Sentinel Escrow on 13th july announced the official launch of SentiBud, a WhatsApp-based escrow assistant designed to eliminate financial risk for online buyers and sellers across Nigeria.
Despite the rapid growth of social commerce in Nigeria, thousands of daily transactions stall due to a lack of mutual trust. Buyers fear paying upfront without receiving their goods, while sellers risk losing money on uncollected deliveries if they accept payment on delivery. SentiBud solves this standoff by embedding a secure escrow mechanism directly into WhatsApp conversations.
The fundamental issue in social commerce has never been a lack of buyers or sellers; it’s trust,” said Mmaju Anselm, Founder of Sentinel Escrow.
“We created a simple escrow system where the buyer pays first, but the seller doesn’t receive the money until the buyer confirms they’ve received exactly what they ordered. The buyer is protected because the seller can’t touch the money before delivery. The seller is protected because the buyer has already committed to the purchase.
People loved the idea. But they kept telling us one thing.“Convincing someone to download another app is hard.” And they were right.
When you’re already chatting on WhatsApp, asking the other person to stop everything, install an app, create an account, and come back can be enough to kill the deal.
So instead of asking people to leave WhatsApp… We brought escrow to WhatsApp.
How SentiBud Works
Initiate Trade: Buyers or sellers’ message SentiBud directly within WhatsApp to set up transaction terms.
Fund Escrow: The buyer deposits funds into a secure escrow account managed by SentiBud.
Verified Dispatch: The seller receives instant confirmation that payment is locked and dispatches the item.
Instant Release: Once the buyer receives and verifies the item, funds are released to the seller.
Protecting Sellers Against Unreachable Buyers
SentiBud also solves another major pain point for Nigerian sellers: losing money when buyers become unreachable during delivery. If a buyer fails to answer the delivery rider after an order is sent, SentiBud automatically releases the delivery fee from escrow to the seller to cover logistics costs, ensuring sellers do not lose money simply because someone stopped answering their phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
how do i start a deal ? :
Just send us a WhatsApp message with what you’re buying or selling and the price. The bot walks you through the rest — creating the deal, securing payment, and keeping both sides updated.
Do i need to download an app? :
No. Everything happens inside WhatsApp, which you already have. If you prefer an app, Sentinel Escrow is also available on the App Store and Google Play.
What can i use it for? :
Physical goods, gadgets, fashion, pre-orders from Instagram vendors, freelance work, services — any deal between two people who haven’t built trust yet.
What if the item never arrives, or it isn’t what I ordered? :
Don’t confirm the deal. Raise the issue right there in the WhatsApp thread and our team steps in to resolve it. The money stays held in escrow until the dispute is settled.
How do seller benefit?:
Sellers see the buyer’s payment locked in before they ship, so there are no fake transfer screenshots or payment reversals. Offering escrow also makes new customers far more comfortable buying from you.
SentiBud is now live and available to all WhatsApp users in Nigeria.
For more information or to start a secure transaction, visit www.sentinelescrow.com or contact SentiBud on WhatsApp at +234 913 444 9151.
