Major Nigerian Banks Integrate Google Pay Following National Launch
United Bank for Africa, First Bank of Nigeria, and GTCO integrated Google Pay to enable contactless and digital payments for millions of Nigerian cardholders.
Several of Nigeria's largest financial institutions integrated Google Pay into their operations following the platform's official launch in the country on October 27, 2026. The rollout allows eligible Visa and Mastercard cardholders to make contactless payments at supported terminals globally using compatible mobile devices, reducing the reliance on physical cards.
United Bank for Africa Plc claimed to be the first bank in the country enabled on the platform. First Bank of Nigeria Limited also partnered with the service to enhance its digital banking experience, complementing its existing LIT App and FirstMobile offerings.
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) implemented a dual-sided integration. Customers of Guaranty Trust Bank Limited can now add debit cards to Google Wallet for online and international payments. Simultaneously, businesses using Squad—a payment gateway operated by GTCO subsidiary HabariPay—can now accept Google Pay at checkout by default.
GTCO leadership stated the move aims to reduce payment abandonment by simplifying the checkout process through secure digital tokens. By removing the need for customers to manually enter card details, the group intends to streamline transactions for both local merchants and those receiving payments from the diaspora.
