Stepping into 2020 was exciting as a brand! Just coming off a superb 2019, our teams were fired up to go produce awesome services for customers. And yeah, 2020 was a rollercoaster!
For us, a business year had never been smooth-sailing. Safe to say that it’s these very ups and downs in productivity and customer satisfaction that serves as a background for VTpass to thrive, even in the face of difficulty.
So, we began 2020 with some mad vibes, and here our story of how it went!
N25,000 Weekly Cash-Price
We capped off 2019 with our N25,000 weekly cash price. During this period, over 100 VTpass agents benefited from our program.
Auto-Wallet Funding
In March, we introduced auto-wallet funding; an automatic system that lets you fund your VTpass wallet instantly. With this, we made it easier for customers to fund their wallets, speeding up the time it takes to make a payment on our platform.
There’s nothing better than having more than one way to accomplish a thing. We understand this and added Pay With Bank Transfer to our payment method; giving you not two, but three ways to pay a bill on VTpass.
New Look
Everyone looks a little make-up, why not us? Our creative team and developers came together, brainstormed on how to give VTpass website a look. This is the result!
10,000 Terminal Agents!
An unprecedented growth! Over 10,000 terminal agents now partnering with VTpass across Nigeria. Thank you, partners! 2021 is looking good.
VTpass Give-Away Week
To crown it all, we gave away N30,000 worth of airtime and zero-convenience fees payments in our November Give-Away Week. This is giving back to our customers for loyalty and patronage throughout the year.
Conclusion
Our 2020 SWAG story would not be complete without you, dear customer. As a brand, we appreciate you and hope to see more of you come 2021. Thank you for being part of our 2020 SWAG story!
Things are about to go ‘wooow!’ on VTpass this week with VTpass GiveAway Week in the offing!
You stand a chance to benefit from our two outstanding events:
TREASURE HUNT Wednesday
On Wednesday, 25th November 2020, you get to win up to N30,000 worth of airtime found on VTpass website. All networks are eligible to participate. Simply log on to vtpass.com and search all pages to find and win airtimes!
BLACK FRIDAY
On Friday, 27th November 2020, VTpass is giving away free convenience fees. You get to enjoy up to 3 hours of ZERO convenience fee on all payments made. Simply log in to vtpass.com on said date to participate in this giveaway.
Follow VTpass on Facebook (vtpass), Twitter (@vtpass), and Instagram (@vtpass) to see our winners. Use the hashtag #vtpassGiveAwayWeek to follow events across all social media platforms.
Enjoy VTpass GiveAway Week! Payment is truly at your convenience.
Agreed, there are many fake websites out there claiming to be motor insurers or insurance agents or brokers. One needs to be careful when buying third-party motor insurance online.
The question is, why buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria? I mean, why not just go to a physical broker or insurance company and get the business done? Here, we give you three solid reasons why buying third-party motor insurance online is the better option:
Fast certificate delivery: Buying through a physical location, you would have to wait for days before the insurance papers are out. Buying online, however, your insurance papers are ready immediately after payment! No time for stress.
Less paper-work: The last time a friend of ours bought thrid party motor insurance through a broker, we filled and filled and filled proposal forms. Abeg! Buying online, proposal forms questions are significantly shorter yet underwriting quality remains the same. Less paper-work = lesser stress.
Faster renewal process: For some motorists, the biggest challenge of buying motor insurance is the renewal process. That awkward feeling of visiting your broker’s office multiple times during renewal. Buying online, you can simply automate your renewal process so that your wallet is automatically billed the next premium upon renewal.
You get to enjoy these and more right from the comfort of your home and office. All you need to buy third-party motor insurance online in Nigeria is your mobile phone or laptop, internet connection, your funds and a reliable online bill payment platform like VTpass.
How to Buy Third Part Motor Insurance from VTpass
To buy third party motor insurance from the comfort of your home or office, simply:
Fill in the required information: insurance type, insured name, engine number, chassis number, phone number, etc.
Click on Continue to move to the payment confirmation page
Select a payment method i.e pay with card, wallet, or bank transfer
Enter your payment details and confirm payment
Done!
Your third-party motor insurance certificate would be delivered to you immediately after payment. The main policy document would follow only a few days later. Fast and easy.
Driving is a risk on its own, getting a motor cover shouldn’t be risky. Buy yours from VTpass as our quality third-party motor insurance is provided for you by Universal Insurance, one of Nigeria’s most credible insurers.
Drive with complete peace of mind when you buy third-party motor insurance from VTpass!
2020 has certainly not been the best year for football lovers as tournaments and fixtures had to be shifted. Nevertheless, the return of AFCON Qualifiers is enough to lift spirits, especially in African football where fans relish the sport.
AFCON Qualifiers began on 11th November 2020 with Guinea beating Chad in the opening match and Senegal punching a 2-0 blow on Guinea-Bissau.
Yesterday, 12th November was a goal feast for AFCON fans as Cameroon chunked out 4 goals against Mozambique’s 1. Current reigning champions, Algeria, walked over Zimbabwe easily with a 3-1 victory.
Nigeria takes the pitch today, 13th November 2020 against Sierra Leone by 17:00 CAT; and at 20:00 CAT, bafana bafana of South Africa would clash with Sao Tome and Principe. But the most exciting clash of the week rests on the match between Egypt and Togo, Saturday 14th November!
That said, here are our AFCON Qualifiers predictions. Prediction of teams who would make it to AFCON 2021.
2021 AFCON Qualifiers Predictions | Teams to Qualify
A tournament graced by 24 teams all competing for Africa’s Champions Crown would definitely be fierce, but you can expect to see these 12 juggernauts on the pitch come 2021:
Algeria: The current Champions are fast and deadly, recently taking the throne, and wouldn’t be giving it anytime soon.
Egypt: The Pharaohs are AFCON’s most successful champions with 7 titles to their name. Of course, they would make a show.
Senegal: With players like Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegal is expected to make it.
Nigeria: Super Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for AFCON year-on-year, 2021 shouldn’t be different. Among them, a gang of young stars.
South Africa: Africa’s most exciting flags to watch wouldn’t miss it. The bafanas are composed of bright players home and away.
Cameroon: Not very consistent over the last few years, Cameroon is yet deadly enough to secure a spot.
Ghana: Nothing short of strength is to be expected of the Black Stars of Ghana.
Morrocco: Another brilliant team from northern Africa. Last competition, they put up a fight. 2021 shouldn’t be any different.
Rwanda: This might come as a surprise to many but Rwanda has been undergoing major sporting changes. Experts predict the result of their sporting project to show in AFCON 2021.
Ivory Coast: They are not called Elephants for nothing! Besides, the orange shirts make a colorful divergence from all the greens and yellows.
Kenya: When a squad of strong legs is on the ship, you just know they would roll through. Kenya would make 2021 AFCON.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there is still the qualifiers to play after all. So put on your football socks, subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, relax into the games, and enjoy the matches!
If you participated in the 2020 West African Examination (WAEC) or know someone who did, it’s time to rub your hands and see the scores.
As announced by the WAEC Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan; the 2020 result for over 94% of students who sat for the exams is out and others are still been processed.
This is to inform all the candidates that participated in the 2020 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) that they can now check their results online.
How to Check your WAEC Result online
You would need a WAEC Result Checker PIN to be able to check WAEC result online. Simply visit vtpass.com/waec-result to buy your Scratch card PIN at N1,800 only.
You get your PIN immediately after payment, displayed on VTpass website or app, and sent to you via email and SMS. Here is how to check your result online;
Enter your WAEC Examination Number in the required column.
Select your Examination Year i.e. 2020.
Select your Examination Type i.e. SCHOOL CANDIDATE RESULT.
Enter the Card Serial Number.
Enter the result checker PIN
Finally, click the “Submit” button to get your 2020 WAEC Result.
Statistics dished out by WAEC show that over 65% of candidates who sat for the exam obtained a minimum of credits in five (5) subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The latest news to storm Nigerians after a trying period this year is the increase in electricity tariff. As approved by the Regulator; the revised Service Reflective Tariff (SRT) would take electricity tariff plans a spike higher; resulting in fewer units for buying consumers.
SRT was meant to take effect from September 1st, 2020 but was suspended after the Federal Government, Labour Unions, and other stakeholders met to discuss concerns raised about the tariff increase. However, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved the tariff spike after a brief wait.
IKEDC leads the pack in tariff implementation
On Sunday, November 1st, 2020, Ikeja Electric (IKEDC) announced via Twitter that they would commence the implementation of the revised tariff immediately.
The DisCo said: “Under the SRT, the tariff classification is based on the quality of service and therefore, divided into 5 Bands (A-E).
