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SMS gateway for Nigeria: send SMS from your own Nigeria number

Published and updated

An Android phone holding a Nigeria SIM sends the messages, so the API call goes out over that SIM and recipients see the +234 number that sent it. Any Android phone with a Nigeria SIM that can send SMS runs the textbee app. The NCC states that submitting your National Identification Number to your network provider links your mobile number to that NIN, so the SIM in the gateway phone has to be registered to a real identity. The SIM keeps its own carrier plan, and textbee is $9.99 a month at 5,000 messages on top of it.

How it works with a local SIM

  1. Put a Nigeria SIM in an Android phone that stays on and on power, and install the textbee app on it.
  2. Register the device from the dashboard, which pairs the phone with your API key.
  3. Call POST /gateway/send-sms with the recipient in E.164 form. The phone sends it over the SIM and reports the result back.

What it costs at 1K, 5K and 25K messages

Monthly spend sending to Nigeria, cloud providers and a local SIM against textbee plans
Provider1K messages5K messages25K messages
Twilio$387.95$386.80 messages, $1.15 number$1,935.15$1,934.00 messages, $1.15 number$9,671.15$9,670.00 messages, $1.15 number
MTN Nigeria XtraTalk 1500, 10 local SMSAbove the plan10 SMS a month for NGN 1,500 per 30 daysAbove the plan10 SMS a month for NGN 1,500 per 30 daysAbove the plan10 SMS a month for NGN 1,500 per 30 days
MTN Nigeria XtraTalk 500, 5 local SMSAbove the plan20 SMS a month for NGN 500 per 7 daysAbove the plan20 SMS a month for NGN 500 per 7 daysAbove the plan20 SMS a month for NGN 500 per 7 days
textbee$9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included$9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included$29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included

textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.

Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026

The textbee plan is the platform fee and the SIM plan is what the carrier charges for the messages, so a local setup costs the plan price plus the SIM.

Rules for application to person SMS in Nigeria

  • The NCC directed every mobile operator to run a Do Not Disturb service on short code 2442; a subscriber who texts STOP to 2442 should receive no unsolicited SMS, and texting a category digit switches on partial Do Not Disturb. consumer.ncc.gov.ng, checked on September 4, 2026
  • The Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2007 oblige operators to let subscribers decide which promotional messages they receive, which the NCC implements through the 2442 code. consumer.ncc.gov.ng, checked on September 4, 2026
  • Submitting a National Identification Number to a mobile network provider links the mobile number to that NIN as a means of verifying the subscriber identity. ncc.gov.ng, checked on September 4, 2026

Quickstart

send.sh
curl -X POST https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"recipients": ["+2348021234567"], "message": "Your textbee code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes."}'

On a dual SIM phone, pass simSubscriptionId to pick the SIM the message goes out on, as the send reference describes.

Format and check Nigeria numbers

The API takes E.164, which for Nigeria looks like +2348021234567, so strip any local trunk prefix before you send.

Result

Enter a phone number above.

Use E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) for textbee.dev API recipients.

Count segments

A message over one segment is sent as more than one SMS, so it draws more than once on the SIM plan.

Result

  • Characters: 54
  • Encoding: GSM-7
  • Segments: 1 SMS
  • 1 segment = 1 SMS

GSM-7: 160 chars per segment (153 for multi-part). Unicode/emoji: 70 chars per segment (67 for multi-part). Carriers may charge per segment.

Honest limits

One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules.

Frequently asked questions

What is Do Not Disturb on 2442 and does it affect my messages?

The NCC directed every mobile operator to run a Do Not Disturb service on short code 2442. A subscriber who texts STOP to 2442 switches on full Do Not Disturb and should receive no promotional SMS from any provider, and texting a category digit switches on partial Do Not Disturb. The operator blocks promotional messages to those numbers.

Do I need a National Identification Number to use a Nigerian SIM?

Yes. The NCC states that submitting your NIN to your network provider links your mobile number to your NIN, and the MTN SIM registration steps require presenting a NIN or virtual NIN slip at an outlet before the SIM is activated.

How many SMS come with an MTN prepaid bundle?

Few. The MTN XtraValue page lists XtraTalk 500 at NGN 500 for 7 days with 5 local SMS, and XtraTalk 1500 at NGN 1,500 for 30 days with 10 local SMS, so anything beyond the bundle is charged at the tariff rate.

Sources

  1. SMS rules Nigeria, consumer.ncc.gov.ng, checked on September 4, 2026
  2. SMS rules Nigeria, consumer.ncc.gov.ng, checked on September 4, 2026
  3. SMS rules Nigeria, ncc.gov.ng, checked on September 4, 2026
  4. MTN Nigeria XtraTalk 1500, 10 local SMS, checked on September 4, 2026
  5. Twilio SMS pricing, Nigeria, checked on September 4, 2026

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