How to Buy Third Party Motor Insurance Online in Nigeria

It’s no longer unheard of to buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria. And yes, no be everything online be scam.

Agreed, there are many fake websites out there claiming to be motor insurers or insurance agents or brokers. One needs to be careful when buying third-party motor insurance online.

Learn more: Insurance: 5 Common Myth vs 5 Common Facts

The question is, why buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria? I mean, why not just go to a physical broker or insurance company and get the business done? Here, we give you three solid reasons why buying third-party motor insurance online is the better option:

  • Fast certificate delivery: Buying through a physical location, you would have to wait for days before the insurance papers are out. Buying online, however, your insurance papers are ready immediately after payment! No time for stress.
  • Less paper-work: The last time a friend of ours bought thrid party motor insurance through a broker, we filled and filled and filled proposal forms. Abeg! Buying online, proposal forms questions are significantly shorter yet underwriting quality remains the same. Less paper-work = lesser stress.
  • Faster renewal process: For some motorists, the biggest challenge of buying motor insurance is the renewal process. That awkward feeling of visiting your broker’s office multiple times during renewal. Buying online, you can simply automate your renewal process so that your wallet is automatically billed the next premium upon renewal.

You get to enjoy these and more right from the comfort of your home and office. All you need to buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria is your mobile phone or laptop, internet connection, your funds and a reliable online bill payment platform like VTpass.

VTpass third-party auto insurance

How to Buy Third Part Motor Insurance from VTpass

To buy third party motor insurance from the comfort of your home or office, simply:

  • Log on to vtpass.com/insurance
  • Click on Third-Party Motor Insurance
  • Fill in the required information: insurance type, insured name, engine number, chassis number, phone number, etc.
  • Click on Continue to move to the payment confirmation page
  • Select a payment method i.e pay with card, wallet, or bank transfer
  • Enter your payment details and confirm payment

Done!

Your third-party motor insurance certificate would be delivered to you immediately after payment. The main policy document would follow only a few days later. Fast and easy.

buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria

Driving is a risk on its own, getting a motor cover shouldn’t be risky. Buy yours from VTpass as our quality third-party motor insurance is provided for you by Universal Insurance, one of Nigeria’s most credible insurers.

Drive with complete peace of mind when you buy third-party motor insurance from VTpass!

Related article: 5 Benefits of Third-Party Auto Insurance

2021 AFCON Qualifiers Predictions

2020 has certainly not been the best year for football lovers as tournaments and fixtures had to be shifted. Nevertheless, the return of AFCON Qualifiers is enough to lift spirits, especially in African football where fans relish the sport.

AFCON Qualifiers began on 11th November 2020 with Guinea beating Chad in the opening match and Senegal punching a 2-0 blow on Guinea-Bissau.

afcon qualifiers predictions

Yesterday, 12th November was a goal feast for AFCON fans as Cameroon chunked out 4 goals against Mozambique’s 1. Current reigning champions, Algeria, walked over Zimbabwe easily with a 3-1 victory.

Nigeria takes the pitch today, 13th November 2020 against Sierra Leone by 17:00 CAT; and at 20:00 CAT, bafana bafana of South Africa would clash with Sao Tome and Principe. But the most exciting clash of the week rests on the match between Egypt and Togo, Saturday 14th November!

Subscribe GOtv, DStv, or Startimes with VTpass
Subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes easily with VTpass

That said, here are our AFCON Qualifiers predictions. Prediction of teams who would make it to AFCON 2021.

2021 AFCON Qualifiers Predictions | Teams to Qualify

A tournament graced by 24 teams all competing for Africa’s Champions Crown would definitely be fierce, but you can expect to see these 12 juggernauts on the pitch come 2021:

  • Algeria: The current Champions are fast and deadly, recently taking the throne, and wouldn’t be giving it anytime soon.
  • Egypt: The Pharaohs are AFCON’s most successful champions with 7 titles to their name. Of course, they would make a show.
  • Senegal: With players like Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegal is expected to make it.
  • Nigeria: Super Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for AFCON year-on-year, 2021 shouldn’t be different. Among them, a gang of young stars.
  • South Africa: Africa’s most exciting flags to watch wouldn’t miss it. The bafanas are composed of bright players home and away.
  • Cameroon: Not very consistent over the last few years, Cameroon is yet deadly enough to secure a spot.
afcon qualifiers predictions
  • Ghana: Nothing short of strength is to be expected of the Black Stars of Ghana.
  • Morrocco: Another brilliant team from northern Africa. Last competition, they put up a fight. 2021 shouldn’t be any different.
  • Rwanda: This might come as a surprise to many but Rwanda has been undergoing major sporting changes. Experts predict the result of their sporting project to show in AFCON 2021.
  • Ivory Coast: They are not called Elephants for nothing! Besides, the orange shirts make a colorful divergence from all the greens and yellows.
  • Kenya: When a squad of strong legs is on the ship, you just know they would roll through. Kenya would make 2021 AFCON.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there is still the qualifiers to play after all. So put on your football socks, subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, relax into the games, and enjoy the matches!

