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Egoras Technologies Limited, in collaboration with Airtel Nigeria, has announced plans to launch a new smartphone, the “Cube Phone,” as part of a broader effort to tackle long-standing barriers to digital commerce among Nigeria’s small businesses.
The device, scheduled for release on April 28, enters a market where adoption of digital payments remains limited despite rapid growth in financial technology. Industry estimates suggest that out of roughly 40 million micro and small enterprises nationwide, fewer than 10 percent currently accept digital payments.largely due to infrastructure costs, data expenses, and concerns around data privacy.
Against this backdrop, the Cube Phone is positioned not merely as a consumer device but as an integrated business tool. It combines a payment system, connectivity framework, and software services into a single platform aimed at reducing the cost and complexity of going digital.
At the core of the initiative is a zero-rated data arrangement with Airtel Nigeria, allowing business-related activities on the device to run without mobile data charges. While zero-rating has been deployed in limited contexts within the telecom sector, its extension to a full suite of commercial activities including payments and business applications marks a notable shift in approach.
Egoras Chief Executive Officer, Ugoji Harry, said the project was driven by structural gaps in the business environment rather than a desire to compete in the crowded smartphone market.
“We are addressing the friction that prevents small businesses from participating in the digital economy,” he said. “The device is only one part of that solution.”
The Cube Phone is expected to retail at ₦240,000. Analysts note that while the upfront cost may be significant for microenterprises, the elimination of recurring data expenses estimated between ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 monthly for many small operators could offset the investment over time.
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Beyond connectivity, the device incorporates a contactless payment system supported by Near Field Communication (NFC). Each unit is bundled with 100 passive payment cards designed for distribution to customers, enabling transactions without the need for smartphones or mobile applications on the user’s end. The model relies on network effects, with wider adoption potentially driven by peer-to-peer circulation of the cards.
The phone also comes preloaded with a suite of artificial intelligence tools tailored to business operations. These include applications for basic accounting, contract documentation, workforce management, and simple software development tasks. According to the company, these tools are designed to operate with multilingual support, reflecting Nigeria’s linguistic diversity.
Egoras said the system is built on a blockchain-based architecture intended to prioritise data ownership and privacy. Transactions and records are encrypted and stored locally, with telecom operators limited to providing transmission infrastructure.
The launch places Egoras within an increasingly competitive landscape where financial service providers, device manufacturers, and telecom operators are all seeking to deepen their reach into the informal sector. Companies such as Moniepoint and OPay have expanded digital payment access, while low-cost smartphone brands continue to drive hardware penetration.
However, industry observers say the Cube Phone’s attempt to combine payments, connectivity, and business management tools into a single ecosystem could test a new model particularly if it succeeds in lowering the entry barrier for merchants who remain excluded from digital systems.
With discussions reportedly ongoing with other network operators, the extent to which the model can scale beyond a single carrier partnership will likely shape its long-term impact.
As Nigeria continues its push toward a more inclusive digital economy, initiatives such as this underscore both the scale of the challenge and the growing experimentation among private sector players seeking to address it.
