MTN partners ETAP to reward Nigerian drivers

BY ROSEMARY IWUALA

MTN Nigeria, Africa’s leading telecommunications company, has teamed up with ETAP, a mobility technology company that creates solutions and incentives to improve driving experience across Nigeria, to reward drivers for maintaining good driving behaviour.

ETAP’s game-changing products include an app that uses advanced telematics to monitor driving behaviours like speed, acceleration, braking, cornering and focus. Through this partnership with Africa’s telecommunication giant, this app will now be accessible to millions of Nigerians, who will now begin to profit when the app captures their good driving habits.

MTN customers across Nigeria will be able to earn Safe Driving Points that can be converted into vouchers for fuel, shopping vouchers for the most in-demand retail outlets, cinema and concert tickets, as well as vouchers for other exciting experiences.

ETAP will also sponsor data for MTN customers to access the app so that it would not consume data from their existing allowance and it would continue to work if they run out of data, so that the drivers can keep raking in points.

MTN Nigeria, the largest mobile network operator in the region, with a subscription rate of over 68 million people across the country, is leveraging its vast coverage to enable improved experiences across the country.

As part of this partnership with ETAP, MTN customers of ETAP’s gamified driving app will also get a free 35 point car inspection at AutoFast locations in Total filling stations in Nigeria, making it easier to keep their vehicles in the best condition.

Added to that, ETAP also has a leaderboard where drivers can monitor it in real time to get actionable insights and tips to improve their driving behaviour and get rewarded for driving better. In addition, drivers can also challenge each other on who the better driver is based on their leaderboard ranking.

ETAP, which recently raised a $1.5 million pre-seed to pivot its business model of providing car insurance, is adopting this model to incentivise people with rewards to reduce their car insurance risk by adopting good behaviour and by being encouraged to drive better.

Along with the rewards, drivers can buy insurance in 90 seconds and complete claims in three minutes or less, with flexible coverage options including daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual plans depending on their needs. ETAP also uses machine learning to build intelligent risk profiles that determine appropriate premiums for each driver, allowing them to achieve lower premiums by driving safely.

“We want to connect our customers to exciting products and services that enable the best experiences, and this partnership with ETAP aligns perfectly with this mission,” Adia Sowho, chief marketing officer of MTN Nigeria, said.

“We are excited to be working with this innovative company to inspire behaviour change on Nigerian roads and ultimately improve the day-to-day experience of millions of Nigerians,” Sowho said.

Ibraheem Babalola, CEO and founder of ETAP, said beyond driving much-needed insurance penetration in Nigeria, the company was committed to inspiring behaviour change on Nigerian roads.

“We strongly believe that our shared value insurance model combined with MTN’s vast reach has the potential to catalyse improved driving behaviour on Nigerian roads. We are thrilled to have partnered with arguably the biggest company in Nigeria and we are looking forward to working together to drive real change across the country,” he said.