Economy

Before You Fall Into Recharge Card Business Scam, Read This

Published

7 years ago

11/07/2018

By Dipo Olowookere

I have read several times about some Nigerians lamenting being scammed by fraudsters who claim they can go into recharge business by selling in bulk with as low as N10,000.

Each time I read or hear about victims crying about being scammed, I say to myself that they fell for it because they were ignorant and failed to do at least a bit of research before parting away with their hard-earned money.

The purpose of this article is to educate you on some basics of the recharge card business so that no one can fool you next time about it.

It is important I state that recharge card business is capital intensive, especially if you want to make huge profit.

First, none of the GSM network provider sells recharge cards in bulk directly to individuals or small scale sellers. They sell their recharge card pins directly to dealers, who have registered with them and must have millions of Naira to invest into the business.

In some cases, if not most, banks stand in as guarantor for these dealers because dealers are given targets to meet each month. Some networks, like MTN, give their dealers N1 billion turnover per month.

Now, when dealers buy these recharge card pins, which are then printed in cards and papers, they sell to those called the sub-dealers. Dealers also sell the recharge card pins to sub-dealers as Virtual Top Up (VTU).

In some cases, some of these sub-dealers buy recharge cards worth N10-50 million daily from dealers to resell to those who hawk the cards to retailers (those who sell the product under umbrellas by the roadsides, shops and others).

Recharge Card Prices

The prices of recharge cards are influenced by demand and supply. When there is a huge demand for a network’s recharge card, the price goes up because it is scarce in the market. However, when there is less demand for it, the price drops.

In most cases, the prices of recharge cards go up at the beginning of the month and drops at the end of the month. This is because at the end of the month, most dealers are after meeting their targets and would sell at a lower rate in order to get the commission network providers give to dealers who meet their targets.

But MTN, which is the market leader, has somehow stabilised its price at the market unlike in the past.

From my investigation, MTN sells its N100 recharge card to dealers at N96 and it expects them to sell to sub-dealers and retailers at N96.50k. It came up with this policy so as to stop the sale of its cards above the face value like it happened in the past where the N100 voucher was sold for N110.

For Airtel, the price ranges from N94.50k to N95.50k, depending on who is selling it and the volume being purchased.

For Etisalat, the price ranges from N94 to N95, while Glo goes for N90 to N92.

In recharge card business, the prices of other card denominations are calculated using the price of the N100 cards.

If anyone approaches you to say he can get you recharge cards of any network at rates about N3-5 below the above prices, you should raise a red flag.

Also, if anyone says you can start printing recharge cards as low as N10,000, you should raise an eyebrow because no network sells their recharge card pins to sub-dealers or retailers, but dealers alone, who are like partners in the business with them. In fact, the network providers call their dealers Trade Partners.

If you require further information or clarification, please feel free to use the comment box.

Economy

VFD Group Bounces Back to Profitability With N11.2bn PBT in 2024

Published

2 hours ago

25/04/2025

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Proprietary Investment firm, VFD Group Plc, recorded a 1,202 per cent rise in its Profit Before Tax (PBT) in the 2024 financial year, closing December 31, 2024, at N11.2 billion.

This marked a turnaround after VFD Group reported a pre-tax loss of N1 billion in 2023 due to macroeconomic headwinds which affected a lot of businesses locally and globally.

Net investment income surged by 95 per cent to N59.0 billion despite a spike in investment expenses to N15.5 billion from N7.4 billion in 2023.

Other metrics showed that net revenue increased by 90 per cent to N71.0 billion, while operating profit grew by an impressive 104 per cent to N48.8 billion.

The firm, listed on the main board of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, noted that the development showcased exceptional growth.

“The journey to this milestone was paved with strategic initiatives and a relentless pursuit of innovation,” it added in a statement on Friday.

The company holds investments in over 20 portfolio businesses spanning key sectors such as financial services, banking, market infrastructure, capital markets, technology, real estate, and hospitality.

As of April 22, 2025, VFD Group’s market capitalisation surged by 116 per cent to hit N121.6 billion from N56.2 billion year to date.

“These outstanding results reflect the success of our team’s efforts. As VFD Group looks to the future, it remains committed to delivering exceptional value to its customers and stakeholders,” the statement added.

Economy

Nigeria Targets $90bn from Textile, Livestock by 2035

Published

3 hours ago

25/04/2025

Modupe Gbadeyanka

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

About $90 billion is expected to be generated in economic value by 2035 from new strategies developed by the Nigerian government for agribusiness expansion and livestock transformation.

To achieve this, the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by the Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, has approved the establishment of a Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board.

At the NEC meeting on Thursday in Abuja, steps to reposition Nigeria’s economy and tackle insecurity at its roots were discussed by the participants, which included the governors of the 36 states of the federation.

The new regulatory body for the cotton, textile and garment sector of Nigeria will have governors representing the six geo-political zones, with Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, Budget and Economic Planning, and Industry, Trade and Investment as members.

It would be domiciled in the presidency, with representation of the relevant public sector stakeholders, and funded from the Textile Import Levy being collected by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), though it would be private sector-driven.

“Nigeria is a nation where cotton can thrive in 34 states. Yet our production level remains a fraction of our potential.

“We currently produce only 13,000 metric tons, while we continue to import textiles worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This is not just an economic imbalance. It is an invitation to act,” he added.

“Our goal is not just regulation. It is a revival. This is our opportunity to re-industrialise, to empower communities, and to restore pride in local production,” the VP stated.

Also at the meeting yesterday, the council approved the establishment of the Green Imperative Project (GIP), with a national office in Abuja and regional offices across the six geopolitical zones.

Economy

CSCS, FrieslandCampina, Geo-Fluids Push NASD OTC Exchange Higher by 0.55%

Published

5 hours ago

25/04/2025

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange closed higher by 0.55 per cent on Thursday, April 24 after the prices of three stocks on the platform ended in green.

This added N10.48 billion to the market capitalisation of the bourse, closing at N1.918 trillion compared with the N1.908 trillion it ended in the preceding session.

In the same vein, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) went up during the session by 17.90 points to 3,276.98 points from the previous session’s 3,259.08 points.

The market was dominated by bargain-hunting activities due to renewed investor confidence. None of the securities on the NASD ended in red yesterday.

However, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N1.97 to close at N21.71 per unit compared with Wednesday’s price of N19.74 per unit, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc appreciated by 15 Kobo to end at N37.95 per share, in contrast to midweek’s value of N37.80 per share, and Geo-Fluids Plc grew by 8 Kobo to settle at N1.70 per unit versus the preceding day’s price of N1.62 per unit.

During the trading day, the volume of securities transacted by the market participants increased by 19,558.9 per cent to 206.2 million units from 1.05 million units, the value of transactions jumped by 13,509.2 per cent to N354.1 million from N2.6 million, and the number of deals rose by 245.5 per cent to 38 deals from 11 deals.

When trading activities finished for the day, Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 533.9 million units sold for N520.9 million, followed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 250.9 million units worth N441.0 million, and Okitipupa Plc with 153.6 million units valued at N4.9 billion.

Also, Okitipupa Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 153.6 million units valued at N4.9 billion, trailed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 14.9 million units worth N573.2 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 533.9 million units valued at N520.9 million.