SoSo Care

The company

Soso Care provides microhealth insurance through waste plastic recycling.

Problem

Nigeria generates more than 34 million tonnes of waste annually, including 20 billion plastic bottles, less than 10% of which is collected, sorted and recycled. At the same time, because of pervasive poverty and poor healthcare financing (less than 3% of Nigeria’s 200 million people have health insurance), quality healthcare is out of reach for most Nigerians.

GSMA project

In March 2022, Soso Care received a GSMA grant to expand its services. It purchased recyclable waste from low-income individuals and sold it to intermediaries and recycling companies. The proceeds fund health insurance premiums for participating households. The grant funding was also used to automate Soso Care’s systems through the introduction of mobile apps and improving waste collection processes, increasing the value generated from waste.

Outcomes

• Launched a mobile app and USSD service, allowing users to search for agents, receive payments and purchase insurance in exchange for waste.

• Launched waste recycling facilities in two states (Kaduna and Rivers State), which process 30,000 kg of waste every month, on average.

• 65% of the informal waste collectors using the health insurance premium function reported improved health care.

Traction

As of March 2024, more than 6,900 informal waste collectors use the app to process waste collection requests.

A message from the founder

“This opportunity enables us to improve our product and position in the market. One of our limitations has been around marketing and this project can help strengthen this. In the past six months we have seen significant growth in our users, doubled our revenue, and recovered over 50 tonnes of plastics.”
– Chinonso Opurum, Co-founder and CEO, Soso Care