M-KOPA Nigeria Unlocks ₦231B Credit for 1M+ Customers in 2025

M-KOPA Nigeria has provided over ₦231 billion in credit to more than one million customers, according to the company’s inaugural Impact Report unveiled on Thursday, February 2026, in Yaba, Lagos. The pay-as-you-go platform has become M-KOPA’s fastest-growing market and quickest to reach the one-million-customer milestone since its 2019 launch.

Customer Income Impact

According to the report, 77% of customers use their smartphones or digital loans to generate income. Three in four customers say they are earning more since joining the platform, while 81% of long-term customers report improved household expenses. In total, 290,000 Nigerians accessed a smartphone for the first time through M-KOPA’s financing model.

Babajide Duroshola, General Manager of M-KOPA Nigeria, commented: “Nigeria represents extraordinary potential, and we’re proud that it has become M-KOPA’s fastest-growing market. Our Impact Report shows that when Every Day Earners gain access to the right digital and financial tools, they use them to create stability and long-term progress for their families.”

Digital Access as Economic Infrastructure

For many customers, a smartphone functions as working capital rather than a lifestyle upgrade. The report reinforces a clear pattern: device finance is closely linked to income growth. Smartphones enable payments, supplier coordination, online marketing and access to credit. In informal markets where visibility and speed matter, connectivity can mean the difference between subsistence and growth.

One customer, Suliyat, a rice seller, illustrates this shift. She paid an M-KOPA deposit of NGN 40,000 and used her savings to buy more rice for her business. “Now, I can pay the kids’ school fees and grow my business. With my smartphone, I keep in contact with suppliers, manage my salesgirls, and even post TikTok videos of my food,” she said.

Agent Network Performance

Nigeria now leads all M-KOPA markets in agent network performance, with 11,000 active Direct Sales Agents and an exceptionally low turnover rate of 0.1%. According to the report, 99% of agents report earning more through M-KOPA, while 56% say it was their first income opportunity.

One agent, Adewunmi, joined as an agent shortly after giving birth in 2021 and later rose to Sales Lead, managing 20 sales agents. “Working with M-KOPA has truly empowered me. I can now manage daily expenses, handle emergencies, invest in my future, take care of my family, and pay my child’s school fees,” she said.

Gender Inclusion Progress

The report signals measurable progress on women’s inclusion. Female customer participation rose from 29% in 2024 to 33% in 2025. Women now account for 53% of active sales agents, representing a 42% increase. More significantly, 52% of women customers accessed their first formal loan through M-KOPA, narrowing persistent gaps in financial access and credit history for women in Nigeria’s informal sector.

Strategic Partnerships

Partnerships with MTN Nigeria, Samsung and HMD have helped deepen impact by bundling connectivity, device protection and trade-in options into financing plans. These collaborations embed real value into everyday usage, turning affordability into meaningful digital participation.

Device security features and firmware-level controls help manage credit risk on financed handsets. That technical layer reduces losses and supports sustainable pricing.