Remita Plans Pan-African Expansion

Beulah Godfrey

May 21, 2025
3 min read

Remita, Nigeria’s homegrown payment platform, has announced plans to expand across Africa. The company started as a simple payroll tool inside an HR software, but has grown into a major player in Nigeria’s fintech industry.

Deremi Atanda, the Managing Director and CEO of Remita Payment Services Limited, shared the news in an interview with eGovernance Nigeria Magazine. He said Remita now handles over N60 trillion in transactions every year and is ready to take its services to other African countries.

“We’ve become an ecosystem of rails, products, and services,” Atanda said. “We are at the edge of a strong Pan-African expansion.”

From Payroll Feature to Payment Giant

Remita’s story began as a feature in an HR app that allowed companies to pay salaries. The name “Remita” came from the word “remittance.” Over time, it became a full product and later an independent company licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The company offers many services, including payment switching, super-agent services, POS terminals, and digital payment advisory.

But the journey wasn’t always smooth. In 2004, Remita (under SystemSpecs) tried to deliver a full pension solution to Nigeria’s pension commission, but the bid failed. Instead of quitting, the company launched pensions.com.ng, which later helped shape the Remita brand.

Remita got its big break when the Nigerian government selected it to power the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which helped manage public funds more efficiently. Atanda called it a “preparation meeting opportunity,” as the company was already building Nigeria’s first account-to-account switching system before TSA began.

This move boosted Remita’s reputation and helped it grow fast. Today, it employs more than 300 Nigerians and continues to launch new products.

Remita Focuses on Africa’s Digital Future

Remita now wants to use its deep knowledge and experience to solve payment problems across Africa. The company plans to help other countries develop strong digital payment systems that support financial inclusion and innovation.

Shina Badaru, Chairman of Digital Transformation Media Limited, praised Remita as a model for local tech success.

“Remita shows how African-made solutions can lead in the digital economy,” Badaru said. “We want to show how local innovation is solving real problems and changing markets.”

With a solid record, regulatory support, and working infrastructure, Remita believes it has what it takes to succeed across Africa. The company isn’t just chasing numbers—it wants to make a real difference.

“The vision is big, and we are fully committed,” said Atanda. “We’ve moved from a small feature to a big company, and now we are becoming a force across the continent.”