Web payment is the leading payment system, with a transaction volume of 11.64 billion in the first half of 2024

Key takeaways:

  • Web payment is the leading payment system in Nigeria, handling over half (52.7%) of transaction volume and 56.6% of transaction value in the first half of 2024.
  • With a Constant Annual Growth Rate of 150.4% (in volume) and 208.9% (in value), Web Pay has been leading the Nigerian Payment System in both transaction volume and value since 2020.
  • Point-of-sale (POS) terminals account for 29% of transaction volume, proving their continued relevance for in-person transactions.
  • Mobile payments contribute 15.8% of transaction volume and 10.9% of transaction value, indicating growing adoption among tech-savvy users.
  • The dominance of web payments reflects Nigeria's ongoing transition to a cashless economy and widespread digital adoption.
  • With 3.49 billion transactions, mobile payments are gaining traction for low-value, high-frequency activities like bills and purchases.

The first half of 2024 highlights the dominance of web payment systems in Nigeria, accounting for 52.7% of all transactions by volume and 56.6% by value. With about 11.64 billion transactions and ₦825.5 trillion in value, web payments lead the payment system landscape, solidifying its role as the go-to choice for seamless and efficient transactions. This shows Nigeria’s growing reliance on digital platforms for economic activity, paving the way for a cashless society.
Point-of-sale (POS) terminals and mobile payments also demonstrate strong adoption, contributing 29% and 15.8% of transaction volume, respectively. However, when analysed by value, NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) ranks second, holding 21.5% of the total transaction value, indicating its preferability for high-value transactions.

Source:

CBN

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

US trade deficit with South Africa nearly doubled to $6.3 billion in H1 2025
  • US imports from Africa jumped 24% to $23.4 billion in H1 2025 despite tariffs.
  • Egypt led gains, doubling its surplus with the US to $2.73 billion.
  • Nigeria swung into a $576 million surplus, reversing last year’s deficit.
  • South Africa’s deficit with the US nearly doubled to $6.32 billion, dragging the overall balance.

46 African countries get more than 60% of their export earnings from raw goods, with South Sudan leading with 99.5%
  • More than 60% of the countries in Africa are commodity-dependent.
  • South Sudan leads the list with 99.5%.
  • Nigeria’s commodity export dependence is 96.3%, dominated by energy (89.7%), followed by agriculture (4.0%) and mining (2.6%).
  • Africa alone accounts for nearly 47% of all commodity dependent countries globally.

Only 8 African countries get less than 60% of their export earnings from raw goods, with Tunisia leading at 21.5%
  • Of the 54 African countries, 46 earn more than 60% of export revenues from raw goods.
  • Algeria, Morocco, Eswatini, Lesotho, Djibouti, Mauritius, Comoros, and Egypt stand out with less than 60%.
  • Algeria and Morocco are the least dependent, pointing to stronger industrial and trade sectors.
  • Lower dependence means greater economic stability, while high reliance exposes countries to volatile global commodity markets.

Ghana’s exports
  • Gold bullion dominates exports, contributing ¢163.0B (55.3%) of total exports.

  • Petroleum oils follow distantly at ¢52.6B (17.8%).

  • Cocoa (beans, paste, butter) remains a vital sector, collectively worth ¢24.7B (8.4%).

  • Manganese, cashew, tuna, iron/steel, and shea oil are niche contributors, each under 2% of exports.

  • All other products still make up a significant 14.4% (¢42.4B), showing potential for export diversification.

Apapa Port accounted for 71.6% of Nigeria’s total trade value in Q1 2025 and 86.12% of total exports
  • Apapa Port accounted for 71.6% of Nigeria’s total trade value in Q1 2025 and 82.12% of total exports
  • Apapa Port handled ₦25.79 trillion worth of goods in Q1 2025, representing 71.6% of total trade. It remains the country’s primary trade hub, far surpassing all other ports combined.
  •  Apapa alone facilitated ₦17.74 trillion or 86.1% of Nigeria’s total exports, showing a high dependency on a single location for outbound goods.
  • Tin Can Island is the only meaningful secondary hub With ₦3.44 trillion (9.5%) in total trade, ranking a distant second. It’s the only other port contributing more than ₦1 trillion each to imports and exports.
  • Lekki has limited export impact, despite handling ₦1.70 trillion in imports. Lekki contributed only ₦0.30 trillion (1.5%) in exports, indicating underutilization for outbound trade.
  • Murtala Muhammed International Airport processed just ₦647.91 billion (1.8%) of total trade, reinforcing that Nigeria’s international trade remains heavily maritime-focused.

Nigeria’s foreign trade
  • Total Trade Volume in Q1 2025 stood at ₦36.02 trillion, with exports totalling ₦20.6 trillion and imports at ₦15.4 trillion, resulting in a surplus of ₦5.17 trillion.
  • Crude oil dominates Nigeria’s export trade, accounting for the largest share of export revenue. -
  • Other petroleum oil products are also a major export item, reflecting the significance of both raw and refined oil-based commodities in Nigeria’s trade portfolio. -
  • On the import side, manufactured goods dominate, showing Nigeria’s continued reliance on foreign machinery, technology, and consumer goods.
  • While Nigeria exports mostly raw and oil-based products, it imports refined, processed, or industrial goods, indicating a structural trade gap and limited local industrial capacity. -
  • Agricultural and raw material goods feature on both sides of trade, but their value is significantly less than petroleum-related trade.

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved