2 Best APIs for Direct Debit Mandates in Nigeria

Remita is Nigeria's most widely deployed government payment infrastructure platform, operated by SystemSpecs — a Lagos-based technology company founded in 1992. Remita is the payment engine behind the Nigerian Federal Government's Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which processes salaries for over 1.7 million federal civil servants monthly. It is also integrated with the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), making Remita the de facto standard for Nigerian government financial transactions. Beyond government, Remita is used by over 100 Nigerian universities for school fees, thousands of corporate organizations for payroll and collections, and millions of individuals for bill payments. The Remita API is RESTful with JSON payloads and uses a multi-layer authentication scheme: OAuth 2.0 Bearer Token combined with a separate API-Key header. Both are required for all API calls. This double authentication layer is by design — given that Remita processes government and institutional transactions that carry higher security requirements than typical commercial gateways. OAuth 2.0 tokens are obtained by authenticating against the Remita token endpoint using merchant credentials. The API-Key is a static key assigned during merchant onboarding. Full API documentation is at api.remita.net. The core Remita Collections product works via a unique concept called the Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR). When an invoice or payment obligation is created via the Remita API, a unique 12-digit RRR code is generated. The payer can then present this RRR at any of Nigeria's 30+ bank branches, ATMs, mobile banking apps, or online banking portals and make the payment. Funds are automatically routed to the merchant's account, and Remita reconciles the transaction in real time. This multi-bank collection capability — where a single reference code is valid at every bank in Nigeria — is Remita's most powerful differentiator. The Collections API is available for all business types. Government-specific integrations (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies — MDAs) connect to Remita's TSA (Treasury Single Account) integration, which automatically sweeps collected funds to the CBN Treasury Single Account as mandated by the Federal Government's 2015 TSA policy. The Agency Banking API enables fintech platforms and banks to build agent banking products — where registered agents (typically airtime kiosks, POS shops, supermarkets) can process financial transactions on behalf of their customers. Remita's agent network spans rural and urban Nigeria. The Vending API provides programmatic access to utility top-ups: airtime and data purchases for all four major Nigerian networks (MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile), electricity unit purchases for EKEDC, IKEDC, AEDC, BEDC, EEDC, JED, KAEDCO, and other NERC-licensed DISCOs, and DStv/GOtv subscription management. This makes Remita a convenient single integration point for platforms offering VAS (Value Added Services) products. The Direct Debit API enables businesses to set up standing debit mandates on customer bank accounts — automatically debiting on a schedule without requiring manual customer action for each transaction. This is used for insurance premium collection, loan repayments, and subscription services. Pricing for Remita is transaction-based and varies by product type (collections, transfers, vending). Unlike some gateways, Remita does not publish a flat public pricing table — rates are agreed during merchant onboarding and depend on volume and business type. Government entities and high-volume enterprises typically negotiate custom rates. The demo/test environment is available at remitademo.net, which mirrors all production functionality. Moving from demo to live requires completing Remita's merchant onboarding, which is more involved than typical payment gateways — reflecting the higher compliance requirements of its government-focused products. From a compliance standpoint, SystemSpecs Ltd (Remita's operator) holds CBN licensing and has SOC 2 Type II certification. Remita is also ISO 27001 certified for information security management. These certifications are required for the government contracts that form Remita's core business. Known challenges: Remita's developer documentation and API design are less modern than Paystack or Flutterwave. The API uses older REST conventions. The multi-layer authentication (OAuth 2.0 + API-Key) requires careful implementation. Merchant onboarding is more bureaucratic than self-service gateways. These trade-offs are acceptable for government and institutional clients where regulatory compliance outweighs developer experience. Frequently Asked Questions: Does Remita only serve government institutions? No — Remita is available to private businesses, educational institutions, and individuals. Government integration is its strongest use case, but any Nigerian business can use Remita for collections, payroll, and VAS. What is an RRR code? A Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) is a unique 12-digit code generated for each payment obligation. Payers can use this code to pay at any Nigerian bank, ATM, or mobile app — making it ideal for widespread collection from diverse payment sources. Is Remita safe for government revenue? Yes — Remita is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified, and is the CBN-approved platform for federal government revenue collection under the Treasury Single Account policy.

VFD Tech is the technology subsidiary of VFD Group Plc, a Lagos-based diversified financial holding company listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX). VFD Tech provides Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) infrastructure through its VBaaS platform, powered in collaboration with VFD Microfinance Bank Limited — a CBN-licensed microfinance bank that is also part of the VFD Group ecosystem. The VBaaS platform enables fintechs, lenders, savings platforms, and non-bank financial companies to embed banking products into their applications without obtaining their own banking license. The VFD Tech BaaS API documentation is available at vbaas-docs.vfdtech.ng. Authentication is handled via Access Tokens generated through the VBaaS portal at vbaas.vfdtech.ng. Developers access their sandbox environment at vbaas-dev.vfdtech.ng. The portal provides a controlled, structured onboarding process — unlike pure self-service gateways, BaaS access may require completing a partnership application with the VFD Tech team. The VBaaS Wallets API is the core product. It enables platforms to create and manage digital wallets for their users, with each wallet backed by a VFD Microfinance Bank account. This means wallet balances are held in a CBN-licensed, NDIC-insured bank — not in a non-bank payment processor's float. Wallet operations include: create wallet, credit/debit wallet, check balance, retrieve transaction history, and transfer between wallets. The Loans API enables fintech platforms to originate and manage loan products through the VFD BaaS infrastructure. This is a significant product for Nigerian digital lenders that want to offer credit products without holding a separate money lending license — by partnering with VFD Microfinance Bank as the licensed lender. Loan disbursements go directly into borrower wallets or bank accounts. The Direct Debit / Debit Mandates API enables platforms to set up recurring debit authorizations on customer bank accounts. Customers authorize a standing mandate, and the platform can trigger automatic debits on a defined schedule — ideal for loan repayment collection, subscription billing, and cooperative savings deductions. The Bills Payment API provides access to Nigerian utility and VAS services: electricity (NERC-licensed DISCOs), airtime (MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile), data bundles, cable TV (DStv, GOtv), and other billers. Platforms can let users pay bills directly from their VFD BaaS-powered wallets. Additional features include: QR Code payment generation and processing, POS infrastructure integration, and a Liveness Check API for identity verification during onboarding. From a compliance standpoint, VFD Microfinance Bank is CBN-licensed and NDIC-insured. All customer funds in VFD BaaS wallets benefit from NDIC deposit insurance coverage. The VBaaS platform inherits VFD Microfinance Bank's regulatory standing — a key advantage over non-bank BaaS providers. VFD Group Plc's diversified portfolio (which includes asset management, securities trading, insurance, and real estate in addition to microfinance banking and technology) gives VFD Tech a stable institutional foundation. The company is publicly listed on NGX, providing additional transparency and accountability. Pricing for VFD Tech BaaS is not publicly listed. Rates are transaction-based and negotiated during the partnership onboarding process. Developers can request a demo and pricing quotation through the VBaaS portal. Frequently Asked Questions: Can I build a lending product without a money lending license? VFD Tech's Loans API is powered by VFD Microfinance Bank, a licensed lender. Depending on your product structure, you may be able to offer credit products through VFD BaaS as an agent/partner without your own license — but legal advice is recommended for your specific use case. Are customer wallets protected by NDIC? Yes — funds in wallets backed by VFD Microfinance Bank are covered by NDIC deposit insurance up to the applicable limit.