Waza, the B2B payments and cross-border platform powering international trade for businesses in emerging markets, has been officially granted an International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This licence enables Waza to facilitate inward remittances into Nigeria, further strengthening its mission to build the financial rails connecting African businesses to the global economy and markets.
Founded in 2023, Waza emerged from Y Combinator with a bold goal: to make business payments as easy as sending a text. Since then, the company has processed over $700 million in annualized volume, providing payment and liquidity solutions for hundreds of businesses across six continents. With its IMTO licence, Waza expands its capabilities to include regulated remittance services, unlocking new ways for businesses and communities to receive funds from abroad—faster, safer, and more affordable.
“This licence is not just a milestone—it’s a validation of the robust payment infrastructure we’ve been building to support African businesses engaged in global trade,” said Maxwell Obi, CEO of Waza. “With this licence and our expanding suite of global payment solutions, we’re deepening our mission to connect emerging market businesses to the global economy through faster, safer, and more affordable remittance and liquidity tools. Remittances are vital to Africa’s economy, and we’re here to make them seamless and business-friendly.”
“Waza exists to simplify global payments for African businesses,” added Muyiwa Babarinde, Head of Marketing & Growth. “With the IMTO licence, we deepen our commitment to compliance, speed, and reliability, moving closer to a future where business payments are truly borderless.”
The IMTO licence follows Waza’s recent launch of Lync, its multi-currency business banking platform. With Lync, businesses can make and receive international payments via SWIFT, ACH, Fedwire, and local rails, solving the liquidity, access, and control challenges that African founders and enterprises face in global commerce.
As Nigeria’s remittance inflows continue to exceed $20 billion annually, and as regulators encourage fintech innovation, Waza is uniquely positioned to drive growth in the B2B cross-border payments space while offering compliance-backed solutions for the real economy.
About Waza:
Waza is the B2B payment platform for emerging market businesses. Registered as a Money Service Business (MSB) in the U.S. and now licensed by the CBN as an IMTO, Waza enables seamless foreign exchange, remittance, and banking solutions across over 100 countries.
For press enquiries: marketing@waza.co
Visit: https://waza.co
