How much an app costs in Nigeria, and what pushes the price up

Why two “simple” apps can cost very different amounts

Most app ideas sound simple in one sentence: “customers order and we deliver”, or “users fund a wallet and buy data”. The price comes from everything under that sentence: every screen, every rule, every kind of user and every outside service the app has to talk to.

That’s why a developer who names a price before asking questions is guessing. A fair quote comes after someone has listed the users and the screens with you. These are the things that move the number most.

Two rules apply to almost every app. Once you collect names, phone numbers or locations, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 applies: tell users what you collect and why, get consent where it’s needed and keep the data secure. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission publishes the Act and its guidance.

And if users can create an account, both Google Play and the App Store require a way to delete it from inside the app. Google also wants a web link where users can ask for their account and data to be deleted.

For identity checks, NIMC publishes its licensed service providers. Ask whichever provider you choose what each check costs, because it’s a running cost that grows with every new user. If your app will hold customers’ money in a wallet, read our VTU business guide before you build: wallets raise licensing questions that a simple payment page doesn’t.

What you’ll pay after launch

The build is a one-off cost. These bills keep coming, and many quotes leave them out because the developer doesn’t pay them: the providers bill you directly, usually in your company’s name. The figures are as each provider listed them in October 2026.

Paystack waives its ₦100 on payments under ₦2,500 and caps its local fee at ₦2,000. On a ₦5,000 order the fee works out to ₦175 (1.5% is ₦75, plus ₦100), so decide early whether you’ll absorb it or add it to your prices.

The store fees are in dollars, so the Naira amount depends on your bank’s exchange rate on the day. Google doesn’t accept prepaid cards for its fee, and it won’t refund the fee if your identity details turn out to be invalid, so register with real details the first time.

Server costs are the hardest to predict and the easiest to forget. Before you agree a build, ask the developer to estimate the monthly server bill at 1,000 users and at 10,000, and whether it will be billed in dollars or Naira.

The yearly updates you can’t skip

Google and Apple raise their technical requirements every year. Since 31 August 2026, new apps and updates on Google Play must target Android 16 (API level 36). Since 28 April 2026, apps uploaded to the App Store must be built with Xcode 26 and the iOS 26 SDK.

An app nobody maintains can’t ship a fix until it’s rebuilt for the new rules, and on Google Play an app that falls behind stops reaching new users on newer phones. That’s the work a support plan pays for, whoever you hire.

Open the store accounts in your own name

The Google Play and App Store accounts are the keys to your app. If a developer publishes it from their own account, moving it later is slow and depends on their goodwill. Open both accounts yourself, in your company’s name, and add your developer as a user.

To register as an organisation, both stores ask for a D-U-N-S number, a free business ID from Dun & Bradstreet. Apple says to allow up to five business days for the number, then up to two more before Apple can see it.

Google requires an organisation account for apps that offer financial products or services, so a fintech, lending or wallet app can’t go out under a personal account. Apple, for its part, says an organisation must be a legal entity and that it doesn’t accept trade names. A CAC business name may not be enough; a limited company is the safe choice.

If you open a personal Google Play account instead, new personal accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days in a row before the app can go public. Line up those testers early: staff, friends or first customers with Android phones.

How to keep the cost down

• Build an MVP first. One core workflow, accounts, a payment flow and a basic admin view. With us that starts from ₦2.5M and usually takes 4–6 weeks, and real users then tell you what to build next.
• Use one codebase. Flutter builds Android and iOS from the same code, so you pay for one app, not two, and every fix reaches both.
• Launch on the web first when it fits. If your users are businesses, or they’ll only use it a few times a month, a website or web app may be enough: no store fees, no review wait and one version to maintain. Our guide to website costs in Nigeria shows what that route costs.
• Use existing services. Paystack, Flutterwave or Korapay for payments, a licensed provider for identity checks and a ready-made SMS gateway. Building your own versions costs more and adds risk.
• Cut user roles for version one. Staff tools can start as a simple admin page; a full back office can wait.
• Write the brief before you ask for quotes. Who uses the app, the five things they must be able to do, and what you already have. Clear briefs get tighter quotes, and changing the scope halfway through usually costs more.

How long it takes

A lean MVP usually takes 4–6 weeks with us. Bigger builds take longer, and a fair quote splits the time into milestones you can test on your own phone.

Then add the time the stores need, which catches many first-time founders out:

• D-U-N-S number: up to five business days from Dun & Bradstreet, plus up to two for Apple to receive it.
• Google Play closed test: at least 14 days with 12 testers, for new personal accounts.
• Apple’s review: Apple says it reviews 90% of submissions in under 48 hours. Incomplete submissions take longer or fail.

Start the account paperwork in the first week of the build, not the week you want to launch.

How payment should work

Don’t pay the whole price up front, to anyone. Tie each payment to something you can see and test:

1. Deposit. A share of the price to start, covering design and the first part of the build.
2. Build review. A payment when the main features work on your own phone.
3. Handover. The balance when the app is live and the code, store accounts and server logins are in your name.

Bigger projects can be split into more, smaller milestones. What matters is that you never pay far ahead of work you can check.

Questions to ask any developer before you pay

1. What exactly is in the price: design, the admin dashboard, testing, store submission and launch?
2. Whose name will the Google Play and App Store accounts be in?
3. When do I get the source code?
4. Who will write the code, and can I speak to them?
5. What will the app cost to run each month at 1,000 users, and is that billed in dollars or Naira?
6. Who fixes bugs after launch, and who handles the yearly Android and iOS updates?
7. Which of your apps are live on the stores, and can I speak to one of their owners?
8. Will I get a working build on my own phone at each milestone?
9. What happens to the price and the timeline if we change the scope?

Mistakes that make apps cost more

• Copying a giant app. “Like Uber, but for…” describes years of work by large teams. Copy the one feature your users care about.
• Forgetting the admin side. Someone must approve, refund and report. If it isn’t in the quote, you’ll pay for it later.
• Leaving running costs out of the budget. Servers, SMS, payment fees and support start the day you launch.
• Letting the developer own the accounts. It’s your business, so keep the keys.
• Paying everything up front. Milestones protect you and keep the work moving.
• Testing only on expensive phones. Many of your users have mid-range Android phones and patchy data. Test on those before launch.
• Buying a cheap “clone script”. Ready-made app templates sold online can look complete in a demo. Check the licence, who updates it, and whether anyone can fix it when Android or iOS changes.

If you’d like us to build it

We build Android and iOS apps from one Flutter codebase, along with the web platforms and admin dashboards behind them. Our mobile apps start from ₦2.5M, MVPs from ₦2.5M (usually 4–6 weeks), and custom platforms and business software from ₦4M. App support starts from ₦60k a month.

You pay by milestone, usually 40–50% to start, and the code and accounts are yours after the final payment. One example of our work: ETK Mall, a multi-vendor marketplace we built, has its app on Google Play.

For wallet, VTU and payment apps, see fintech and payment systems on our services page. Every starting price is on our pricing page, and if a website or a WhatsApp Business catalogue would do the job for now, we’ll say so.

Frequently asked questions

General information, not legal advice. Fees and store rules change; check the current version with Google, Apple, the NDPC and your payment provider before you act.