{"id":6390,"date":"2025-07-09T15:07:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/?p=6390"},"modified":"2025-07-09T15:07:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:07:36","slug":"nigeria-advantage-health-africa-leverages-buy-now-pay-later-to-boost-healthcare-access-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/nigeria-advantage-health-africa-leverages-buy-now-pay-later-to-boost-healthcare-access-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria: Advantage Health Africa Leverages Buy Now, Pay Later to Boost Healthcare Access in Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"114\" data-end=\"383\">With nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noi-polls.com\/post\/only-19-nigerians-have-health-insurance-new-poll-reveals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">80% of Nigerians<\/a> lacking health insurance and 46% of the population living in poverty, access to essential healthcare remains a major challenge. For many, the high out-of-pocket costs for medical treatment mean choosing between health and other basic needs.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"385\" data-end=\"729\">To address this gap, healthtech startup Advantage Health Africa (AHA) has launched a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)product designed to ease the financial burden of purchasing medication. The new service enables eligible Nigerians\u2014particularly salary earners\u2014to access medications worth up to \u20a650,000, with a 30-day repayment window.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"731\" data-end=\"1023\">\u201cBuy now, pay later recognises that there are moments when salary earners simply don\u2019t have cash on hand,\u201d said Abimbola Adebakin, CEO of Advantage Health Africa. \u201cIn a country where most healthcare expenses are out-of-pocket, our mission is to enable access, affordability, and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1339\">The BNPL service is currently accessible via WhatsApp, aligning with the company\u2019s practice of piloting through manual channels before automation. To assess eligibility, AHA is collaborating with CRC Credit Bureau, and the company is actively seeking additional partnerships to widen the scope of coverage.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1341\" data-end=\"1524\">Unlike traditional BNPL models used in e-commerce and fintech, AHA\u2019s healthcare-focused offering is designed to align closely with the realities of its users and its own supply chain:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1526\" data-end=\"1802\">\n<li data-start=\"1526\" data-end=\"1569\">\n<p data-start=\"1528\" data-end=\"1569\">No interest is charged on the credit.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1570\" data-end=\"1645\">\n<p data-start=\"1572\" data-end=\"1645\">Users pay a flat service fee of \u20a62,500, regardless of the total cost.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1646\" data-end=\"1694\">\n<p data-start=\"1648\" data-end=\"1694\">No upfront payment or installment is required.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1695\" data-end=\"1802\">\n<p data-start=\"1697\" data-end=\"1802\">The 30-day repayment term mirrors the credit duration AHA receives from its pharmaceutical suppliers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1804\" data-end=\"1999\">Customers needing medications that exceed the \u20a650,000 threshold must pay the balance out of pocket, but the BNPL option still ensures that treatment is not delayed due to lack of immediate funds.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2001\" data-end=\"2329\">While the initiative does not involve direct cash transfers, Adebakin acknowledged that credit risk remains. To mitigate this, the startup will enforce rigorous credit checks and may employ ethical debt recovery methods if needed. However, she expressed optimism that the life-saving nature of the service will limit misuse.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2331\" data-end=\"2373\">Transforming Access Through Innovation<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2375\" data-end=\"2694\">The BNPL model, often referred to as \u201cCare Now, Pay Later\u201d in healthcare, is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., companies like Affirm offer similar solutions for dental care and medical devices. Advocates argue that this model reduces financial barriers, improves treatment adherence, and promotes timely care.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2696\" data-end=\"2947\">In Nigeria\u2019s case, where insurance penetration is still low, BNPL could provide a transformational stopgap for millions of underinsured or uninsured individuals. However, experts stress that sustainability will be key to its long-term success.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2949\" data-end=\"3226\">Advantage Health Africa currently funds the program through credit from its suppliers, but any increase in default rates could jeopardize these relationships. To safeguard the model, AHA restricts access to users with verified prescriptions, helping ensure responsible use.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3228\" data-end=\"3506\">Since its launch, AHA has generated over $6 million in revenue and served more than 100,000 users. As the startup seeks new funding, a portion will be channelled into scaling the BNPL service\u2014potentially redefining how millions of Nigerians access and afford healthcare.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3508\" data-end=\"3599\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">\u201cWe\u2019re not just building a fintech solution; we\u2019re creating a lifeline,\u201d Adebakin affirmed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With nearly 80% of Nigerians lacking health insurance and 46% of the population living in poverty, access to essential healthcare remains a major challenge. For many, the high out-of-pocket costs&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[80,90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-nigeria"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Advantage-Health-Africa-Leverages-Buy-Now-Pay-Later-to-Boost-Healthcare-Access-in-Nigeria.jpeg?fit=1700%2C1143&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6390"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6393,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6390\/revisions\/6393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regtechafrica.com\/healthcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}