Paypal Nigeria
Paypal is currently not available to residents of Nigeria though its available in most other African countries including countries like Togo and Niger.
Nigeria’s economy is the second largest in Africa (after South Africa) and the banking system is one of the best in Africa. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and the 9th most populous, in the world.
I am sure Paypal is considering Nigeria but has not yet added Nigeria for whatever reason. My previous post speculated on Why Paypal features in Africa are limited.
Whatever their reasons are, I am using this blog post to agitate that full Paypal services be made available to residents of Nigeria so they can fully partake in global e-commerce.
Are you a Nigerian resident in Nigeria? Do you agree that Paypal services should be available to Nigeria? Share your thoughts here and now by posting your comment.
Oct 6th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
American companies like PayPal are very narrow minded when it comes to global e-commerce. They lack dynamic initiatives to succeed in a country like Nigeria.
Mastercard and Visa have been in Nigeria for a while, and both of them a recorded significant levels of success. I wonder why PayPal cannot borrow a leaf from these guys, by taking the bold step of coming to Nigeria.
Oct 7th, 2007 at 10:37 am
I think it is time paypal take the bold steps by getting Nigeria listed on their network.
Nigeria still remain the best place to do business in the whole of Africa.
Oct 7th, 2007 at 11:08 am
E-gold has been making significant strides in Nigeria. I think majority of us dont need paypal.
Oct 7th, 2007 at 11:18 am
As far as I am concerned, Nigeria still remains the best bet for Paypal in the whole of Africa.
Therefore they should wake up and tap into the wider opportunities Nigerian has to offer.
Oct 8th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Its best they come to Nigeria, Nigerian’s have been yearning to have this and personally I can’t wait to see this service in Nigeria. Some of us are looking at meeting people who are in “paypal speaking countries” so they can help them in recieving and sending payments to other paypal users. We are ready to do legitimate business so paypal should start now!
Oct 8th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Its high time Paypal reconsidered this.Nigerians spend and want to spend so much online but there are limitations-just like this issue being discussed.However,am sure one day Nigerians will fully partake in the global e-commerce.
Oct 8th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Shouldn’t we have some kind of common front which is accessible to paypal where we can make our concerns known.
By doing this, paypal will definitely respond fast to Nigeria. They should take a cue from this them telecommunications companies.
“Everything we touch becomes interesting”
Oct 9th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Hey, i think that rather sit down here and whine about how paypal has refused to incoperate Nigeria, we should look for an alternative method of payment and popularize it. Paypal should be allowed to rot for all I care. We have e-gold, i think it behoves on Us to make it acceptable worldwide. We can popularize it’s use by requesting for it in all our websites.
Oct 9th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Paypal is a very biased company.
They will come if only nigeria creates the need to show that we have business to offer the rest of the world that will require the use of paypal.
Paypal is used everyday by nigerian boyz to pay for goods and online services illegally.
So they feel that our nation has no need for the service for legit business.But that is wrong because Nigerians are becoming very dependent on the internet,and actually looking to do business legitimately with foreign partners,but the fraud quotient,the name we have been given even though we are not the greatest spammers in the world like russians or indians or isrealis.But the west has branded us.
It is is up to our Goverment to launder our image.
NIGERIA IS A THE MOST FRAUDULENT NATION IN AFRICA OR EVEN THE WORLD.OUR LEADERS ACCEPTED THE NAME BECAUSE UNLIKE OTHER LEADERS THEY DONT HIDE THE IDENTITY.
SO PAYPAL YOU GUYS KNOW,RUSSIANS,EGYPTIANS DO MORE FRAUD THROUGH PAYPAL THAN NIGERIANS.
JUST LIKE YOU HAVE WRONG GUYS IN AMERICA YOU HAVE HERE SO THE SAME FOR LEGITIMATE BUSINESS MEN.