“This is measured by the average availability of power supply over a month, interruptions (frequency and duration), voltage levels, and other service parameters.
“With the revised tariff regime, Non-MD customers in Band A, with a minimum of 20 hours daily will now pay N51.22/Kwh.
“Band B customers with a minimum of 16 hours daily will be charged N46.93/Kwh; while Band C customers with a minimum of 12 hours daily will be charged N37.95/Kwh.
“However, please note that customers in Bands D and E, with a minimum of eight hours and four hours per day, respectively, are not impacted by the tariff revision.”
According to the company; the SRT tariffs of the two bands have been frozen, and consequently, they will continue to be charged the old tariff prior to the introduction of the SRT.
The prepaid meter customers in Bands A to C, who vends from November 1st would be charged the new tariff. The same will be implemented for postpaid customers in these bands during the November billing cycle.
AEDC comes next
Similarly, Abuja Electricity Distribution (AEDC) announced it will begin implementation of the increased electricity tariff with effect from the 1st of November too.
According to AEDC General Manager, Corporate Communication, Mr Oyebode Fadipe, customers on the pre-paid platform will be the first to experience the revised tariff when they vend as from Sunday, November 1st.
“While the revised tariff will reflect in the bills for customers on the postpaid platform when they receive their electricity bills.
“The tariff is divided into five bands and based on hours of supply to the customers.
“While customers on bands D and E have their tariff frozen, those on bands A, B, and C will see some level of reduction in their tariff as they vend.
“The AEDC assures its customers that it will, in line with the spirit and letter of the service reflective tariff, ensure that all customers receive quality service,” he said.
He said that the AEDC was also committed to the improvement of service to customers in all its franchise area.
“We, however, appeal to customers to please see this tariff regime as an opportunity for them to join hands with AEDC to speed up the process of improving the quality of service in the Nigerian power sector.”
AEDC would release the table of payment for the new tariff soon.
Other electricity distribution companies are expected to start implementing the increase in electricity tariff soon as well.
Pay Electricity Bills on VTpass
While VTpass has no control over the number of allocated to customers, prices would remain the same on our platform (as determined by respective electricity distributors) unless otherwise changed.
To pay your electricity bills using VTpass, simply log on to vtpass.com/eletricity-bill or click here. It’s fast and easy; your meter token would be displayed on our platform as well as sent to you via mail and SMS.
On Tuesday 29th October, and Wednesday 21st October, the first leg of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League season playoff. We witnessed the return of Europe’s most thrilling football competition and the art of top soccer athletes.
The group stages of the tournament began with surprises and might just end with some more. In this article, we go over some of the unexpected match results from the UEFA champions league 2020/21 opener and matches to watch out for in the group stage:
Paris Saint Germain vs. Manchester United
Perhaps the only surprise from this encounter was the fact that PSG could still lose to Manchester United after their performance last season. The men from Paris made it to the finals last season but fell behind to Bayern Munich in a 1-0 contest.
Two seasons ago, Manchester United beat PSG 1-3 at the Parc des Princes stadium; everyone thought the Parisians would make a statement in this match with a win. But they fell behind 2 goals to 1 to the Reds.
Chelsea vs. Sevilla
Ok, not much surprise, but here is a match where a 300 million Euro Chelsea squad faces a firepower Sevilla and it ended 0-0. Fans were left a bit disappointed and so are we.
Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Real lost 0-1 to newly-promoted Cadiz last week in La Liga Santander; so it came more like a shock when Shakhtar put them 2-3 to the sword again at home.
Fans all over social media brought Real Madrid’s manager Zinedine Zidane under fire. But we feel the manager can only do much. With these results, Real Madrid needs a total squad rethink.
Pretty much every other game produced expected or near results, especially Bayern Munich who pounded Athletico Madrid 4-0 as a warning of their intent to retain the European Champions crown.
Now, let’s see the top group matches that you can’t afford to miss:
Barcelona vs Juventus: The long-awaited Messi vs. Ronaldo meeting after 3 years since Christiano Ronaldo left La Liga would finally happen. Twice!
Athletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich: The Germans already drew first blood with their 4-0 victory over their Spanish rival. But all roads lead to the Wanda Metropolitano for the return leg.
Manchester United vs PSG: Neymar and Mbappe have still got a chance to prove to Europe that Manchester United is not superior to the entire French football.
