OPay Advances Financial Inclusion as Nigeria Targets 95% Access by 2028
Nigeria is racing toward a bold target, getting 95 per cent of its citizens financially included by 2028, and OPay is being named as one of the fintechs helping push that goal within reach.
The ambition comes from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s newly unveiled Payment System Vision (PSV) 2028, a framework built around the theme “Empowering People, Connecting Markets, Growing the Economy.” It’s designed to upgrade the country’s payment infrastructure on every front: innovation, interoperability, security, and broader access to financial services.
For years, Nigeria’s financial system leaned heavily on banking halls and branch queues. That’s changing fast. Millions of Nigerians now move money, pay bills, buy airtime, and run businesses entirely through digital platforms, often without ever stepping into a bank.
Industry watchers say OPay financial inclusion efforts have been central to this shift. Rather than relying solely on apps, the company built an extensive network of agents and merchants stretching into communities that traditional banks have long overlooked. That hybrid of digital tools and physical reach has made it easier for previously underserved Nigerians, especially in rural areas, to finally access formal financial services without the cost and hassle of a long trip to the nearest branch.
That matters because financial inclusion isn’t just about opening an account. It’s about giving people real tools to participate in the economy: secure payments, savings, business transactions, and digital access that puts them on equal footing with everyone else.
The PSV 2028 blueprint also leans heavily on innovation, open banking, digital identity, artificial intelligence, and a stronger fintech ecosystem all feature prominently. Nigeria’s young, smartphone-savvy population has made it one of Africa’s most active fintech markets, and players like OPay have kept pace by refining their platforms to cut down transaction friction and improve accessibility.
Trust is the other pillar the CBN is leaning on. Cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and data privacy all sit at the core of PSV 2028’s design, and fintechs are expected to keep investing in security infrastructure as digital adoption grows.
Analysts argue that achieving the 95 per cent inclusion target will take sustained collaboration between regulators, banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators. But the trajectory companies like OPay represent, growing from simple payment tools into infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship and everyday economic life, is being read as a sign that Nigeria’s digital finance ambitions are achievable.
