This is a risk note based on BankNav’s Nigeria MTN eSIM guide. Source:

Conclusion first: I do not recommend buying a Nigeria MTN eSIM, especially not a number registered under someone else’s KYC or sold as a commercial card.

I bought one before, and it was still reclaimed almost two years later. That experience is enough to show that seller promises, screenshots, and a three-year retention package do not solve the real ownership and KYC-control problem. Buying someone else’s KYC number is not a good idea. Even self-KYC is not guaranteed forever for digital-nomad use, because operator policy, regulation, SIM re-registration, and risk controls can change.

Treat this as an information and risk note, not a buying recommendation.

Why It Looks Attractive

The BankNav source presents MTN Nigeria numbers as useful for banks, mobile payments, crypto wallets, social platforms, and cross-border e-commerce. The appeal is:

  • +234 Nigeria number;
  • eSIM support;
  • roaming on China Mobile / China Unicom in mainland China;
  • free incoming SMS;
  • iMessage support;
  • device transfer by deleting the eSIM on the old online device and scanning the original QR code again.

The source also mentions Wi-Fi Calling, but says it requires a Nigerian IP and was not tested. Do not treat it as a stable feature.

Roaming and USSD

BankNav records these mainland China PayGo roaming rates:

  • outgoing call: 300 NGN / minute;
  • incoming call: 100 NGN / minute;
  • SMS send: 100 NGN / message;
  • SMS receive: free;
  • data: 35.84 NGN / MB.

Useful USSD codes:

  • *663# to show the number;
  • *310# to check balance.

The source warns that USSD requires a 2G network. This is a meaningful limitation in roaming environments, because 2G availability is not guaranteed.

Source Workflow

The BankNav source flow is roughly:

  1. Find an MTN commercial-card seller.
  2. Before purchase, confirm the digits after +234; the source warns that 707 cannot register Chipper.
  3. Confirm balance, retention time, and three-year retention price.
  4. Receive the eSIM QR code from the seller.
  5. Scan it with a native eSIM phone or an eSIM adapter such as 9eSIM.
  6. Wait for roaming signal.
  7. Install myMTN NG.
  8. Log in with local format: 0 + number, for example +234 1234567891 becomes 01234567891.
  9. Receive SMS code, then set nickname and email.
  10. Recharge through Buy Airtime in the app, or use a third-party recharge channel.

Third-party recharge link mentioned by the source:

Taobao or mini-program recharge channels may work, but they add their own delivery and risk-control issues.

Keep My Number

BankNav and MTN official pages both describe MTN’s Keep My Number (KMN) options:

DurationPriceUSSDSMS
1 year3500 NGN*365*1#send KMN1 to 36500
2 years5000 NGN*365*2#send KMN2 to 36500
3 years7500 NGN*365*3#send KMN3 to 36500

Web entry from the source:

In myMTN NG, Manage Subscription can show validity and auto-renewal. The web self-service portal also has similar subscription management.

Important distinction: KMN reduces inactivity-recycling risk. It does not solve the risk that the number is not registered under your identity. The original KYC owner, seller, upstream channel, or operator process may still regain control.

Official Rules and the Real Risk

MTN’s official eSIM page says the QR code is provided by customer care, eSIM activation is free, and changing a physical SIM to eSIM is a SIM swap handled by customer care with required documents and identification. MTN’s SIM registration page requires registration at an MTN outlet with VNIN / NIN-related materials.

That means:

  • if the number is not registered under your identity, real control is not yours;
  • if you need QR retrieval, device change, SIM swap, re-registration, or unbarring, you may not be able to provide the required proof.

My case is the practical version of this risk: a number can work for a long time and still not belong to you. Almost two years later, it was reclaimed. “Three-year retention” and “stable ownership” are not the same thing.

If You Still Experiment

I do not recommend buying it. If you only want to research or test, keep the risk small:

  • do not bind banks, exchange main accounts, wallets, domains, or recovery email flows;
  • do not use it as a long-term identity anchor;
  • do not keep much balance on it;
  • do not buy expensive vanity numbers;
  • do not believe “three-year retention” means “safe for three years”;
  • prefer channels where you can complete KYC yourself;
  • keep QR code, purchase records, recharge records, and screenshots, but do not treat them as ownership proof;
  • keep a second verification and migration plan for any account you care about.

The number is attractive because it is cheap, unusual, can receive codes, and can roam. The more central it is to your identity stack, the worse the damage when it fails.

References