WAEC 2020 Result Now Out! How to check WAEC Result Online

If you participated in the 2020 West African Examination (WAEC) or know someone who did, it’s time to rub your hands and see the scores.

As announced by the WAEC Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan; the 2020 result for over 94% of students who sat for the exams is out and others are still been processed.

This is to inform all the candidates that participated in the 2020 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) that they can now check their results online.

How to Check your WAEC Result online

You would need a WAEC Result Checker PIN to be able to check WAEC result online. Simply visit vtpass.com/waec-result to buy your Scratch card PIN at N1,800 only.

You get your PIN immediately after payment, displayed on VTpass website or app, and sent to you via email and SMS. Here is how to check your result online;

  • Buy a WAEC Result checker PIN at vtpass.com/waec-result
  • Go to WAEC 2020 result checking portal at https://www.waecdirect.org.
  • Enter your WAEC Examination Number in the required column.
  • Select your Examination Year i.e. 2020.
  • Select your Examination Type i.e. SCHOOL CANDIDATE RESULT.
  • Enter the Card Serial Number.
  • Enter the result checker PIN
  • Finally, click the “Submit” button to get your 2020 WAEC Result.
how to check waec result

Statistics dished out by WAEC show that over 65% of candidates who sat for the exam obtained a minimum of credits in five (5) subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

That is some good news! Get your result checker PIN at vtpass.com/waec-result and log on to https://www.waecdirect.org. to check your result now.

Increase in Electricity Tariff; Customers to Pay More

The latest news to storm Nigerians after a trying period this year is the increase in electricity tariff. As approved by the Regulator; the revised Service Reflective Tariff (SRT) would take electricity tariff plans a spike higher; resulting in fewer units for buying consumers.

SRT was meant to take effect from September 1st, 2020 but was suspended after the Federal Government, Labour Unions, and other stakeholders met to discuss concerns raised about the tariff increase. However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved the tariff spike after a brief wait.

IKEDC leads the pack in tariff implementation

On Sunday, November 1st, 2020, Ikeja Electric (IKEDC) announced via Twitter that they would commence the implementation of the revised tariff immediately.

The DisCo said: “Under the SRT, the tariff classification is based on the quality of service and therefore, divided into 5 Bands (A-E).

“This is measured by the average availability of power supply over a month, interruptions (frequency and duration), voltage levels, and other service parameters.

“With the revised tariff regime, Non-MD customers in Band A, with a minimum of 20 hours daily will now pay N51.22/Kwh.

“Band B customers with a minimum of 16 hours daily will be charged N46.93/Kwh; while Band C customers with a minimum of 12 hours daily will be charged N37.95/Kwh.

increase in electricity tariff

“However, please note that customers in Bands D and E, with a minimum of eight hours and four hours per day, respectively, are not impacted by the tariff revision.”

According to the company; the SRT tariffs of the two bands have been frozen, and consequently, they will continue to be charged the old tariff prior to the introduction of the SRT.

The prepaid meter customers in Bands A to C, who vends from November 1st would be charged the new tariff. The same will be implemented for postpaid customers in these bands during the November billing cycle.

AEDC comes next

Similarly, Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC) announced it will begin implementation of the increased electricity tariff with effect from the 1st of November too.

According to AEDC General Manager, Corporate Communication, Mr Oyebode Fadipe, customers on the pre-paid platform will be the first to experience the revised tariff when they vend as from Sunday, November 1st.

“While the revised tariff will reflect in the bills for customers on the postpaid platform when they receive their electricity bills.

“The tariff is divided into five bands and based on hours of supply to the customers.

“While customers on bands D and E have their tariff frozen, those on bands A, B, and C will see some level of reduction in their tariff as they vend.

“The AEDC assures its customers that it will, in line with the spirit and letter of the service reflective tariff, ensure that all customers receive quality service,” he said.

He said that the AEDC was also committed to the improvement of service to customers in all its franchise area.