Sevilla vs Chelsea: The return leg of this encounter would hold at Seville and we can’t wait to see it! Perhaps, this is one of the most anticipated encounters after Barcelona vs Juventus.
Real Madrid vs Inter Millan: These two giants would meet in the third week of the tournament. A big one. We would get to finally see Zidane take on Conte in a European competition.
To catch all these actions live on your television, subscribe your GOtv or DStv with VTpass, either on the web or mobile app. We’ve got you covered!
The #EndSARS campaign which surged from the beginning of October was a call for police brutality and alleged criminal offenses of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad within the country to end.
While speculators wondered if the campaign would come to an end, following the Inspector General of police’s disbandment of SARS on Sunday, 11th, 2020; many protesters changed course, calling for the IG’s proposition of forming a new anti-robbery unit to be put to the sword.
To go by the name Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) team, the new anti-robbery police unit is meant to replace the now-defunct SARS. They would be tasked with carrying out the duties previously assigned to SARS.
The IG of police in a statement chipped in that members of SWAT would undergo a psychological and medical examination before admission into the force. He stressed that the unit would be held accountable for abuse of authority or violation of human rights. According to him, the unit would begin training from Monday, 19th October 2020.
But Nigerians took to Twitter just hours after the announcement, calling for the disbandment of SWAT, with the hashtag #EndSWAT trending immediately. According to them, SWAT is just a rebrand of SARS and is not the police reform they request for from the government.
Some of the reasons put forward by protesters for the #EndSWAT campaign include;
The use of ex-SARS operative in forming SWAT
Admission of ex-convicts into the force, and
Lack of disciplinary action drafted for operatives who abuse human rights.
In answer to that, the police have listed the following criteria as the qualification for admitting members into the SWAT team:
No former SARS operative would be a member of the SWAT team.
Only young, smart, and vibrant officers must be selected for training.
Officers must have over seven years of experience and a clean record – he/she must have no pending disciplinary issue, a record of violation of human rights, or a record of misuse of firearms.
Officers must be strong enough to withstand the rigors of SWAT training and operations.
Selected officers must undergo physical fitness tests, medical and toxicology screening, etc and unqualified candidates shall be discharged.
Talks are still been held as to the promised police reforms while protesters continue to make their voices heard.
Stay up to date with happenings and news around you. Top-up airtime or data and subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes on VTpass. Download the mobile app here.
The latest hashtag trending all
over Nigerian social media is the #EndSARS hashtag which has geared over 3
million tweets, excluding related hashtags such as #EnsSARS #SARSMUSTEND,
and #SarsMustGo.
Aside from social media, #EndSARS
has been physically protested – most notably, in Lagos and Abuja. People
stormed the streets since Tuesday, 6th November 2020, protesting and calling
for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Nigerians overseas, especially those
in Europe and North America, equally joined the campaign. While certain
Nigerian celebrities voiced their opinions through videos and social media live
transmits, non-Nigerian celebrities such as Trey Song, Cardi B, and Big Sean gave
online activists a boost by their reactions to the campaign. Most notably, the
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing made a
tweet on October 11th, 2020, supporting the Nigerian Police
decision to ban SARS.
So why all the noise? You may
ask. What is #EndSARS all about and why is the movement making headlines in
Nigeria?
How it Started
#EndSARS first began as a social
media wake-up call started by Segun Awosanya in 2017
against the alleged brutality of the police unit. The campaign died down in the
middle of 2018 as not a lot of people paid attention to activists call for the
scrapping of the force.
On Saturday 3 October 2020, a
video trended on social media showing a SARS police officer shoot a young
Nigerian in front of Wetland Hotel, Delta State. The video prompted a public
outcry on social media against the brutality.
Subsequent video and pictures
containing alleged actions of SARS officers flooded social media. The campaign
resurged with the hashtag #ENDSARS, culminating into advocacies, online
activism, and protests.
Nationwide protests started on October 8th; a face-off of peaceful protesters and the Nigerian Police who tried to disperse the crowd through the use of teargas and water sprays. Concurrently, protests broke out in London, Canada, and the United States, calling for the Nigerian government to put an end to the police unit.
Accusations Made Against SARS
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad
officers have been accused of illegally arresting Nigerians, especially youths,
and extorting money or other valuables from them. SARS has equally been accused
of mounting illegal roadblocks, searching without a warrant, rape, treating
suspects brutally, and killing innocent Nigerians
In 2016, an Amnesty
International report surfaced, accusing SARS of human abuse, cruelty,
torture, and degrading treatment of detainees – such as severe beating,
hanging, and shooting detainees in the leg.
