MONROVIA, Liberia — A senior Central Bank of Liberia official on Thursday, October 9, confirmed that Payaza has been licensed to operate in Liberia, welcoming the pan-African payments company into a growing digital finance market while stressing that regulators expect “full delivery” and strict adherence to rules.
“Payaza, you’ve been licensed to operate because we know that once competition is introduced, the Liberian people get the best results,” said Collins W. Teah, Jr., Advisor for Information, Communications and Technology at the Central Bank of Liberia, speaking on behalf of Executive Governor Henry Saamoi. “Even after your licensing and your full space to operate, we expect full delivery. We expect full compliance.”
Teah delivered his remarks at Payaza’s launch event in Monrovia on Thursday, October 9, where Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan also spoke, along with senior Presidential Adviser Dr. Augustine Konneh and representatives of the banking sector. Teah said Governor Saamoi could not attend because he was presiding over a Board of Governors meeting.
Framing the entry as part of a broader push to digitize the economy, Teah said the Central Bank is operating under five strategic pillars: domestic price stability, financial stability, financial inclusion and digital financial services, regional integration, and operational efficiency. “Today, particularly, you fall within one of the key categories … financial inclusion and digital financial services,” he told company executives.
He added that the Central Bank has expanded its payments capacity “from a unit to a full-blown department” and credited close coordination with the Finance Ministry. “When the Ministry of Finance moves, the Central Bank moves,” he said. “We shall remain joined at the hips, even as we regulate.”
While congratulating Payaza, Teah underscored that licensing is only a starting point. “Our Governor … presents that aura that you think everything is possible. But within everything, it’s not possible,” he said. “We know you have the ability to deliver… You will receive our full support… but we expect full compliance.”
He echoed the administration’s call to focus on youth employment, urging the company to “plant deeper roots, not shallow roots” by hiring locally and building skills. “We are intentional about developing Liberia,” Teah said. “Think Liberia. Love Liberia. Build Liberia.”
About Payaza
Payaza describes itself as a pan‑African payments company that enables businesses and consumers to send, receive and manage money across multiple channels, including cards, bank transfers and mobile money, with merchant tools such as payment links, invoicing, disbursements and developer APIs. Company representatives at the launch referenced a regional footprint, with Liberia joining other African markets where Payaza operates. The firm did not immediately disclose Liberia-specific launch details such as the precise license category, bank and mobile‑money integrations, pricing or go‑live timelines.