“We, however, appeal to customers to please see this tariff regime as an opportunity for them to join hands with AEDC to speed up the process of improving the quality of service in the Nigerian power sector.”

AEDC would release the table of payment for the new tariff soon.

Other electricity distribution companies are expected to start implementing the increase in electricity tariff soon as well.

Pay Electricity Bills on VTpass

While VTpass has no control over the number of allocated to customers, prices would remain the same on our platform (as determined by respective electricity distributors) unless otherwise changed.

To pay your electricity bills using VTpass, simply log on to vtpass.com/eletricity-bill or click here. It’s fast and easy; your meter token would be displayed on our platform as well as sent to you via mail and SMS.

Surprises as the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2020/2021 Season Opens

On Tuesday 29th October, and Wednesday 21st October, the first leg of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League season playoff. We witnessed the return of Europe’s most thrilling football competition and the art of top soccer athletes.

The group stages of the tournament began with surprises and might just end with some more. In this article, we go over some of the unexpected match results from the UEFA champions league 2020/21 opener and matches to watch out for in the group stage:

champions league 2020/2021

Paris Saint Germain vs. Manchester United

Perhaps the only surprise from this encounter was the fact that PSG could still lose to Manchester United after their performance last season. The men from Paris made it to the finals last season but fell behind to Bayern Munich in a 1-0 contest.

Two seasons ago, Manchester United beat PSG 1-3 at the Parc des Princes stadium; everyone thought the Parisians would make a statement in this match with a win. But they fell behind 2 goals to 1 to the Reds.

Chelsea vs. Sevilla

Ok, not much surprise, but here is a match where a 300 million Euro Chelsea squad faces a firepower Sevilla and it ended 0-0. Fans were left a bit disappointed and so are we.

Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Real lost 0-1 to newly-promoted Cadiz last week in La Liga Santander; so it came more like a shock when Shakhtar put them 2-3 to the sword again at home.

Fans all over social media brought Real Madrid’s manager Zinedine Zidane under fire. But we feel the manager can only do much. With these results, Real Madrid needs a total squad rethink.

champions league 2020/2021

Pretty much every other game produced expected or near results, especially Bayern Munich who pounded Athletico Madrid 4-0 as a warning of their intent to retain the European Champions crown.

Now, let’s see the top group matches that you can’t afford to miss:

  • Barcelona vs Juventus: The long-awaited Messi vs. Ronaldo meeting after 3 years since Christiano Ronaldo left La Liga would finally happen. Twice!
  • Athletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich: The Germans already drew first blood with their 4-0 victory over their Spanish rival. But all roads lead to the Wanda Metropolitano for the return leg.
  • Manchester United vs PSG: Neymar and Mbappe have still got a chance to prove to Europe that Manchester United is not superior to the entire French football.
  • Sevilla vs Chelsea: The return leg of this encounter would hold at Seville and we can’t wait to see it! Perhaps, this is one of the most anticipated encounters after Barcelona vs Juventus.
  • Real Madrid vs Inter Millan: These two giants would meet in the third week of the tournament. A big one. We would get to finally see Zidane take on Conte in a European competition.

To catch all these actions live on your television, subscribe your GOtv or DStv with VTpass, either on the web or mobile app. We’ve got you covered!

VTpass.com- Bill payment platform
VTpass.com- Bill payment platform

Why the trend changed from #EndSARS to #EndSWAT

#EndSWAT

The #EndSARS campaign which surged from the beginning of October was a call for police brutality and alleged criminal offenses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad within the country to end.

While speculators wondered if the campaign would come to an end, following the Inspector General of police’s disbandment of SARS on Sunday, 11th, 2020; many protesters changed course, calling for the IG’s proposition of forming a new anti-robbery unit to be put to the sword.

To go by the name Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) team, the new anti-robbery police unit is meant to replace the now-defunct SARS. They would be tasked with carrying out the duties previously assigned to SARS.

The IG of police in a statement chipped in that members of SWAT would undergo a psychological and medical examination before admission into the force. He stressed that the unit would be held accountable for abuse of authority or violation of human rights. According to him, the unit would begin training from Monday, 19th October 2020.

#EndSWAT

But Nigerians took to Twitter just hours after the announcement, calling for the disbandment of SWAT, with the hashtag #EndSWAT trending immediately. According to them, SWAT is just a rebrand of SARS and is not the police reform they request for from the government.