Response from Nigerian Authorities
Given the uproar, the Deputy
Governor of Lagos, Femi Hamzat, addressed
protesters on October 9, 2020, stressing that the police have no right to
arrest or extort citizens of their personal effects without proper
investigations and reason. He however alluded protesters to remain peaceful in
their protest.
That same day, Lagos State House
of Assembly held an emergency meeting to address the petition signed and
submitted to the National Assembly by 10, 195 protesters. Some of the issues discussed
by the House was the necessity to dissolve the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and
set up a new unit in it’s place with a clear code of conduct and sanctions for
illegalities.
Yesterday, been Sunday, 11th of
October, 2020, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced the
dissolution of SARS. While some Nigerians took the announcement as a
victory, many others called for the permanent elimination of the unit from
existence, stressing that the government has banned SARS three times before now
without substance.
Where does VTpass stand?
It’s a sad moment for everyone
witnessing these events happening around the country. On the other hand, however,
the people’s voice ought to be heard as it is constitutionally structured to
be.
As a brand, it is our responsibility to look beyond business when supporting matters that most concern our customers. On that note, VTpass stands with Nigerians in the fight for justice against illegal police oppression, the abuse of power, and disregard of human rights. #ENDSARS.
New seasons of the English Premier League (EPL), Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Seria A and French Ligue un are back.
Just last week, Crystal Palace knocked Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford, bringing back the ‘anything can happen’ tingles of the premier league.
In Germany, current UEFA champions and Bundesliga winner, Bayern Munich kickstarted their new season with an 8-0 slaughter of Schalke. Jeez!
Christiano Ronaldo pulled in a late one on the 88th minute as Juventus cruised 3-0 over Sampdoria in Seria A season opener. Guess the race for who’s best between him and his long time rival, Lionel Messi has just begun.
Speaking of Messi; he is yet to record a goal this season as FC Barcelona is just concluding pre-season ahead of 2020-21 La Liga.
Something to look out for, right? Or perhaps, we should look with awe into Ligue Un where Paris Saint Germain sits 8th on the league table haven lost two early matches. Hmmm. . .
With so much cooking up in Europe’s top 5 leagues, here are 5 things to look out for as the 2020-21 season unfolds:
Messi-Barca Ripple
The over-broadcasted news about Messi leaving FC Barcelona would most likely be felt all season long. Every move made by the Argentine would surely be scrutinized in the light of this.
Although reports state that Messi is willing to play one more season with Barcelona, all eyes are on him. Would he punish Barca for refusing to let him go or would he deliver yet another stunning result this season?
Bayern for another UEFA title?
Following a strong year for Bayern Munich last season, experts are predicting the German against might bag themselves yet another UEFA Champions League title; that is if they continue playing as they are currently.
The early 8-0 trashing of strong rivals, Schalke last week already shows Bayern’s intent. And with a solid squad of young talents, an ambitious coach and passionate fans, those predictions might just come true.
Liverpool on the hot seat
Current EPL champions are starting the season in a position all previous EPL winners do find themselves; – defending the title. Jurgen Klopp managed to pull a stunt for the reds last season by winning the title for Liverpool’s after a 30-years old title draught.
Now, he finds himself defending the title against strong contenders; the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea; a team that just spent $300 million on boosting their squad.
Another UEFA, Another Barca, Another Drama?
Barcelona has become the object of mockery in UEFA Champions League following 4 consecutive humiliating exists. The latter being an 8-2 trashing at the hands of Bayern Munich.
The club has shown spirit, however, in starting a new sporting project; signing new talents, urging old legs out, bringing in a more fitting manager, shifting some powers is management, etc; but fans around the world would never forget Barca’s UEFA Champions League woes.
Another UEFA, another Barca!
New Phase for Juventus?
When Christiano Ronaldo joined Juventus, it was solely to help them win the UEFA Champions League. 3 years down the lane, that is yet to happen.
Juventus had to sack Maurizio Sarri following a disappointing season in 2019-20 UEFA and appointed Andrea Pirlo as new manager. Is this the new face to lead Juventus into European glory once again?
To catch all of the footballing action this season, simply subscribe your GOtv, DStv or StarTimes. Non-stop entertainment waiting for you! Renew TV subscription with VTpass.