Telecom
Airtel Subscribers to Enjoy Free Insurance Plan
Airtel, leading telecommunications services provider in Nigeria has collaborated with two prominent insurance providers, to launch a free insurance product which offers Airtel customers life and hospitalisation insurance with increasing benefits based on monthly airtime recharge.
The Airtel partners on the product are MicroEnsure and Cornerstone Insurance plc.
The product launch is in line with Airtel’s vision to be the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians,
The product, which is tagged Airtel Insurance is packaged to deliver affordable insurance services and encourage insurance culture among Nigerians. It is first of its kind in Nigeria and has been endorsed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
It is open to all Nigerian residents between the ages of 18 and 65 years. All they need to do is dial *259# to register for the service.
All hospitalisations are covered, both for natural and accidental causes, with no medical exclusions, making it the most widely accessible and generous free insurance cover in the country.
Airtel Insurance rewards loyal Airtel customers with a renewable monthly life and hospitalisation cover based on the amount of monthly airtime recharged.
Customers can qualify for this insurance by recharging as little as N1,000 with Airtel each month, and as they increase their monthly recharge, they earn more insurance cover – with up to N 500,000 and N50,000 of life insurance and hospitalisation cover per month.
The product becomes active on the first day of month following registration, and is based on the amount of airtime recharged the previous month, with a minimum monthly recharge of N 1,000.
Customers also have a variety of packages to choose from.
With a monthly recharge of N1,000 Airtel insurance gives the customer N10,000 hospitalisation and N100,000 life insurance while N5,000 recharge will earn customers as much as N25,000 hospitalisation and N250,000 life insurance.
A N10,000 recharge will attract N50,000 hospitalisation and N500,000 life insurance.
Mr. Maurice Newa, chief commercial officer, Airtel Nigeria, explained that majority of Nigerians especially the middle and low income earners in Nigeria cannot afford most available insurance policies due to income levels and complicated insurance processes.
He said the Airtel Insurance plan on the other hand was designed to make affordable insurance available to everyone in a simple manner.
“In line with our vision to enrich the lives of Nigerians and offer them quality services, Airtel Nigeria collaborated with twovery reputable insurance organisations to package this innovative product which guarantees our customers quality, affordable and accessible insurance services. This further corroborates Airtel’s commitment towards creating a robust platform that helps customers accomplish their professional and personal success and goals in life,” Newa said.
“MicroEnsure is proud to be leading the world as a mobile insurance provider, and this launch in Nigeria marks a milestone in free mobile insurance offerings,” said Peter Gross, regional director for MicroEnsure Africa.
He added that the combination of insurance products, all offered for free, is unprecedented in the industry here, and we take pride in introducing a cutting edge micro-insurance product here in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Mr. Ganiyu Musa, group managing director of Cornerstone Insurance PLC, said, “Cornerstone is delighted to be at the forefront of providing truly innovative products and channels combinations that address the Nigerian situation. That we are grossly under-insured as a nation is very well documented; we are glad to be able to provide a platform for millions of financially excluded Nigerians to enjoy the benefits and peace of mind of insurance – for free. As we say at Cornerstone, “The Future” is, indeed, “Assured.”
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa.
Also, Cornerstone Insurance PLC is licenced in Nigeria as a composite Insurer offering both General and Life insurance products and services.
Cornerstone is committed to playing a lead role in the transformation of the insurance industry in Nigeria through the provision of truly innovative products and services using trusted partnerships and channels to deliver value beyond expectation.
And founded in 2002, MicroEnsure is the world’s first and largest organization whose sole focus is to address the mass market’s need to mitigate risk. MicroEnsure provides a range of micro-insurance products to over 8.2 million people throughout the world, with 4.5 million in Africa, 80% of whom have not previously been insured.
As an intermediary, MicroEnsure bridges the gap between mass-market distributors and insurance companies. MicroEnsure works to create markets in partnership with product distributors, enabling them to utilise insurance as a key marketing and sales tool.
MicroEnsure performs a range of services throughout this process, including product design and development, client education, underwriting and claims administration.
