Clea, a blockchain-powered payment platform designed to help African importers pay international suppliers in US dollars while settling locally, has officially launched following a successful pilot phase.
Built to address long-standing challenges in cross-border trade, Clea enables businesses to make secure, transparent, and reliable USD payments directly from local currency, eliminating banking delays, reducing fraud risks, and strengthening trust between importers and global suppliers. The platform offers instant global settlements, ensuring transactions are completed quickly and efficiently.
Proven Demand During Pilot Phase
During its pilot program, Clea processed over $4 million in cross-border transactions, signaling strong demand from businesses navigating the complexities of international trade. Currently, the platform serves Nigerian importers trading with suppliers in the United States, China, and the UAE, with plans to expand into additional trade corridors across Africa.
Key Features
- Local currency payments with instant USD access
- Flexible settlement options: instant, same-day, or next-day
- Transparent, traceable transactions to reduce fraud risk
Sheriff Adedokun, CEO and Co-Founder of Clea, explained the platform’s value proposition:
Importers face unnecessary stress when payments are delayed or rejected. Clea eliminates that uncertainty by offering reliable, secure, and traceable payments completed in the importer’s own name, strengthening supplier confidence from day one.
Iyiola Osuagwu, Co-Founder and CTO, added:
Our goal is to make global trade feel as seamless as a local transfer. By connecting local currencies to global transactions through blockchain technology, we are removing barriers that have limited African importers for years.
Strategic Partnerships and Growth Plans
Clea is already collaborating with shipping operators, who refer merchants to the platform, and is engaging trade associations and logistics networks in key import hubs. While the company remains fully bootstrapped, it is open to strategic investors aligned with its mission to build a trusted global payment network for African businesses.
Sidney Egwuatu, Co-Founder and COO, outlined the next phase:
The next phase for us is scale. We are expanding across all 36 Nigerian states, strengthening partnerships, and opening new payout routes across Africa and beyond. Our focus is building a dependable financial infrastructure that genuinely supports importer growth.
With its official launch, Clea is positioning itself as a game-changer for African trade, leveraging blockchain technology to deliver speed, security, and transparency in global payments.
