Nigeria has the highest number of internet users in Africa, while data shows that the country still has one of the highest average costs of smartphones. Citizens spend over 30% of their monthly income to purchase one, and this endangers Nigeria’s 2025 broadband penetration target. With the option to Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) identified as one of the initiatives to grow smartphone penetration to 60% by 2025, MTN and Intelligra’s partnership is a unique variant of BNPL that hopes to address this problem.
Speaking on the partnership with Intelligra, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said “With this partnership, customers will have the opportunity to;
Subscribe to any of the MTN bundle plans for as low as N7,000/month and walk away with a smartphone of your choice.
Pay over 6 – 12 months with as little as N0 initial deposit.
Plans are bundled with up to 100GB of data and 250 voice minutes monthly.
Redeem a one-time free screen replacement when broken and receive a one-time free phone replacement when stolen, provided the customer has an active and up-to-date subscription.”
“The partnership with Intelligra will drive financial inclusion, the digital goals of financing devices and making them accessible to the average man. It would also grant customers access to the internet, entertainment, and education and allow users to communicate easily,” she added.
The offer is a pocket-friendly route to owning a smartphone and by walking into any select MTN, SLOT and other retail stores across the country, MTN customers can acquire quality smartphones without breaking the bank. The offer comes with added benefits of monthly data allowance and voice call minutes, tenor periods (up to 12 months), increased financed amount (up to N500,000) and device protection against theft and screen damage.
According to Tayo Ogundipe, CEO/Founder, Intelligra Solutions Ltd, “This partnership with MTN, the foremost telecom provider in Africa and collaborations with financing institutions including StanbicIBTC, VFD Mfb, Personal Trust Mfb, Credit Direct Ltd and others has helped find a solution to smartphone penetration for Africans through increased digital and financial inclusion. The ecosystem also includes leading smartphone retail chain in Nigeria, SLOT and other major retail players across the country. These collaborations offer MTN users across the country, a unique, convenient, simple and flexible variant of BNPL with their choice of premium, quality brands including Samsung, Nokia, Tecno, Infinix and iTel models.”
To enjoy this amazing offer, interested customers can check their qualification status at participating stores or from the comfort of their homes online through MTN and Intelligra’s websites. Other partners will offer these online qualification checks on their websites in the coming days. Once qualified, a customer can subscribe to any of the customised MTN device financing plans and leave the store with a dream phone.
