Google Pay launches in Nigeria for Android users

Google Pay has launched in Nigeria, allowing eligible bank cardholders to make payments using compatible Android devices, as FirstBank, Guaranty Trust Bank and United Bank for Africa introduce the service and Mastercard and Interswitch provide infrastructure supporting its rollout. The launch brings a new mobile payment option to Nigeria, linking a global digital wallet with local banks, card networks, payment processors and merchants.

Eligible users can add supported cards to Google Wallet and then use Google Pay at online checkouts or tap a compatible phone at contactless terminals. The payment is processed through the relevant banking and payment infrastructure, with tokenisation technology replacing the actual card number with a digital credential to limit exposure of sensitive information. For GTBank customers, the service supports online purchases such as subscriptions, travel bookings, food delivery, bill payments and digital services. Through the Squad payment gateway, GTCO enables merchants to offer Google Pay alongside existing options without a separate integration.

Mastercard and Interswitch are partners in the rollout. Mastercard said its collaboration with Interswitch would enable eligible Mastercard cardholders in Nigeria to use Google Pay for secure mobile payments. Kari Tukur, country manager for West Africa at Mastercard, said the collaboration combined the convenience of mobile payments with security technology intended to protect card details. Interswitch's infrastructure connects card-issuing banks to the tokenisation and processing capabilities required to support Google Pay.

For banks, the integration extends card services into a mobile-first experience. FirstBank, GTBank and UBA can offer eligible customers another way to use their cards while maintaining their role as issuers. GTCO chief executive Segun Agbaje said the integration was intended to address the friction that causes customers to abandon online purchases, noting that most failed online payments are not refused, they are abandoned.

Businesses can also benefit. Through Squad, merchants can enable Google Pay within their existing checkout flow, potentially shortening the transaction process and reducing abandonment. The option is enabled by default for Squad businesses, though merchants may turn it off. HabariPay managing director Eduofon Japhet said the integration gives Squad businesses access to Google Pay within the checkout systems they already use.

The arrival of Google Pay adds another choice to Nigeria's digital payments ecosystem, where banks, fintechs and payment processors compete to make transactions more convenient. While the service offers greater convenience and a layer of security, its usefulness will depend on card eligibility, device compatibility and merchant acceptance. Existing payment methods such as bank transfers, physical cards and USSD remain important for many users and merchants.