Global telecoms firm, Lebara, has signed a partnership with pan-African financial technology and payment infrastructure company, Payaza Africa Limited, through its local arm, Lebara Nigeria.
With the deal, Lebara, a global Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), has boosted its status as a payment infrastructure provider, and now focusing on the launch of its lifestyle and commerce platform.
Under the agreement, which now positions the operator as one of the first major commercial partnerships announced by the telecom company since its entry into the Nigerian market, Payaza will power payments across Lebara’s digital ecosystem, enabling customers to pay bills, subscribe to services, access digital products, and complete transactions through a single platform.
The companies say the partnership was intended to create a unified commerce experience that combines connectivity and financial services.
Speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), chief executive officer of Lebara Nigeria, Teniola Stuffman, said the partnership aligned with the firm’s philosophy of providing reliable and affordable services for consumers.
“Our partnership with Payaza aligns perfectly with our ‘Telco Trinity’ philosophy of delivering reliable, affordable, and customer-centric services. By leveraging Payaza’s secure financial infrastructure, we are transforming connectivity into a true gateway for digital commerce and financial empowerment,” Stuffman said.
Payaza’s chief technology officer, Philips Akinyele said the collaboration strengthens the fintech’s position as an infrastructure provider for telecom operators looking to expand within and outside Nigeria.
The announcement comes at a time when Nigeria’s MVNO market is beginning to take shape. While MVNOs have operated successfully in markets such as the UK for decades, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) only began issuing MVNO licences in 2023.
Meanwhile, Lebara itself was founded in 2001 and has since expanded across multiple countries.
Despite expectations that MVNOs would introduce greater competition and innovation into the telecom sector, activity has remained relatively subdued.
