Fancy having your own US mobile number to receive and make calls with, even here within Nigeria? Or to send and receive SMS with?

NextPlus is a mobile phone service that provides unique virtual 10-digit mobile phone numbers with every android (and iOS) app install, thanks to its partnership with Level 3. Calls and texts to any U.S. number is free, while it charges discount rates for international calls and messages.

Perhaps what sealed the deal for me on this app is that it allows you to subscribe to Gmail’s 2 step verification, a service not available in Nigeria.

You do not pay any amount to acquire the number, though you are required to play a call or send a SMS with the app at least once a month.

Nextplus also assigns local mobile numbers for two other countries; the UK and Canada.

Not yet uhuru about the app though. Services like Whatsapp and a string of others do not permit virtual numbers on their platform.