Sun King is a company usually associated with yellow rooftop solar panels and battery packs found in off-grid communities across Africa. But in a significant pivot announced on 23 December 2025, the company is expanding its hardware footprint in Nigeria. They aren’t just selling light anymore; they are selling connectivity.
As of December 23, 2025, Sun King has officially rolled out a Pay-As-You-Go (PayGo) smartphone service across Nigeria. The initiative is designed to bypass the massive upfront cost of modern handhelds—a barrier that keeps millions of Nigerians offline—by applying the same asset-financing logic used for their solar kits to consumer electronics.
The PayGo Model: Utility meets Mobility
The core of this announcement isn’t just that a solar company is selling phones; it is how they are selling them.
Sun King’s model relies on a “buy now, pay later” framework embedded directly into the device usage. Customers make an initial deposit to acquire the hardware, followed by small, flexible instalments. While the company hasn’t released the specific interest rates or lock-out protocols, the industry standard for PayGo usually involves software that locks the device if payments are missed, turning the phone into a brick until the balance is topped up.
Omoyemi Tuga, Sun King’s VP of Pay As You Go Sales for West and Central Africa, frames this as a necessary evolution for the company. “For years, we have helped Nigerian households and businesses overcome the barrier of high upfront costs for reliable, accessible, and sustainable solar power,” Tuga says. “We are doing the same with smartphones.”
The Hardware
Sun King isn’t manufacturing these phones themselves. Instead, they are acting as the distribution and financing layer for established OEMs. The rollout features a mix of entry-level and mid-range devices tailored to the budget-conscious market:
- Samsung Galaxy A06: A reliable budget entry from the Korean giant.
- Infinix Smart 10 & Hot 60i: Transsion staples that dominate the African market due to their battery life and localized features.
- Tecno Pop 10: Another Transsion device focused on the ultra-affordable segment.
These aren’t flagship devices, and that’s the point. These are the workhorses of the Nigerian digital economy—phones used for mobile money agents, ride-hailing drivers, students, and small business owners.
The “Digital Economy” Argument
The timing of this launch is critical. In an economy grappling with inflation and currency fluctuation, dropping a lump sum for a smartphone is increasingly difficult for students, traders, and low-income families. Yet, the cost of not having a phone is higher.
Sun King posits that without a smartphone, access to digital IDs, banking, healthcare services, and education is effectively cut off. By breaking the cost into “manageable instalments,” the company claims to be removing the friction preventing participation in the digital economy. It is essentially financial inclusion through hardware distribution.
Availability and Scale
Sun King is leveraging its massive existing infrastructure to push these devices. The service isn’t limited to Lagos or Abuja; it is launching with a footprint spanning all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The company is utilizing a network of sales agents—the same “boots on the ground” that sell their solar home systems—alongside retail shops to handle onboarding. Customers can reportedly walk in, sign up, and leave with a device on the same day.
The Fine Print: Availability Breakdown
For those looking to track down a device, Sun King has provided a comprehensive list of operational locations at launch. You can find store locators at ng.sunking.com/store-locator/ or contact their support at 0800 786 5464.
Full List of Coverage Areas:
- Lagos & Ogun Axis: Ikeja, Mowe, Epe, Ikorodu, Ipaja, Badagry, Alimosho, Ajah, Akute, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta, Sango, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ifo, Ayetoro.
- South West & Oyo: Ibadan, Eruwa, Saki, Ogbomosho, Oyo Town.
- Osun & Ekiti: Osogbo, Iwo, Ikire, Ilesha, Ile Ife, Ikole Ekiti, Ado Ekiti, Ijero Ekiti.
- Ondo & Delta: Akure, Owo, Ondo city, Igbokoda, Ore, Akoko, Warri, Ughelli, Sapele, Kwale, Asaba.
- North Central (Middle Belt): Ilorin, Offa, Lafiagi, Anyigba, Okenne, Lokoja, Abuja, Gwagwalada, Minna, Bida, Akwanga, Lafia, Nasarawa Toto, Gboko, Makurdi, Shendam, Jos, Lantang.
- North West & North East: Kaduna, Zaria, Saminaka, Bauchi, Gombe, Maiduguri, Damaturu, Jalingo, Kano, Wudil, Hadejia, Daura, Funtua, Sokoto, Zuru, Kontagora, Birnin Kebbi.
- South East & South South: Benin, Auchi, Idogbo, Ekpoma, Awka, Umuahia, Owerri, Okigwe, Nsukka, Afikpo, Abakaliki, Port Harcourt, Eleme, Ogoja, Calabar, Obudu, Ikom, Yenagoa, Uyo, Eket, Ikot Ekpene.
