At a time where other sectors and businesses in Nigeria are dying as a result of stormy economic times and the harsh operating environment, Nigeria’s telecommunications industry and Africa’s mobile system as a whole, continues to see more advanced revolutions and growth.
Recently, Credit Switch, an international mobile top-up company, unveiled in Nigeria, a product that will further accelerate the growth of mobile ecosystem in Africa.
The short code *931#, is a first of its kind product that allows phone users to transfer credit irrespective of the operator’s platform.
“Acclaimed as the next-level product coming out of Africa, this secure, convenient, easy and fast code will motivate techie start-ups and encourage investments in mobile app development.
It will prompt an entirely new awareness of the upward growth and development of the information communication technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria and Africa,” the company said in a statement.
Tayo Adigun, the Managing Director of Credit Switch said that the idea was born out of interest in giving solutions and making life easier for phone users.
“The idea that you cannot share your credit except you are on the same operator platform has become very frustrating. For instance, you have two phones, with two different GSM operators SIM cardsand you have more than enough credit on a particular one, instead of buying more credit, you can always take out of the other that has more than enough,” he
explained.
Speaking about the new innovation, Tola Talabi, Director at Credit Switch explained that the first cross-network sharing platform has presently been adopted by Airtel and Globacom and users on both networks can send credit from their phones to any network across the country.
“We have been engaging with MTN for a while now and it’s still unbelievable to them. They said because this innovation does not exist anywhere else in the world, it might not work, but we are here to prove that we, in Nigeria can create great innovation that will be transported world over and be successful. So by the time they see it working well on the two platforms on board, we are sure that MTN and Etisalat will join the team.
He reiterated the benefits to network operators, saying that the operator takes N10 on every N100 from either the receiver or sender of the credit depending on the network.
“Glo takes N10 on every N100 sent from the receiver who can be on any Nigerian network while Airtel deducts from the sender.
“By the time everyone around the world is using it, we would be proud to say it was a Nigerian company that developed this system,” he said.
Also speaking, Ade Akinfulurin, Director, Credit Switch said; “Credit Switch has come with a product of research. When something is new, people are reluctant to embrace it, but change is good especially when it helps to simplify the life of Nigerians. Some networks are watching to see how far this would go but I can assuredly say that it will go very far because this is a discovery that has never been done anywhere in the world, and by the time all the networks jump on it, we would see how much easier life can be,” he said.
Jumoke Akiyode
