Lebara Nigeria has launched the Agent Registration Portal (ARP), a new digital onboarding platform designed to accelerate the expansion of its retail and point-of-sale (POS) network nationwide.

Through the Agent Registration Portal, Lebara aims to create awareness, build trust and credibility within the retail channel, create opportunities for Nigerians to register and become Lebara partners, and position the brand as a modern, digitally driven, and opportunity – focused telecom operator.

With the introduction of the Agent Registration Portal, alongside its earlier customer-focused digital tools, Lebara Nigeria is designed to empower SMEs, independent distributors, SIM sellers, and retailers nationwide by removing traditional barriers to entry and enabling compliant, digital-first onboarding at scale.

Also, positioning  itself as a digitally driven telecom entrant, focused on speed, compliance, and nationwide reach as it prepares for full-scale operations across the country.

The rollout comes as part of a national onboarding campaign running from January to March, 2026, targeting both low-scale retail agents and high-scale distributors.

Through the portal, Lebara aims to rapidly grow its digital and physical presence across Nigeria while ensuring all partners meet required compliance and verification standards

The Agent Registration Portal is accessible via the Lebara Nigeria website and allows prospective agents and distributors to complete the entire onboarding process online.

Once approved, partner locations are activated as Lebara POS outlets, trained and authorized to sell Lebara starter packs, data bundles, vouchers and other Lebara Nigeria products and services.

The launch builds on Lebara Nigeria’s earlier digital initiatives ahead of its full market entry.

Prior to the Agent Registration Portal rollout, the company introduced a Number Registration Portal, enabling prospective customers to select and reserve preferred phone numbers before the network goes live.

The service allows users to secure personalised numbers such as memorable dates, culturally significant digits, or easy-to-recall patterns through a simple online process, giving customers early control over their mobile identity.

The Agent Registration Portal onboarding process follows a structured flow from account creation and document upload to compliance checks, verification, approval, and activation. Applicants are required to submit details such as National Identification Number (NIN), valid government-issued ID, Tax Identification Number (TIN), and address information. Where all documentation is complete, onboarding can be completed within 30 minutes, after which applicants receive email confirmation and next steps.

Commenting on the launch, Mary O. Akin-Adesokan, Chief Operating Officer of Lebara Nigeria, said the portal is central to the company’s operational and growth strategy in the country.

“The Agent Registration Portal is a key part of our strategy to scale Lebara’s retail presence nationwide. It allows us to onboard partners faster, ensure full compliance, and provide both small retailers and large distributors with a transparent and reliable way to do business with Lebara.

“Together with our earlier Number Reservation Portal, it demonstrates our commitment to using digital innovation to simplify access, empower partners, and enhance the overall telecom experience,” she said.

Despite lingering regulatory uncertainty, Nigeria processed an estimated $92.1 billion in cryptocurrency transactions between July 2024 and June 2025, reaffirming its position as Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest crypto market, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The figure, published in PwC’s Nigeria Economic Outlook 2026 titled “Turning Macroeconomic Stability into Sustainable Growth”, shows that Nigeria received nearly three times the crypto transaction value recorded in South Africa over the same period.

PwC attributed Nigeria’s dominance to its large population, youthful and digitally savvy users, persistent inflation, and continued foreign exchange (FX) access constraints, which have pushed many individuals and businesses toward crypto and stablecoins as alternative financial channels.

The report noted that crypto adoption in Nigeria reflects both economic necessity and structural transformation in financial behaviour.

PwC said Bitcoin continues to dominate fiat-to-crypto purchases in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 89 per cent of transactions in Nigeria and 74 per cent in South Africa, underscoring its role as a default hedge and entry asset in volatile or constrained financial environments.

It added that stablecoin usage is structurally higher in Nigeria, signalling reliance on crypto rails as an informal FX market and dollar-substitute channel.

However, PwC cautioned that the data reflects only centralised exchange activity and excludes peer-to-peer transactions and informal flows, suggesting that actual volumes may be significantly higher.

PwC projected that Nigeria is likely to retain its position as the region’s largest crypto market in 2026, driven by FX access challenges, inflation sensitivity, and sustained demand for stablecoins as a store of value and settlement mechanism.

The firm also noted that Nigeria had earlier processed about $59 billion in crypto transactions, largely driven by young, tech-savvy users, highlighting deepening adoption momentum.

“The rising usage of crypto, especially among Nigeria’s youth, underscores the urgent need to accelerate regulatory cohesion in the near term,” the report stated.

PwC identified several key issues that will shape Nigeria’s crypto landscape in 2026, including industry adoption and compliance challenges, licensing and regulatory frameworks, a structural shift in crypto taxation, capital flow management, and market surveillance.

On licensing and regulation, PwC observed that progress remains slow, with only two exchanges granted provisional approval so far.

This, it said, highlights capacity and sequencing challenges within the regulatory framework. The firm warned that the planned rollout of crypto-asset taxation could outpace supervisory readiness, raising concerns about effective enforcement without a fully operational licensing regime.

In terms of taxation, PwC disclosed that the new Tax and Tax Administration Acts, effective from 2026, will treat crypto profits as income taxed up to 25 per cent, replacing the previous 10 per cent capital gains tax.

This represents a significant increase in tax burden and complexity for crypto users. It also noted that Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) will face higher compliance and reporting obligations, raising operating costs for licensed platforms and potentially pushing more activity into informal or offshore channels

Dr. John C. Nwabueze, tax ombudsman/CEO, has stated that Nigerian taxpayers can now save on the cost of arbitration while still obtaining justice by resolving their tax complaints through the Office.

Dr. Nwabueze in a statement described the Office as a fair and efficient mediator between tax authorities and taxpayers.

Speaking after a strategic meeting with Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee (PFPTRC),  Nwabueze emphasized that the Office of the Tax Ombud serves as a mediation safety net for small and medium enterprises as well as multinational companies.

He said the Office receives and resolves issues related to taxes, levies, charges, customs duties, and other related matters, adding that it is partnering to enhance taxpayers’ trust and compliance through transparent mediation and accountability.

Commenting on the partnership, Oyedele noted that the meeting was part of ongoing efforts to support the effective implementation of tax reforms.

He explained that the Office of the Tax Ombud is an independent and impartial body established under the new tax laws to protect taxpayer rights, resolve complaints quickly and fairly, and build trust in the tax system through mediation and advocacy.

“Our engagement focused on collaboration with the Tax Ombud, given his critical role in ensuring that the reforms deliver not just better tax systems, but a fairer and more responsive tax administration for taxpayers.”