COME TO NIGERIA EMBRACE THE BIGGEST MARKET IN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA
GOD BLESS AFRICA
Oct 15th, 2007 at 3:38 am
The world is jealous and envious of Naija…..they will beg for a place in Nigeria at the right time…around the corner who cares…
-dumb
Tokyo
Nov 11th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Leave dem!! Den go beg.Useless people.I mean they have no respect.Na we do 419 first.Make den cool down O!!I dey vex. I think Nigerians should pressure companies to use other payment firms different from paypal.I think the Nigerian government and the Central Bank should know about this and ban them from doing business in Nigeria.I say den go beg.
Nov 13th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Truly, dem go beg! Na just a matter of time!
Nov 17th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Being the originators of 419, do you need to even ask why paypal isnt in Naija. True that you cant judge a nation by one mans actions but one bad palmnut spoils the whole soup, until the shallow majority of good people overshadow the powerful minority of crooks, Naija stands to lose out of so many good things.
Nov 17th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Ray, this is not a personal insult, but a statement of fact: It’d take a very dumb person to write what you wrote. I deliberately approved your comment for people to see how weak your power of reasoning/understanding is. I am restraining myself not to insult you.
Nov 19th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Please dont get me wrong. I am not slagging off nigerians. I have many nigerian friends some good and some bad. Its no secret about how some people tread when dealing with them. All im trying to say is that the Majority of nigerians are good people but the small minority that have given the rest a bad name is what is depriving Nigerians of some benefits, If the Majority of Nigerians who stand for the good of the nation can change the worlds image the minority have given there is no reason why anyone would even think twice about dealing in Naija. My brother I didnt mean to offend you or your countrymen, Please forgive me.
Nov 19th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Ray, you started with the wrong foot. The concept behind 419 started before the country Nigeria came into existence. So, your assertion about Nigeria “being the originators of 419″ is arrant nonsense.
The essence of this thread is not to discuss 419. Any further comment about 419 will not be approved.
Nov 20th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
the reality on ground is that things are change really fast here and if paypal does not cash in, someone else will. Imagine, I just got my mastercard here. something that was undreamable 5 years ago. They just need to find an intelligent way to deal with the Nigerian Stituation.
Nov 26th, 2007 at 11:27 am
men!! NA WAH OHHH!! Man wan start busineesss online thanks to pay pal i no gree see road wht i think nigerians should do is to call them and pressure them on registering us bcos the level don tire me ohh!!!!!it not reallly fair nor be we start 419 it has begin in existence since the creation of the earth cos satan propagated the idea to our first mom.So why get so personal abt it abeg lets start calling paypal tht master card usesrs are here in nigeria and they should include us in t he list
Nov 30th, 2007 at 12:44 am
Men if dem wan come, make dem come, if dem no wan make dem enter bush die.. Egold don dey Naija, that one better pass paypal 1million times jare
Dec 19th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Dave,
Nice blog. I think i’d have to agree with one of the guys. We must find a way to pressurize them into coming to Nigeria or get our solution and promote it to compete with them.
Jan 6th, 2008 at 12:10 am
GET RID OF YOUR SCAMMERS FIRST OK NIGERS?
Jan 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
its just a handful of bad-eggs that have spoit the whole brood, as far as Nigeria’s online reputation is concerned.
I hope one day, Nigeria can wipe away the stink.
Scammers are not only in Nigeria. They are everywhere. Just watch American movies and you’ll see what im talking about.
anyway, is there another alternative to PayPal, should one be interested in genuine online business opportunities.
thanks
mpmp
Jan 24th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Not having a paypal account has denied me of many internet opportunities, it is easy to use especially for setting up ecommerce for your small biz
Unfortunately the ugly tag goes on with our image in Nigeria
Sincerely, saying ‘to hell with paypal ‘ is a defence mechanism that wont do any good.
I suggest that a direct approach by Nigerians/Government intervention will solve the problem…
…before you crucify paypal, try moneybookers.com
I’m having a feeling that the government policies of Nigeria is the brain behind our rejection
Jan 30th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
It is really very embarrsing not to have Nigeria on the PAYPAL e-payment portal. On two different occasions that I needed to buy a training solutions, I couldn’t make headway and I would like to beg this PAYPAL coy to consider Nigeria in the interest of Nigerians masses who are being made to suffer and deprive of educational and other benefits due to this denial.
