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15th April 2020, LONDON: Financial technology company Volopa today announced the launch of its new mobile money transfer service designed exclusively for the more than 1 million people who make up the UK based Nigerian community.

Allowing customers in the UK to send money home to Nigeria from the comfort of their own home, without having to travel unnecessarily to on-the-street money transfer offices, has never been so important.

Jay Wissema, Director at Volopa, said: “It was important to continue with the planned launch of the Oya app despite of these uncertain times. Now, more than ever, when customers are advised to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we want to make sure that they can still send money to their families and friends in Nigeria securely, quickly, and while staying safe.”

He added: “Nigeria has locked down key cities in anticipation of growing cases and, as this develops, there will be an increasing need for family support to Nigeria. Using the Oya app, people are able to send money 24/7 from their UK bank account directly to any Nigerian bank account, without having to go out neither here nor there to get access to the money.”

More money is being remitted from the UK to Nigeria than to any other country, with more than £3.3Bn being remitted each year (based on World Bank data). This money is sent by the UK Nigerian community to support family and friends back home, pay bills and more, enabling a vital flow of funds into the Nigerian economy.

Traditional money transmitters and banks have long dominated this market offering inflated exchange rates, high fees and slow service, with people often having to go out and queue in line to send money home.

Developed in collaboration with members of the Nigerian community, Oya was founded with a vision to make sending money to Nigeria faster, fairer and safer. Customers using the Oya app can send money 24/7 securely to any bank in Nigeria with money delivered in under one minute and typically in the recipient’s account within fifteen minutes (depending on the recipient’s bank). Offering market leading exchange rates, a low, fixed transfer fee and instant notification to keep customers updated every step of the way. Oya is available for both iPhone and Android devices.

About Oya and Volopa 

Oya is a trade name of Volopa Financial Services (Scotland) Limited, authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority as a Payments Services Provider (FRN 554549) and licenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria as an International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO). Founded in 2011, Volopa is an innovator in the international payments and foreign exchange arena on a mission of making international money transfers fair, fast and simple for everyone. We are a fast-growing team based in London made up of tech and payments experts with backgrounds from some of the world’s leading payment brands and financial institutions, today helping our happy customers send money to 180 countries in 39 currencies.