Lebara partners Payaza as exclusive payment partner to power new commerce hub

Lebara Nigeria, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) has partnered with Nigerian fintech Payaza to power a new digital commerce platform.

The two companies signed the partnership agreement in Lagos on Saturday, naming Payaza as the exclusive payment partner and technology provider for the platform.

The move marks the latest push by telecom operators to expand beyond traditional voice and data services as they seek to diversify revenue and strengthen customer engagement in Nigeria’s competitive telecommunications market.

What they are saying

Lebara Nigeria said the collaboration with Payaza reflects its broader ambition to build a digital ecosystem that combines connectivity with financial services and lifestyle offerings.

• “Nigeria stands at a defining moment where millions require more inclusive and globally connected digital access,” Chief Executive Officer of Lebara Nigeria, Teniola Stuffman, said.
• “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,” she added.

For Payaza, the agreement represents both a commercial opportunity and a validation of its payments infrastructure, with the company describing Lebara’s decision to partner with it as a vote of confidence in its capabilities.

• “At Payaza, customer obsession shapes every decision we make. Our partnership with Lebara Nigeria gives us an opportunity to translate that commitment into services that improve the everyday experience of millions of Nigerians,” Fawaz Abaniwonda, Executive Advisor, Innovation & Research at Payaza, said
• “Lebara’s decision to select Payaza as it begins operations in Nigeria is a significant vote of confidence in our infrastructure, our people and our ability to support global brands—not only in Nigeria, but across the 19 African markets in which we operate,” he added.

Lebara Nigeria’s Director of Consumer Business, Yinka Isioye said the partnership reflects a shared vision between the two companies around the convergence of connectivity and financial services.

• “Lebara and Payaza share the same vision, and that vision is for us where connectivity and finance work hand in hand to empower lives, empower people and build a digitally connected ecosystem that thrives and is sustainable,” he said.

The partnership also reflects a broader shift among telecom operators in Nigeria and across Africa as companies diversify beyond traditional connectivity services to commerce and lifestyle.

Asked if this shift can potentially become the next battleground for telcos, Yinka told Nairametrics that the next phase of competition in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry will extend beyond data and airtime, as network operators increasingly differentiate themselves by embedding payments, digital content and lifestyle services into their offerings.

He explained that the partnership reflects the company’s ambition to build a digital ecosystem rather than operate solely as a telecom provider.

• “We’re more positioned to not just deliver connectivity, but layer these kinds of services on it because, again, as an MVNO, that has always been the MVNO way. We give you connectivity, but we go beyond connectivity and partner to enable your digital lifestyle and ecosystem,” he said.

According to Yinka, the telecom industry has gradually evolved beyond simply providing network access, with consumers increasingly expecting connectivity to support digital services that form part of their everyday lives.

He added that while connectivity has become “a given,” future competition will centre on how operators integrate commerce, entertainment and financial services into a seamless customer experience.

Under the partnership, Payaza will provide the payment infrastructure and underlying technology powering Lebara’s soon-to-be-launched lifestyle and commerce platform, which will enable subscribers to purchase services such as airline tickets and event tickets directly through the platform.

Asked how the company would judge the success of the partnership after one year, Yinka said customer experience, not transaction volume, would remain the company’s primary performance metric.

• “So long as our partnership with Payaza continues to deliver the kind of experience we want for our customers, I would say we’ve achieved the payoff of that synergy,” he said.

Also speaking, 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.

According to him, Payaza’s existing footprint across multiple African markets means telecom operators can scale into new countries without rebuilding their payments infrastructure from scratch.

• “A partnership with Payaza means you don’t need to go and search for another partner in those countries. We already have our footprint there. That makes expansion very easy, and that is also a unique selling point for other entrants to come in,” he said.

More insights

Nigeria’s MVNO market is still in its early stages. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) introduced its five-tier licensing framework in 2023 and has since issued 46 MVNO licences, including 11 Tier 5 licences.

However, only a handful of operators have fully launched commercial services.

Lebara is positioning itself as one of the early MVNOs seeking to differentiate through a lifestyle-led strategy that combines connectivity with digital content and commerce. Its recently launched Lebara Play platform and planned commerce hub, powered by Payaza, reflect that approach.

The MVNO model has already gained traction across Europe, Asia and parts of Africa, where operators focus on customer experience and value-added services while leasing network infrastructure from established telecom companies.

• Nigeria’s large and youthful population presents an opportunity for MVNOs, as younger consumers tend to be heavy users of mobile data and more receptive to digital-first services.
• Yinka, believes MVNOs are well positioned to drive the next phase of innovation in the country’s telecom sector, describing the segment as “the next big thing” in Nigerian telecommunications.
• “It’s still early days, but we think the MVNO regime is the next big thing,” he said.
• “In the next five years, most Nigerians will probably get their connectivity and other digital solutions off the back of an MVNO,” he added.

What you should know

Lebara’s partnership with Payaza comes as Nigeria’s emerging MVNO market begins to take shape. But there are challenges to overcome.

• Earlier, Nairametrics reported that industry stakeholders have warned that many licensed MVNOs could struggle to survive unless they overcome infrastructure constraints, carve out clearly defined niche markets and adapt their business models to Nigeria’s operating environment.

Speaking at the sixth Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum in 2025, stakeholders argued that long-term success would depend on delivering differentiated, value-added services to targeted customer segments.