Notes from our work · Marketing
The sign-up code that never arrived
When you market to Nigerians abroad, check how the sign-up code reaches them before you spend on the event.
In December 2025 we ran a stand at a Lagos concert for a money-transfer app. The app serves Nigerians in the UK, the US, Canada and Europe, and many of them fly home for December. The plan was simple: meet them at the concert, help them install the app, and get them to make a first transfer.
The stand was busy. We collected 134 leads. Only 5 people made a first transfer on the spot.
What went wrong
We traced where the sign-ups stopped. Visitors downloaded the app, entered their phone number, and waited for the one-time code. It did not arrive.
Their phones were on UK, US or Canadian numbers, roaming in Lagos. Text messages with sign-up codes can fail to reach a foreign number that is roaming in Nigeria. The visitor gives up, and the lead is lost.
What we changed
We reported it to the client with a fix:
- Send the sign-up code by WhatsApp or email as well as by text message.
- Count first transfers, not leads, when judging an event.
The lesson for any brand selling to the diaspora
Test the full sign-up path on a foreign SIM in Nigeria before the event. It takes ten minutes, and it decides whether the money you spend on the stand turns into customers.