Notes from our work · Systems
Why we sent a client’s text messages through a local provider
For bulk text messages to Nigerian phones, a local provider usually costs a small fraction of a foreign one.
In March 2026 a client asked us to set up email campaigns, a mailbox and bulk text messages for one of a client’s programmes. Text messages reach people who do not read email or follow the brand online.
What we compared
We priced the same message to a Nigerian number two ways:
- Through a well-known international platform, billed in dollars.
- Through a licensed Nigerian provider, billed in naira.
At the time, the local route cost about 90 times less per message.
What we set up
- Email campaigns and a mailbox for the programme.
- Bulk text messages through the local provider.
- An online training session for the agency’s team on the new email and text-message tools.
The lesson
Foreign platforms make sense for messages to foreign numbers. For messages to Nigerian numbers, start with a licensed local provider, check that the sender name is approved, and compare prices on the day you buy. Exchange rates move, and dollar prices move with them.