MONROVIA, Liberia — Senior Presidential Adviser, Dr. Augustine Konneh on Thursday, October 9, said he personally pressed the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to move Payaza’s application forward, casting the pan‑African fintech’s entry as a priority for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s agenda to digitize the economy and empower youth and small businesses.
“I had to walk over to the Central Bank for one purpose — for the governor to ensure that Payaza comes to Liberia,” Konneh told attendees at the Payaza launch in Monrovia. Recounting calls with CBL’s Executor Governor Henry Saamoi, he added: “I said, this is the senior adviser. Now, where is Payaza’s document? … Let them go through the process now.”
Konneh said President Joseph Nyuma Boakai took a personal interest in the rollout. “When I talked with the President about Payaza, it became a song to him,” he said. “Every time he sees me, ‘What happened with Payaza?’ And as soon as he asked me, I called the Central Bank about Payaza. Until today, we’re here.”
The Senior Adviser framed Payaza’s arrival as both pro‑business and pro‑youth. “Payaza will empower businesses in Liberia… But Payaza will also empower young people,” he said, noting he first encountered the company in Accra and later championed its Liberia debut. He joked about being “BBC — born before computer,” but said he was drawn to the firm’s promise of “innovative payment solutions” that make “payment easy.”
Konneh also linked the launch to broader administration goals and his long‑standing collaboration with Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, who keynoted the event. “When Finance moves, we all move,” Konneh said, recalling they first worked together when Ngafuan served as Foreign Minister. “We know what he’s worth.”
He pledged sustained government support — alongside regulatory oversight — as Payaza scales. “As long as you’re on this path in helping us reach our development goals, we will always support you,” he said. “We will always make sure that the environment is provided for you to perform… I want to assure you that things will not be the same now that Payaza is here.”
The Central Bank’s stance
At the same event, Collins W. Teah, Jr., the CBL’s Advisor for Information, Communications and Technology, speaking for Executive Governor Henry Saamoi, said Payaza “has been licensed to operate,” adding that competition should deliver “the best results” for consumers and merchants. He stressed the bank expects “full delivery” and “full compliance” from the new entrant.
About Payaza
Payaza describes itself as a pan‑African payments company that enables businesses and consumers to send, receive and manage money across cards, bank transfers and mobile money. Typical services include merchant collections, payment links and invoicing, disbursements and bulk payouts, wallets/virtual accounts, and developer APIs and dashboards. Company representatives referenced a regional footprint, with Liberia joining other African markets where the firm operates.