Some of the reasons put forward by protesters for the #EndSWAT campaign include;

  • The use of ex-SARS operative in forming SWAT
  • Admission of ex-convicts into the force, and
  • Lack of disciplinary action drafted for operatives who abuse human rights.

In answer to that, the police have listed the following criteria as the qualification for admitting members into the SWAT team:

  • No former SARS operative would be a member of the SWAT team.
  • Only young, smart, and vibrant officers must be selected for training.
  • Officers must have over seven years of experience and a clean record – he/she must have no pending disciplinary issue, a record of violation of human rights, or a record of misuse of firearms.
  • Officers must be strong enough to withstand the rigors of SWAT training and operations.
  • Selected officers must undergo physical fitness tests, medical and toxicology screening, etc and unqualified candidates shall be discharged.
#EndSWAT

Talks are still been held as to the promised police reforms while protesters continue to make their voices heard.

Stay up to date with happenings and news around you. Top-up airtime or data and subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes on VTpass. Download the mobile app here.

Diving into the #EndSARS Campaign

The latest hashtag trending all over Nigerian social media is the #EndSARS hashtag which has geared over 3 million tweets, excluding related hashtags such as #EnsSARS #SARSMUSTEND, and #SarsMustGo.

Aside from social media, #EndSARS has been physically protested – most notably, in Lagos and Abuja. People stormed the streets since Tuesday, 6th November 2020, protesting and calling for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Nigerians overseas, especially those in Europe and North America, equally joined the campaign. While certain Nigerian celebrities voiced their opinions through videos and social media live transmits, non-Nigerian celebrities such as Trey Song, Cardi B, and Big Sean gave online activists a boost by their reactions to the campaign. Most notably, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing made a tweet on October 11th, 2020, supporting the Nigerian Police decision to ban SARS.

#EndSARS
Protesters on the streets of London, United Kingdom

So why all the noise? You may ask. What is #EndSARS all about and why is the movement making headlines in Nigeria?

How it Started

#EndSARS first began as a social media wake-up call started by Segun Awosanya in 2017 against the alleged brutality of the police unit. The campaign died down in the middle of 2018 as not a lot of people paid attention to activists call for the scrapping of the force.

On Saturday 3 October 2020, a video trended on social media showing a SARS police officer shoot a young Nigerian in front of Wetland Hotel, Delta State. The video prompted a public outcry on social media against the brutality.

Subsequent video and pictures containing alleged actions of SARS officers flooded social media. The campaign resurged with the hashtag #ENDSARS, culminating into advocacies, online activism, and protests.

#EndSARS
Protesters with Nigerian Police Force in Lagos

Nationwide protests started on October 8th; a face-off of peaceful protesters and the Nigerian Police who tried to disperse the crowd through the use of teargas and water sprays. Concurrently, protests broke out in London, Canada, and the United States, calling for the Nigerian government to put an end to the police unit.

Accusations Made Against SARS

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad officers have been accused of illegally arresting Nigerians, especially youths, and extorting money or other valuables from them. SARS has equally been accused of mounting illegal roadblocks, searching without a warrant, rape, treating suspects brutally, and killing innocent Nigerians

In 2016, an Amnesty International report surfaced, accusing SARS of human abuse, cruelty, torture, and degrading treatment of detainees – such as severe beating, hanging, and shooting detainees in the leg.

Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police Force: Mohammmed Adamu

Response from Nigerian Authorities

Given the uproar, the Deputy Governor of Lagos, Femi Hamzat, addressed protesters on October 9, 2020, stressing that the police have no right to arrest or extort citizens of their personal effects without proper investigations and reason. He however alluded protesters to remain peaceful in their protest.

That same day, Lagos State House of Assembly held an emergency meeting to address the petition signed and submitted to the National Assembly by 10, 195 protesters. Some of the issues discussed by the House was the necessity to dissolve the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and set up a new unit in it’s place with a clear code of conduct and sanctions for illegalities.

Yesterday, been Sunday, 11th of October, 2020, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced the dissolution of SARS. While some Nigerians took the announcement as a victory, many others called for the permanent elimination of the unit from existence, stressing that the government has banned SARS three times before now without substance.

#EndSARS

Where does VTpass stand?

It’s a sad moment for everyone witnessing these events happening around the country. On the other hand, however, the people’s voice ought to be heard as it is constitutionally structured to be.

As a brand, it is our responsibility to look beyond business when supporting matters that most concern our customers. On that note, VTpass stands with Nigerians in the fight for justice against illegal police oppression, the abuse of power, and disregard of human rights. #ENDSARS.

