient – Growing markets are leveraging QR-based options as a clean and convenient way to interact with merchants. Consumer desire for clean and convenient ways to pay will remain post-pandemic. 54% of people in Nigeria expect to use more payment technologies like QR codes in the next year. Consumers also find that that QR codes are cleaner (75%) and more convenient (77%) for in-person payments and have a significant potential to reduce cost of payment acceptance and increase financial
- Digital Wallets Surge in Popularity – Nigeria is seeing a surge in the popularity of digital wallets. 73% of Nigerian consumers said they were likely to use digital wallets next year. 66% of shoppers even say that they feel safer storing their card information in one place such as a digital wallet.
To Meet People’s Demands, Businesses Forced to Jump into Emerging Payment Trends
With consumer interest around new payment technologies, the expectation for businesses to adapt for the long-term is here to stay. Over three in four Nigerian consumers (84%) say that they would shop at small businesses, if they offered more payment options, and 81% noted being more excited to shop at retailers that can offer the latest payment methods, and an equal proportion (81%) said they would be more loyal to retailers who offered multiple payment options.
This behavior shift is reinforced by the desire for consumer choice – with 89% saying that they expect to make purchases when they want and how they want. The businesses that can provide multiple ways to shop and pay are best positioned to meet these expectations.
As the demand for emerging payments and choice continues, it requires a wider range of payment solutions, insights, and products to meet the accelerating enthusiasm for the future state of pay.
The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into 25 insurance companies over alleged financial infractions that have reportedly led to the loss of hundreds of billions of naira in government revenue.
Chairman of the House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Hon. Kwamoti Laori, made the disclosure on Monday during a meeting with representatives of the affected companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Laori said the probe was prompted by petitions accusing the companies of violating statutory provisions in their operations, thereby shortchanging the federal government.
“This committee is saddled with the responsibility of addressing a petition based on infractions by these insurance companies regarding their operations and non-compliance with certain statutory provisions,” he said.
“These infractions have led to the federal government losing hundreds of billions of naira in revenue. That is why the companies were invited—to either confirm or refute the liabilities ascribed to them.”
According to the lawmaker, each of the 25 companies had been formally notified of their respective liabilities and summoned to explain their financial dealings.
“The essence of this engagement is to ensure that what is due to the federal government from these private entities is fully remitted,” Laori added.
He emphasized that it is within the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to track government revenue and block leakages, particularly in sectors involving private sector collaboration.
The committee also frowned at some of the companies’ attempt to stall the investigation by resorting to legal action.
“Some of the companies have gone to court and served the House with court processes. It is now up to us and the House leadership to examine those court papers,” Laori said. “If the court action does not affect the core of our mandate, we will proceed. If it does, we’ll await the court’s decision.”
He criticized what he described as a strategy aimed at obstructing parliamentary oversight.
“Going to court appears to be a deliberate attempt to throw a spanner in the works of the National Assembly,” he stated.
Laori also expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of some company heads to appear in person, instead sending representatives who were unable to respond to critical questions.
“We have insisted that Chief Operating Officers (COOs) must appear in person. One of the COOs sent someone who couldn’t answer any of the allegations—this is unacceptable,” he said. “It is the same people that will later accuse the National Assembly of not doing its job.”
The committee chairman did not spare the industry’s regulator—the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM)—which he accused of negligence.
“NAICOM has a supervisory role, and if they were doing their job effectively, we wouldn’t be here conducting this investigation. They need to sit up,” Laori said.
Meanwhile, 17 of the companies currently in court sent a legal representative, Mr. Abimbola Kayode, to the hearing on Monday.
The naira closed the past week weaker than the previous one, as it depreciated by 0.14 per cent week-on-week to settle at 1,532.34/$ at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.
This weakening came despite the naira rebounding to a four-month high on the first trading day to close at 1,518.88/$. After that, it weakened to 1,530.25/$, then lower to 1,533.11/$ before gaining some strength to close the week at 1,532.34/$ at the official market.
During the past week, the highest amount that the naira traded for was 1,538/$, and the lowest was 1,515/$ on the NFEM.
At the parallel market, the currency closed trading within the band of 1,535.00/$ and 1,544.00/$1.
Analysts have maintained that the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria and improvement in the foreign exchange liquidity were essential to stabilising the naira at the FX market.
Cowry Assets Management Limited, in its weekly market report, averred that the naira had recorded mixed trading across the markets as it appreciated slightly by 0.06 per cent week-on-week to close at 1,544.00/$1 at the parallel market while closing in the red zone at the official market.
“The divergent movements reflect ongoing supply-demand imbalances and the evolving FX liquidity landscape,” stated the analysts, who, however, maintained that the naira looks to record further gains as improved oil output and elevated prices drive higher dollar inflows, which could sustain the current pace of reserve accretion.
“The positive oil earnings outlook, combined with steady capital inflows, should offer continued support for the naira and enhance near-term FX market stability,” the report added.
Recent data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission shows that the average daily crude oil production (excluding condensates) rose by 3.6 per cent to 1.51 million barrels per day in June 2025 from 1.45 mbpd in May. This marks the first time in five months that Nigeria has met its OPEC production quota, reflecting improvements in operational efficiencies and security around key oil-producing assets.
AIICO Capital Limited, in its weekly report, noted that the CBN had intervened intermittently in the FX market in the past week.
It stated, “Dollar sales early and late in the week helped maintain relative stability. The naira closed at 1,532.34/$, down 13.6 bps w/w. Reserves rose by $422m to $37.85bn” as of Thursday from $37.43bn in the previous week.
It is expected that the naira will likely hold its current range amid better liquidity, while markets weigh potential FX impacts from the Monetary Policy Committee’s decision starting Monday (today).
Analysts are split on what the decision of the MPC should be regarding the benchmark. On one side, doves are calling for a modest rate cut, pointing to cooling inflation, a more stable naira, and signs of reform traction. On the other hand, hawks are warning that premature easing could undo all the gains of FX reforms and decelerating inflation, especially with food supply shocks and global risk still very much in the picture.
“For now, traders are positioning around the edges, but the real signal will come from the tone of the communique,” Comercio Partners asserted.
As part of its unwavering commitment to digitally transform Nigeria’s small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), leading financial institution Fidelity Bank is set to empower entrepreneurs across the country with cutting-edge digital tools designed to streamline operations, boost productivity, and drive sustainable growth.
Through the Fidelity SME Empowerment Program (FSEP), the bank will equip 100 growth-ready entrepreneurs with a comprehensive digital toolkit that includes: a POS desktop system, access to ERPRev software, receipt printer & barcode scanner; inventory & management tools. business training and support; free fidelity pos with branding and onboarding assistance
Interested entrepreneurs can apply via: https://bit.ly/SMEEmpowermentprogram2025
Commenting on the initiative, Osita Ede, Divisional Head, Product Development at Fidelity Bank Plc, stated:
“Studies have shown the exponential growth SMEs can achieve through digitalisation. As Nigeria’s leading SME partner, we are walking the talk by providing free digital toolkits to our customers. This aligns with our mission to help individuals grow, businesses thrive, and economies prosper.”
Fidelity Bank’s dedication to SME development is reflected in its broader vision of fostering economic inclusivity and building a resilient business ecosystem nationwide.
As part of its World SME Day 2025 celebrations, the bank granted free access to its renowned SME Hub in Gbagada, Lagos, and hosted a special mentoring session for female entrepreneurs led by CEO Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe. These efforts complement its regular masterclasses and ongoing support for small businesses and creatives.
Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.
The Bank is the recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine. Additionally, the Bank was recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence and as the Export Financing Bank of the Year by the BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
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