The biggest hindrance for Nigeria’s digital workforce is restrictions on capital inflow, as they are unable to fully access standard global payment platforms. To operate in Nigeria, major international payment platforms like PayPal rely on Nigeria’s legacy architecture, which stops Nigerians from receiving payments, largely due to long-standing capital control policies. Even straightforward dollar remittance channels like Wise (formerly TransferWise) remain domestically restricted, opaque or unaffordable for most Nigerians.

While Nigeria’s digital economy remains constrained, other African countries have taken more adaptive approaches. Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa have built more inclusive digital payment frameworks backed by supportive regulation, reliable infrastructure and fintech integration. According to a 2025 International Monetary Fund analysis on South, East, Central and West Africa, digital and mobile payment penetration has tripled over six years, reaching 50 per cent or more of adults. The 2023 GSMA State of Industry Report shows that Kenya’s M-Pesa serves over 50 million users and processes $300 billion annually, while Ghana recorded over ₵2.36 trillion (~$400 billion) in mobile transactions in a year. In Nigeria, by contrast, digital payment penetration is around 39 per cent, and restrictive policies and limited digital access have stalled similar progress. In Kenya, PayPal is fully functional and seamlessly integrated with M-Pesa, allowing freelancers and entrepreneurs to receive payments in dollars and convert them directly to local currency.

Nigeria continues to treat inbound foreign payments, especially at the individual level, as high-risk. This categorization is prevalent due to regulatory concerns over money laundering, fraud and foreign exchange control. Inflows without clear documentation or ties to recognized institutions are viewed with suspicion, especially when earned through informal or digital means like freelancing or remote work. This leaves Nigerians with global clients locked out of getting paid directly. Even with a few fintechs offering dollar wallets or multi-currency tools, the backend infrastructure is still tightly regulated and very arduous to use. Payments must be routed through commercial banks or processed offshore, often resulting in delays, restrictions, or forced conversions to naira at uncompetitive rates.

Recent moves by Nigerian banks to reinstate limited international naira card transactions are a welcome sign of progress to aid access to global financial systems. However, they do little to address the deeper structural and regulatory barriers facing individuals trying to receive or manage foreign payments. Barriers like stringent capital controls, low transaction limits and restrictions on digital payment platforms are all reinforced by a financial system built around gatekeeping rather than accessibility. Many Nigerians have no option but to turn to the secondary market through BDC operators for cash foreign exchange. However, this workaround highlights the systemic failures of banking and digital channels to meet everyday forex needs. For remote digital workers who depend on fast, transparent, cashless and seamless international payments, such barriers are a significant obstacle to full participation in the global economy.

Global platforms like PayPal often cite ‘global finance complexities’ when restricting services in Nigeria. In reality, these challenges stem from a difficult regulatory environment marked by strict capital controls, low transaction limits, and constraints on digital payment systems. When governments treat inbound payments to individuals as risky and impose heavy compliance burdens on operators, global platforms respond by restricting or blocking services to avoid legal and reputational risks. As revealed by a 2020 Reuters report, Wise suspended remittance services to Nigeria, citing regulatory changes that made it unfeasible to operate. While such decisions reflect platforms’ efforts to manage risk, the deeper issue lies in Nigeria’s domestic policies that create a complex and exclusionary environment for global payments. Nigeria’s patchwork access model, combined with rigid currency controls, reinforces exclusion.

Whilst Nigeria’s digital workforce is forward-facing, its financial systems remain stuck in the past, punishing digital productivity. This has forced informal workarounds such as relying on friends abroad to receive payments, using virtual accounts or digital wallets with limits, converting earnings through black market forex traders, or accepting gift cards instead of cash, all of which are ultimately unsustainable.