There have been massive disruptions in the Nigerian fintech space. From payments processors and digital banks to mobile money and lenders, the innovations in the financial service space in Nigeria have been immense.
However, despite their number and effectiveness, most Nigerians still find it difficult to undertake cross-border remittances; receive money from abroad.
In 2016 alone, over $20bn was sent into Nigeria by migrants and others in the diaspora. But so far the go-to solutions have always been Western Union and Moneygram and unfortunately, they both charge high fees for their transactions – about 10% on every $200 transaction.
At this cost, Nigerians end up spending more than $7 billion in fees – and this is a huge pain point. But one startup wants to fill in this gap for Nigerians. Meet Orobo.
Orobo is a money transfer platform. Launched in 2018 by Chiedu Okeke. The platform facilitates cross-border remittance into Nigeria and Ghana from the United States via a simple app.
This means that Nigerians who work or stay abroad can now transfer funds to their families here easily and at cheaper rates than the traditional card-based bank transfers. And in the same vein, users of the platform here in Nigeria can also send money abroad – Ghana or Sierra Leone
OROBO mission has always been using technology to solve the day-to-day challenges faced by the Africans and the Diasporas living outside the African continent, which they encounter when it comes to remittance and cross-border bill payments, both at the personal and business levels.
Chiedu Okeke, CEO, Orobo
Irrespective of the amount to be transferred, the platform charges a low fixed fee of $4.99 which is pretty competitive.
Transfers made via Orobo are immediate and can be accessed by recipients via banks, vouchers, mobile wallets, ATMs (cardless withdrawal) and mobile agents locally, thanks to Orobo’s direct connection with domestic payment schemes in the country.
In addition to remittance, the platform also allows users to purchase airtime, pay monthly utility bills, school fees, medical bills, purchase prescriptions or even pay contractors directly to build a new home.
Currently, the service is only available to US users in New Jersey, Washington DC, South Carolina and New Mexico. The Orobo app can also be downloaded for free on the Apple or Google Play stores.
Technext Newsletter
Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!
