OPay has grown from a digital payments service into a broader financial platform used by Nigerians for everyday transactions.
For some people, OPay is simply an app on their phone. For others, it is the platform they turn to when they need to send money, pay an electricity bill, buy data, receive a business payment or handle an unexpected financial need.
Over the years, those everyday transactions have become part of OPay’s story in Nigeria.
It started with a simple transfer
For Mrs Saliu Oluwabukola, her experience with OPay began in 2019 after she came across the platform on social media.
She downloaded the app and decided to try it out with a simple transfer.
“It entered,” she recalls.
She then moved the money from her OPay account to her commercial bank account and was impressed by how quickly the transaction went through.
That first experience led to more. She began using OPay to buy airtime and data and pay electricity bills.
On one occasion, electricity officials arrived at her property because of an unpaid bill. She made the payment through OPay, sent the receipt and was able to resolve the issue without having to leave home.
What began as a test transaction eventually became part of her routine.
“I trust OPay now with any amount,” she says.
From getting around to getting things done
For Dahiru Haruna, OPay first came onto his radar around 2020, when he was serving as a corps member in Ondo State.
He had heard about ORide and decided to try the service when he returned to Lagos. After completing his trip, the payment was deducted through OPay.
His reaction was simple: “Wow, we are progressing. Nigeria is moving with OPay.”
The experience reflected a broader shift in how Nigerians were beginning to use digital services for everyday activities.
Over time, OPay expanded beyond payments and transportation-related services, offering products for transfers, airtime and data purchases, bill payments, cards, savings and other financial needs.
A financial lifeline when it mattered
For Latifat Ajoke Muftau, her introduction to OPay came at a more difficult moment.
She had attempted to withdraw money from an ATM but was debited without receiving the cash. It was the only money she had at the time.
A neighbour introduced her to OPay. She downloaded the app, registered with her phone number and was able to receive money shortly after opening her account.
“Money just entered. I was like, ah. This is easy,” she recalls.
She started by using the platform for data, airtime and transfers. Today, she also uses it for subscriptions and other everyday payments.
Her experience illustrates what access to digital financial services can mean beyond simply moving money: having another option when access to cash or traditional banking becomes difficult.
Eight years of building in Nigeria
OPay began its Nigerian operations in 2018 following the acquisition of Paycom, a Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed mobile money operator. The company has since expanded its financial services offering and now also operates under a National MFB licence.
Its services have grown alongside changing customer needs, moving from digital payments and transfers into areas including merchant services, cards, savings, security and other financial products.
As more Nigerians have moved everyday financial activity online, OPay has also invested in its technology, customer support and security infrastructure.
The company’s presence extends beyond financial transactions. OPay has committed ₦1.2 billion over 10 years to scholarships for young Nigerians and has supported programmes focused on youth development, women’s empowerment, skills development and communities.
Still building
Eight years in, OPay’s journey reflects the wider evolution of digital finance in Nigeria.
Customer expectations have changed. Technology has moved forward, and the ways Nigerians send, receive and spend money have continued to evolve.
For OPay, that has meant expanding its services while continuing to focus on the everyday financial needs of its customers.
Behind the numbers and transactions are people: students buying data, parents paying bills, traders receiving payments and business owners serving customers.
Those everyday moments are where digital financial services become most visible.
After eight years in Nigeria, OPay says it remains focused on serving those moments and building for what comes next.
Eight years on, OPay is still okay and still moving Nigeria forward.
