Nigeria's Clea Launches Vendor Payments for Businesses Buying From Overseas Suppliers

The stablecoin-powered platform lets companies fund accounts in naira, convert to foreign currency, and pay international vendors like Copart and IAA in one workflow — already adopted by 50+ businesses.

Nigerian cross-border payments startup Clea has launched Vendor Payments, a feature letting businesses pay international suppliers, vehicle auction platforms and shipping companies directly through its stablecoin-powered platform. The initial vendor network includes Copart and IAA, two major vehicle auction sites widely used by Nigerian businesses that import cars — a use case that generates significant, recurring cross-border payment friction given Nigeria's currency controls and limited foreign-exchange liquidity. The workflow is designed to collapse several steps into one: businesses fund their Clea account in naira, convert to the needed foreign currency within the platform, and settle the international payment without separately sourcing FX or routing through multiple intermediary banks. Since emerging from stealth in December 2025, Clea has processed more than $20 million in transaction volume, and the new Vendor Payments feature has already been adopted by over 50 businesses during its pilot phase. Clea says it plans to expand its vendor network further, adding invoice management and automated recurring payments — features aimed at making the platform a fuller trade-finance layer rather than just a one-off payment tool for import-heavy Nigerian businesses.