Keeping Up With The Ball? 5 Things to lookout For in 2020-21 Football Season

New seasons of the English Premier League (EPL), Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Seria A and French Ligue un are back.

Just last week, Crystal Palace knocked Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford, bringing back the ‘anything can happen’ tingles of the premier league.

In Germany, current UEFA champions and Bundesliga winner, Bayern Munich kickstarted their new season with an 8-0 slaughter of Schalke. Jeez!

Christiano Ronaldo pulled in a late one on the 88th minute as Juventus cruised 3-0 over Sampdoria in Seria A season opener. Guess the race for who’s best between him and his long time rival, Lionel Messi has just begun.

Speaking of Messi; he is yet to record a goal this season as FC Barcelona is just concluding pre-season ahead of 2020-21 La Liga.

Something to look out for, right? Or perhaps, we should look with awe into Ligue Un where Paris Saint Germain sits 8th on the league table haven lost two early matches. Hmmm. . .

With so much cooking up in Europe’s top 5 leagues, here are 5 things to look out for as the 2020-21 season unfolds:

epl seria a la liga bundesliga ligue un

Messi-Barca Ripple

The over-broadcasted news about Messi leaving FC Barcelona would most likely be felt all season long. Every move made by the Argentine would surely be scrutinized in the light of this.

Although reports state that Messi is willing to play one more season with Barcelona, all eyes are on him. Would he punish Barca for refusing to let him go or would he deliver yet another stunning result this season?

Bayern for another UEFA title?

Following a strong year for Bayern Munich last season, experts are predicting the German against might bag themselves yet another UEFA Champions League title; that is if they continue playing as they are currently.

The early 8-0 trashing of strong rivals, Schalke last week already shows Bayern’s intent. And with a solid squad of young talents, an ambitious coach and passionate fans, those predictions might just come true.

Liverpool on the hot seat

Current EPL champions are starting the season in a position all previous EPL winners do find themselves; – defending the title. Jurgen Klopp managed to pull a stunt for the reds last season by winning the title for Liverpool’s after a 30-years old title draught.

Now, he finds himself defending the title against strong contenders; the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea; a team that just spent $300 million on boosting their squad.

Another UEFA, Another Barca, Another Drama?

Barcelona has become the object of mockery in UEFA Champions League following 4 consecutive humiliating exists. The latter being an 8-2 trashing at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The club has shown spirit, however, in starting a new sporting project; signing new talents, urging old legs out, bringing in a more fitting manager, shifting some powers is management, etc; but fans around the world would never forget Barca’s UEFA Champions League woes.

Another UEFA, another Barca!

epl seria a la liga bundesliga ligue un

New Phase for Juventus?

When Christiano Ronaldo joined Juventus, it was solely to help them win the UEFA Champions League. 3 years down the lane, that is yet to happen.

Juventus had to sack Maurizio Sarri following a disappointing season in 2019-20 UEFA and appointed Andrea Pirlo as new manager. Is this the new face to lead Juventus into European glory once again?

To catch all of the footballing action this season, simply subscribe your GOtv, DStv or StarTimes. Non-stop entertainment waiting for you! Renew TV subscription with VTpass.

Evicted! Keeping Up With BBNaija Eviction (2)

A lot has happened since our last blog post in the BBNaija eviction series. If you’re looking for snippets and pecks into the latest house events, you can always find a pile on Twitter trends. Here, we prefer to wait, gather in the gist and dish it out with clear backup stories; just as you like it.

5 more housemates have left the lockdown house since our last post. Some were evicted singularly, but last night, Biggie gave us that “What?” moment with 3 housemates axed at once.

Here are the latest ex-housemate, and the story behind their eviction from BBNaija 2020:

BBNaija eviction

Kaisha

Ahh, this one pained many. The beautiful northern lady was the fifth housemate to taste Biggie’s axe after falling into the bottom four for possible eviction.

However there was a twist. Kaisha was evicted even after statistics showed that she had more votes than Neo, Trickytee and Wathoni. Fans all over Twitter questioned the authenticity of the votes, but Biggie’s mind was already made up. The lady was out.

BBNaija eviction

Praise

Cool, calm and calculated, Praise was the 6th to leave the house. The 28 years old erotic dancer got the spoon after gathering the least votes out of the four housemates up for eviction 2 weeks ago.

We really got nothing on praise. The guy has been flowing all through with other housemates. It’s only down to shortage of voting fans outside the house.

