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Leading Nigerian fintech PalmPay has joined forces with AfriGO, the national domestic card scheme, to roll out five million contactless payment cards and tap-to-pay solutions across the country. This initiative marks a significant step in Nigeria’s transition toward cashless and contactless transactions.
The partnership mirrors a recent collaboration between Moniepoint and AfriGO, further strengthening the push for widespread adoption of contactless payments in Nigeria. The announcement also follows PalmPay’s partnership with CashAfrica, a contactless payment infrastructure provider, to integrate tap-to-pay functionality into its POS terminals. The pilot phase, launching with 1,000 devices, is set to expand nationwide by March.
For AfriGO, these strategic alliances represent a move to capture a segment of Nigeria’s payment ecosystem that remains largely untapped—contactless transactions. By partnering with major fintechs, AfriGO aims to enhance digital payment accessibility, particularly in underserved regions, and drive financial inclusion.
“We are excited to partner with PalmPay to revolutionize financial services and expand access to digital payments across Nigeria. Through this collaboration, AfriGO and PalmPay will provide enhanced access to digital payments—particularly in underserved areas—drive financial inclusion, and support the rapidly growing digital economy in Nigeria,” said Ebehijie Momoh, Managing Director/CEO of Afrigopay Financial Services Limited (AFSL).
Despite competition from global payment giants Visa and Mastercard, AfriGO sees an opportunity to solidify its market presence through contactless payments. Industry experts suggest that fintech-driven card issuance could help address one of the biggest barriers to adoption—merchant acceptance.
“One of the biggest issues for contactless payment adoption in Africa has been the lack of authorization with cards,” said Malik Asamu, CEO of CashAfrica. “I believe these recent partnerships will accelerate the rollout of contactless payments and explore ways for Nigerians to authorize transactions before completion. Data shows that Nigerian consumers prefer to authenticate every payment, even down to the smallest amount.”
While mobile wallets and QR codes have gained traction, contactless card payments remain underutilized in Nigeria. However, with two of the country’s top three fintechs—PalmPay and Moniepoint—now issuing contactless cards, the landscape is set for a shift toward tap-to-pay transactions at scale.
Given that many Nigerians lack NFC-enabled smartphones required for mobile-based contactless payments, the adoption of contactless cards may outpace mobile-driven alternatives. As competition in the digital payments space intensifies, fintechs are poised to lead the shift from PIN-based transactions to a seamless tap-and-go payment ecosystem.
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