Mastercard and Interswitch have made Google Pay available to eligible Mastercard cardholders in Nigeria.
Under the partnership, US-based Mastercard and Nigeria-based Interswitch are enabling consumers who hold eligible Mastercard cards to make contactless payments through Google Pay on Android devices. Cardholders can add a supported card to the wallet and tap their phone to pay at any merchant that accepts contactless payments. The rollout brings tokenised mobile payments into everyday transactions in the country.
Tokenisation and issuer connectivity
The service relies on Mastercard’s tokenisation technology, which replaces sensitive card information with a unique digital credential, so that actual card details are not exposed during a transaction. According to Kari Tukur, Country Manager for West Africa at Mastercard, consumers increasingly expect payments to be simple, secure, and built into their daily routines, and the collaboration with Google pairs mobile payment functionality with this card-protection layer.
Interswitch’s contribution centred on the infrastructure needed to bring issuers onto the service. The company worked with Mastercard to enable multiple Nigerian card issuers and connect them to the tokenisation and processing capabilities required to offer Google Pay to their eligible cardholders.
On Google’s side, Olumide Balogun, Country Director for West Africa at Google, described the rollout as the arrival of Google Wallet in Nigeria. The official added that the company is working with Nigerian financial institutions to widen access to digital payment tools and reduce the need to carry physical cards.
Market context
The launch comes as digital payment usage in Nigeria continues to expand. Data from the NIBSS shows that digital payment transaction volumes reached 11.2 billion in 2026, with a combined value of more than approximately USD 796 billion. The figures indicate growing use of digital channels across both consumer and business payments.
For consumers, tokenised wallets such as Google Pay add a further payment option alongside physical cards, combining mobile access with an extra layer of security. Availability is restricted to eligible cardholders using Android devices, and acceptance depends on merchants operating contactless-enabled terminals.
When it comes to issuing banks, the integration provides an additional channel to deepen digital engagement with cardholders and support mobile-first payment behaviour. For merchants that already accept contactless payments, Google Pay offers a faster checkout option for customers who prefer to pay with their Android phones. The two companies position the launch as part of a wider modernisation of Nigeria’s payments landscape, as consumers shift towards mobile-first payment experiences and issuers look for ways to extend card usage into digital wallets.