Jan 31st, 2008 at 1:09 am
Nna Obiiina, i Gbadun you jare But no Vex, Guys this is my Judgement, or rather this is what i will explain, Despite the Fact that Fraudulent activities are being carried out daily in Nigeria,The Boys doing the Stuffs are Just trying , as in dem never do reach Russia ..But as you will all agree with me all boys are not doing it on a Normal Levels anymore, they are Doing it on a Kentro Levels MetaPhy….
2 iNTERNET ACCESS and Awareness/Computer Know how/Buga and Effizy Made other people Motivated,meaning, Every tommy Jick and harry In Nigeria Scams Not that there are legendary Scammers here, its Just that the people doing it are More than it should be and also ,Some people scam and tell the Victims, Yes, i scam you im Nigerian what will you do , some even go to the extent of showing a Man’s face on Cam after about $20,000…So when they make this Money , they still need Paypal,People are not scamming for ever, they are scamming as a Stepping Stone ..Brothers HE NO EASY and upon say Scammers dey correct honest guys when dey depend on forex like me dey ,so Information for Paypal There is no where on Earth that is Perfectly Perfect ,People are Vying for something better , if Paypal has it they are free to come , in the mean time ,let them talk to me first we can deal
hahahah
Peace Out
Feb 1st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
hello all, i enjoy your contributions and all you have said, all your opinions and views all make lost of sense, to me having it in there record and marking the whole of the country red does not help matters, they are losing lots of funds at the same time Nigerians that wish to do legit business are also lossing much of money, personally i have being trying hard to open an account with paypal and have being facing lots of stress.
How i wish they will look at there decisions and give it a second thought.its really affect those of us that wish to do legit business…..Please here us out..the Government should also come in as there are lots of opportunities online for young school leavers..it will help a long way to check the cream rate in the country.
Feb 2nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Nice one guys. I just bumped unto this web-site while surfing for nothing really. But I should commend you (OLuniyi David Ajao) for varities of information and comments read from this site. I think you are fantastic.
I will link you differently. But I wanna comment on few issues here.
(1) ng.TLD
You have just saved me from a heart-attack. I have a .com domain registered for years in the UK. Not even a single day of worries up till today. But I have always wanted to shorten my long business URL (s*********************.com) to something more manageable - but ending in .ng. This surely makes email addresses short and sweet. I was just about to start presurising a web consultant to substitute my .com with .ng. But you know what Oluniyi, thanks for your forum.
I am alot wiser now.
(2) Secondly. On Paypal Nigeria. Is 419 a bad thing? Not for me to comment here. Reasons? (a) In a situation where you have millions of intelligent and unemployed able- bodies, you will definitely have highly intelligent and able-bodied criminals. However, I am not laying blame on the footstep of the 419 gangs. Not that I condone these. But who 419 people more than our own past governments? Even more that that, Nigerians get stick everyday in the Western Media. (Either be UK, America or Continental Europe) about 419s. How ignorant and uneducated can these people be? Ok. 419s (Nigeria) fraud the rich, and foolishly greedy West by some £$million or thousands. But do we have the understanding that this same West have for so long and continue to FRAUD my great-greats, my generation and also the yet unburn children £$billions till 2moro and day after 2moro.
We are only borrowing a leaf from the pages they fraudulently sold us.
Then if anyone cares to look at the crime figures in the old Estaern Bloc, Russia, and even America itself, if my people are being called 419′ers, then these ’so-called’ superior cultured beings are 41,900,0o0′ers.
WHY?
Feb 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Thanks for your kind words Segun. We have no choice than to keep the Naija flag flying. We have no other country.
Feb 3rd, 2008 at 7:06 pm
David Ajao, keep up the good work. I hope to meet you someday and do some business with you.
If my eyes still serve me well, I can’t remember reading that Paypal has refused Nigerians their service because they think Nigerians are fraudsters. We just jumped to that conclusion.
In my opinion, we don’t even need Paypal or any other foreign payment processor to make a headway online. What we need are solid local systems that we can call our own. For one, we have a population that can drive a very vibrant e-economy.
Someone just mentioned e-gold as a good alternative and I can’t help laughing. I used to think e-gold was good too but now I know better.