BBNaija eviction

Tolanibaj

Girl said she would be “missed at Saturday night parties” and we believe her. Tolanibaj had always set the Guiness Saturday night party’s dance floor on fire with her moves and groove. Surely, she would be missed.

Tolanibaj tasted BBNaija eviction after gearing up just 3.57% of total votes from viewers last week. Much to viewers’ dismay, the romantic spark that started between her and Prince days back would never blosom.

Wathoni

Our Kenyan beauty followed Tolanibaj out of the house just seconds after. The shock was written all over her face! But Wathoni stated the week before that she was tired of the house and wihsed to go home. Would we say she got what she wished for?

It doesn’t seem like it. Just days back, she and Brighto began to connect romanticall. She even said she would not allow a fellow female housemate, Dorathy, to take Brighto away from her. Oh well, viewers votes said otherwise.

Brighto

Believe us, this one shocked everyone. Our very own Lord Belish got evicted after summoning only 2.68% of viewers’ votes. No body actually saw this coming but Biggie has his twists. Brighto followed his bestie, Wathoni out of the house seconds after she left.

Named Lord Belish after a popular cunning character from the HBO series, Game of Thrones, Brighto made a name for himself in the house by secretly adding pepper and fire to other housemates situations. He would surely be missed!

The thrice certified engineer said he would be looking forward to adding more professional certificates to his name as he is more of a career person.

Biggie have now evicted 9 housemates, leaving 11 to contest for the grand price of N85 million. Don’t miss an action, VTpass got you covered.

E-payments in Nigeria Post-COVID

E-payments in Nigeria saw a total transformation during the lockdown. Yes, the pains of COVID-19 were felt but perhaps it left us with a few lessons too. We witnessed the difficulties associated with economic stagnation and knew the importance of business activities in any economy.

From the angle of finance, the pandemic gave insights into the future of payments in Nigeria. A study by Accenture revealed the limitation of cash and the increase of digital payment during the lockdown periods worldwide. For Nigeria, this is especially true.

e-payments COVID Nigeria

Even though people withdrew more cash than ever from ATMs around the country, less than 60% of that cash was actually spent. This was due to cash hoardings by people amidst not knowing when the lockdown would be eased.

Lack of physical cash gave boosts to online payments. Cashless and contactless payments became the norm so as to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

The long queues at ATMs were yet another factor. It was far easier to make payments digitally than paying in cash. Many individuals and businesses that could operate during the lockdown switched to electronic payment. All of these exploded e-payments around the country.

Just how much explosion? you might ask. In May 2020, e-payments in Nigeria jumped by 82% to ₦11.676 trillion from ₦6.421 trillion in April 2020. An all-time high!

Online retailers and payment platforms saw increases in patronage too, even as other consumer spendings decreased. This was evidenced by the increase in the number of online stores and internet marketers during the lockdown.

Now, as the country kick-starts full operations of economic activities, the question remains; would the rate of e-payments in Nigeria reduce, or would it increase in the coming months?

e-payments COVID Nigeria

Why e-Payment would increase

Electronic bill payments for goods and services around the country are only bound to increase. Here are two major post-COVID reasons why this would happen:

  • Personal Precautions:

The crisis may be relaxed but the ‘panic’ still exists for many. Millions of people would still prefer to take the safer route when making bills payments – that is to pay online.

Many health experts have warned about the risk of contacting COVID-19 from unaware, new carriers not detected during the quarantine. As such, the need to protect personal self from contacting the virus through cash handling or contact payment would keep a lot of people on the online payment track for a very long time.

  • Convenience:

For many, the quarantine was their chance to experience online payment for the first time. Convinence has been the major driver of e-payments since inception; it’s no wonder why a large percentage of new users would want to stick with the system.

World Bank already predicted that 25% of all money transfers would be done electronically by 2025; a chunk of that increase coming from new e-payment users in Africa. Convinence and speed of payment are major drivers that would prompt these new users to switch paymently to e-transactions.

new vtpass website

VTpass, driving e-payments in Nigeria.

Online bills payments are not reducing anytime soon. Instead, a lot more bill payers would make the switch from cash transactions in the future. You too can transit to paying bills online today.

Start by logging on to vtpass.com to pay bills in minutes. VTpass is Nigeria’s leading online payment platform that allows you to pay for the daily services you enjoy. You can top-up airtime or data, subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, pay electricity bills, buy insurance, and do more.

Payments on VTpass are fast and easy and you get value for your money within minutes of transfers. Visit vtpass.com to get started or simply download the VTpass mobile app.