Nigerians to pay in naira on Play Store as Google partners Verve

Google says Nigerians can now use their Verve naira cards to make digital transactions on Play Store — the company’s applications distribution service.

In a statement on Thursday, the tech giant said it is partnering with Verve, the largest domestic card scheme in Africa, to enable Nigerians to make purchases with ease, thereby strengthening the digital ecosystem in the West African country.

Under the partnership, Google said Verve transactions will be processed within Nigeria.

“These transactions will be undertaken in Nigerian naira (NG), and treated as local transactions by the country’s banking institutions,” the statement reads.

“As a result, any Nigerian with an Android device and a Verve card now has a streamlined method for making purchases on the Google Play Store.”

Commenting on the partnership, Anthea Crawford, head of retail and payment partnerships at Google Play, said the development was to encourage easy access on the app.

Crawford said the new partnership not only simplifies the payment process for Google Play Store apps and services but also contributes significantly to a more inclusive digital environment for Nigerians.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Verve, expanding Google Play access for more Nigerians,” he said.

“The introduction of local payments with Verve cards is a significant milestone, enabling more Nigerians to participate in the app economy and access the apps they need.”

On his part, Vincent Ogbunude, managing director of Verve International, described the integration with Google Play as a significant stride towards achieving Verve’s vision of promoting financial inclusion”.

“We are excited to bring digital content and services closer to Verve cardholders, hence bridging the digital divide,” Ogbunude said.

“As a foremost payment card scheme in Nigeria, Verve’s expanding acceptance promotes inclusion by extending the reach of digital services to a larger segment of the Nigerian population.

“Maximising this exciting possibility, users can now add their Verve cards to their Google Play account and pay in naira, without stress.”