How to choose a data plan that doesn't waste your money

Nigerian networks sell the same data several different ways, at meaningfully different prices. Knowing which is which is worth real money over a year.

The plan types

• Direct / regular — bought straight from the network. Most expensive per gigabyte, works on every line, longest validity.
• SME — bulk data resold in smaller chunks. Noticeably cheaper. Works on most lines but availability fluctuates.
• Gifting — transferred from one account to another. Cheap, generally reliable.
• Corporate — bulk allocations. Cheapest per gigabyte, but the most sensitive to which line it lands on.

Cheapest per gigabyte is not always cheapest

Two things undermine a cheap plan. Validity: 10GB expiring in 7 days is poor value if you use 3GB a week. And compatibility: some corporate and SME plans fail on certain line types, and a failed purchase costs you time even when the money returns.

Sizing it honestly

• Messaging and email only — 1–2GB a month
• Social media, some video — 5–10GB
• Regular streaming — 20GB+
• Working from home / video calls — 40GB+, or fixed broadband

Buy a month at a time until you know your real number. Over-buying on validity you never use is the most common waste.

Buying

Choose the network first on Buy Data — the plan list is fetched live from the provider, so what you see is what is actually available right now. If nothing appears, that network is temporarily unavailable rather than sold out.