I run one of the most popular e-gold exchanges in Nigeria and in one year I lost close to N1.5millon to E-gold and their cronies. I lost $4200 to a very prominent E-gold Accredited Market Maker and this is even an American company. I also know another exchanger who just had his e-gold account permanently deleted from the e-gold system. Isn’t this the same e-gold our people are celebrating?
Worse is the fact that even if Paypal decides to accept Nigerians, our losses will be more than our gains. We will lose more funds in suspended accounts than we will be able to withdraw. The funny thing is there is nothing we will be able to do about it because even our own Government sees us as criminals and parades us as such to the world.
My point is simple. We don’t need paypal or even egold. My online ambition is to reach a point in my business where I will never have anything to do with any company outside Africa and even if the need arises, it will be on my own terms and not theirs.
God help Nigeria.
Feb 20th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Nice to have such discussions about topical issues such as e-payment and e-transaction solutions for the Nigerian economy here.
In light of this, i’ll sugest you all take a critical look within and find solutions to our problems, we cannot continue to be consumers of imported goods forever, its time we innovate and begin to be productive.
Check out our very own netnaira.com for example and you’ll find out that Nigeria is very well on her way to developing long-lasting indigenous solutions to her challenges.
Cheers
BFN
Feb 28th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
paypal or egold. i dey cry oooh!. i do not need any of them, see, all of us for nigeria dey think paypal or egold.
Abeg leave them all we no need any of them,what we need is Naira (kind of Webnaira) simple, the webnaira go dey credit and debit like the rest of ecurrencies simple. I dey cry because i no fit produce software. anyway,make some one who fit do software think inwardly and provide a means of payment /exchange. so that we for nija go use, even sef we fit do webnaira as a prepaid card for digital download. If you know say you fit do anypayment system abeg make you contact me i dey ready to assist any how i fit, anything to make online venture possible for nija . contact me if you need free services or brianstorming. i dey serious.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Hi Dave,
It’s fascinating to bump into your interesting post on PayPal. First of all I will like to disagree that the reason Nigeria is not favoured by PayPal is that Nigerians are 419ners because it takes two to tango. If a foreigner is not looking for ‘mighty’ breaks he could not have fallen into the traps of these miscreants. In any case to most foreigners, every bad thing starts from Africa or what have they been saying about HIV/Aids?
Nonetheless, I must admit that some of us really need PayPal. As a freelance web programmer I found their transaction terms most favourable especially that one of the world’s leading web programming agencies I work with deal thru PayPal. You ask me, how I get paid? Yes I get paid but I have to go thru a windy and more expensive course. Please pardon me that because this is my business secret I cannot make it public but those interested can send me an email.
From another angle, one can say that Nigeria is a big international market and without doubt USA remains one of Nigeria’s prominent business partners and if PayPal does not want to tap from this market, then they should go to sleep. They are the ones losing out!
Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Hi Akin,
I am interested in howyou get paid online in Nigeria as i would like to start an online business there.
‘would you please share??.
regards,
Ijay
Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Hi,
has anyone intergrated/used netnaira.com to make or recieve payments?.
Paypal is definitely ideal but as someone said earlier, we need to stop waiting for paypal and come up with a workable system for naija…..any ideas people?
Mar 5th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Hi ijay,
Please contact the blogsite owner for my email address. Cheers.
Mar 8th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I stumbled on this site when i searched for alternative to paypal on google. David, I salute you for a good job. Now obvious, Iam not the only one facing the frustration of not been able to transact simple and legit business on the internet. Very unfortunate.
I will deviate from the several arguments (and defences) about why corruption may have been used as one reason for denying Nigerians the means to grow their business over the web. It is an emotive issue whenever you think you are been excluded just because you are Nigerian. Terrible, really terrible.
