How frictionless payments are helping Nigeria’s SMEs grow

By Mastercard

Ask a Nigerian small business owner what’s standing between them and a sale, and the answer is rarely demand. It is the moment between a customer deciding to buy and the money actually arriving. Getting paid is not the end of the customer journey. It is the point at which that journey most often breaks, and where a one-time transaction becomes a lasting customer relationship.
Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises know this. Mastercard’s 2026 SME Confidence Index found that Nigerian SMEs surveyed unanimously consider digital and online payments vital to their growth. Two-thirds (67%) already accept mobile payments, 45% accept cards and 42% accept online payment...