Awka, Anambra, Nigeria, 22 April – Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, and the Anambra State Government have announced a landmark partnership to accelerate the economic growth of one of Nigeria’s most commercially vibrant states. The collaboration will leverage Flutterwave’s payments infrastructure to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), deepen e-commerce penetration, and connect Anambra’s businesses to global markets.
Anambra State has long been synonymous with entrepreneurial excellence. Home to the legendary Onitsha Main Market, one of the largest markets in Africa, and one of Africa’s largest trading hubs, with an estimated annual trade volume exceeding $5 billion, underscoring its central role in the state’s commercial activity. This vibrant trade culture contributes significantly to Anambra’s broader economy, which has a GDP of approximately $13 billion. Trade is deeply embedded in daily life, powered by a vibrant community of business owners driving activity across local and regional markets. Yet, a significant number of these businesses remain outside the formal digital economy, a gap this partnership is designed to close.
Through Flutterwave’s suite of tools, including payment links, invoicing, storefront solutions, marketplace, and POS integrations, business owners across Anambra will accept payments digitally, manage revenues efficiently, and scale with confidence. Flutterwave will work with the state government to onboard SMEs onto its platform, boosting formalisation rates.
The impact of this infrastructure is already being felt by businesses operating across Nigeria, and Anambra State in particular. Dr Stanley Uzochukwu, Chairman of Stanel Group & The Delborough Hotel, who maintains a significant business footprint in the state, commented: “At Stanel Group, using Flutterwave has increased our revenue by 38%, driven by easier access to both global and local payments. Paying international suppliers has also become significantly more seamless through Flutterwave for Business.”
With Nigeria’s e-commerce market projected to surpass $10 billion by 2027, Anambra, long anchored in physical trade, is primed to capture a significant share of this digital growth. Flutterwave’s infrastructure will enable merchants to establish online storefronts and fulfil orders nationwide and beyond, while joint programmes with the state government will bring traders in Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and other parts of the state into the digital commerce ecosystem.
Send App by Flutterwave gives Anambra’s businesses a direct gateway to global financial connectivity. Business owners can receive payments from customers and partners across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, in multiple currencies, at real-time exchange rates, and within minutes. For the state’s highly active diaspora community, Send App also provides a seamless channel to invest in and support businesses at home, further amplifying Anambra’s economic growth potential.
Olugbenga Agboola, Flutterwave Founder and CEO, said: “Anambra has long been a cornerstone of commerce in Nigeria, built on the ingenuity, resilience, and ambition of its people. At Flutterwave, we believe that every one of those entrepreneurs deserves access to the same world-class financial infrastructure that powers businesses in New York, London, and Singapore.”
“This partnership is a step towards economic sovereignty. We’re providing Anambra’s SMEs the tools and infrastructure to scale, the confidence to go global, and the freedom to build lasting wealth for themselves, their families, and their state. Enabling a business owner in Onitsha to accept payments around the globe seamlessly is how we redefine what’s possible for Nigeria,” Agboola added.
The Anambra State Government welcomed the partnership as a transformative step in repositioning the state as Nigeria’s leading digital commerce destination. Flutterwave and the state government will announce implementation timelines and SME onboarding programmes in the coming weeks.
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