In a strategic move to deepen its presence in emerging economies, global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC has launched peer-to-peer (P2P) trading support for three new fiat currencies — the Nigerian Naira (NGN), Ethiopian Birr (ETB), and Pakistani Rupee (PKR). This expansion reflects the company’s increasing focus on localising crypto access in high-growth, underbanked regions.
The addition of NGN, ETB, and PKR to MEXC’s P2P platform enables users in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Pakistan to trade major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC) directly with their local currencies.
The trades come with zero transaction fees, in line with MEXC’s strategy to lower entry barriers for users and encourage grassroots participation in the digital asset economy.
The update is more than a technical expansion — it underscores MEXC’s recognition of Africa and South Asia as rising crypto frontiers. Nigeria, often cited as one of the world’s fastest-growing crypto markets, and Ethiopia, where digital finance is beginning to surge amid reforms, represent key territories for crypto adoption. Similarly, Pakistan’s growing youth population and fintech appetite offer strong potential for crypto-enabled financial inclusion.
To support the rollout, MEXC is actively onboarding new merchants to its P2P platform. Merchants benefit from zero transaction fees, dedicated customer support, a special verification badge, and invitations to exclusive community events. The goal is to nurture a local network of verified sellers and buyers who can facilitate seamless and trusted crypto trades.
P2P trading — which allows users to transact directly without third-party intermediaries — is especially relevant in markets where banking infrastructure is either insufficient or heavily regulated. By bypassing traditional systems, P2P provides a lifeline for users seeking stablecoins, alternative stores of value, or more flexible remittance solutions.
This latest expansion signals MEXC’s intent to compete aggressively for market share in underserved territories while enabling more users to access and benefit from Web3 technologies. As global exchanges race to localise their services, MEXC’s early moves into fiat integration may prove pivotal in shaping the next wave of crypto adoption across the Global South.
At the recently concluded NextNow Business Forum in Victoria Island, MTN Nigeria electrified the business community with a live demonstration of its forthcoming Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), a solution engineered to redefine how Nigerian enterprises connect with their customers.
Unlike traditional communication systems, MTN’s CPaaS is built for the realities of a mobile-first market. The platform unifies SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email, and more into a single, intuitive interface. This approach is especially significant in Nigeria, with over 107 million internet users, 45.4% of the total population, according to Data Report. This figure underscores the necessity for businesses to meet customers where they are.
During the demo, attendees witnessed how CPaaS enables two-way, real-time conversations between brands and customers. The platform’s support for rich media, instant analytics, and seamless integration with business workflows drew particular attention. These features are designed to empower businesses with data-driven insights and the agility to personalise every interaction, whether it’s a service notification, marketing campaign, or customer support exchange.
Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segment at MTN Nigeria, articulated the vision: “CPaaS gives enterprises the flexibility to interact with their customers on their preferred platforms; whether it’s chat, voice, or messaging, in a way that feels personal and immediate. We’re looking forward to the value this will unlock for businesses across industries once it launches.”
The fireside chat added depth to the conversation, with Omowunmi Olatunbosun, Head of SME Segment at MTN Nigeria, and Stephen Agbi of Bayobab, highlighting how digital engagement bridges the gap between businesses and audiences.
They emphasised that today’s consumers demand immediacy, relevance, and ease, qualities that CPaaS is built to deliver.
The stakes for digital transformation in Nigeria are high. In a report by Punch, the country’s enterprise tech market is projected to reach $22 billion by 2027, reflecting a surge in demand for scalable, cloud-based solutions that drive efficiency and customer loyalty.
The CPAAS Acceleration Alliance have estimated that globally, the CPaaS market is expected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2025 to $72.4 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4%, a testament to the platform’s transformative potential.
The event’s closing keynote from META’s Korhan Yunak reinforced the strategic value of digital channels like WhatsApp, which are now indispensable for business communication and engagement at scale.
As MTN Nigeria prepares for the Q3 2025 launch, the anticipation is unmistakable. With its promise of flexibility, intelligence, and seamless integration, MTN’s CPaaS platform is set to become the backbone of next-generation business-customer engagement in Nigeria, enabling enterprises to not just communicate but to connect, adapt, and grow in a digital-first era.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
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