I have a paypal account (or should I say, used to have) tied to my account in the UK. Of course, I was able to open it because the Visa card was issued in the UK and hence the registration for paypal was to this UK address. But that didn’t help me for long. As soon as I started using my card more frequently on the internet to pay for paypal based transaction, that immediately increased the risk factor on my account. Paypal suspended my account becasue according to them, someone overseas (apparently referring to me using the card online from Nigeria) may be committing fraud with my account. Your account gets suspended and you have to reverify your details. The re-verfication requires that a call is placed to my UK telephone number and bla bla bla bla……Its almost a year now and that verification exercise has not been concluded to allow them release my account. So in annoyance, I stopped using my Visa card for any paypal transaction…
I think we are in a dilemma….a serious one for that matter. As a largely consumer country, we are faced with a net outflow (of funds) situation all the time. All those who say we have a good population are actually confirming why we seem frustrated with this payment bottlenecks because we are all largely buying for goods and services. I bet if the world was buying from us, paypal will need no begging to add Nigeria to their list. So guys, lets work on products, services that we can sell to the outside world.
This brings me to the issue of a local payment system, unique to Nigeria. If we have something that the world needs, then certainly, we can place out indigenous payment system on our websites and insist on this. I bet you will have foreign payment merchants registering to sign on. Then you can give the same conditions…..open a bank account in Nigeria, show proof of residence or business in Nigeria, transact in Naira instead of all these other currencies….and the list goes on. Unfortunately we are not any where close to that yet.
On a more serious note, all these epayment system are only fulfulling the end time prophesies. The frustrations in not been able to trnsact business without these cards is gradually leading to desperation. If the trend continues, I bet many of us will be ready to do anything to get issued these cards including receiving a mark (666) on the forehead? God forbid. May be God is deliberately shielding us away from a global epayment system so that the last remnants will be found here at the second coming.
Mar 10th, 2008 at 11:44 am
hiii……everyone,i am a lot imp[ressed by everyones opinion so far,but all in all,i think ojo bello made more of the points pretty clear.I think it is pretty clear that the world especially the US needs us more than we need them,i dont know if anyone agrees with me.But come to think of it america consumes more of our oil than we consume any of their products,america with all its enhanced money e-money exchange system seems to want to show us that they are in charge.Has anyone,i mean any nigerian noticed how our brothers in the niger-delta seem to send the oil price on the rise anytime they attack,i guess in a way they seem to be sending a message to us the web guys in nigeria that if they can do it then we certainly can do better.Obviously,it is attention that we want and attention we will get.I think the problem is that the west i mean america are a lazy set of people who do not wnt to know how other financial system in other places work,they expect nigeria to operate like togo and others.For christ sake western union is an american based company and it is responsible for channeling the so called 419 money to nigeria,so why havent they be probed,the answer is simple,they make more money from nigerians sending money from abroad than the so called 419 money,number and IQis what we have
May 19th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
i look forward to my url bringing me money. thanks
Jun 5th, 2008 at 8:20 am
i need a paypal account, how can i open one
Jun 9th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
i need a paypal account, how can i open one
Jul 6th, 2008 at 12:07 am
It’s just about time that someone did something to this e-payment bottleneck or whatever it is. From the software development point of view, I know its not a big deal to implement, but I know little of banking and financial services. I also know that Nigerians are brilliant naturally and we can use all those of brains to come up with a solution to this problem. I dont think trying to bypass their so-called system is the way to go.
The solution to our problem lies with us. If their is a potentially threatening system in place here, they wont be told to come running.
To me, I dont see it as frustrating, but a challenge to we IT guys in Nigeria.
Jul 20th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
paypal is not just realistic. How can a serious company include a country as hunger-ridden as Niger and yet neglect Nigeria- an economy included in Goldman Sachs Next Eleven, Africa’s largest and most endowwed economy. Fraud is not an excuse because fraud is possible in a weak technical framework and cannot easily be avoided in online business. They could as well go offline or delist US where and brazil where internet-savvy youths poke through firewalls effortlessly. Egold, Gold Bullion, mastercard, Visa, Lberty reserve have no such fears.
Jul 31st, 2008 at 2:12 am
I am impressed by all your passionate views really. I agree with some that say we should look inwards, yet some crave big multinational names. Which to go for? look no further. I found this online and I think it will solve all our e-commerce problems. its called ’softpay’ how about that? go to softpay.org and see for yourselves.
Now theres no more excuse for internet biz startups… ok.
Bless.
B