Tigo Tanzania has made the first of its regular quarterly payments worth TZS3 billion (US$1.8 million) to the 3.6 million users of its mobile money service Tigo Pesa.

The payment comes three months after Tigo paid out the TZS14.25 billion (US$8.64 million) accumulated in its TigoPesa Trust Account to become the first mobile money service in the world to pay profit to its users.

"This second round of profit disbursement shows the company's continued commitment to benefit and improve the lives of Tanzanians. The payment goes to all Tigo Pesa users including super agents, retail agents and individual users of the service," Tigo general manager Diego Gutierrez said.

"The first payment was bigger due to the fact that the profit had been accumulated over a period of three and a half years. This second payment is the profit accumulated from funds held in trust in commercial banks for three months in the quarter July to September 2014."

Gutierrez said the average return to a customer will vary based on their average daily balance in their Tigo Pesa e-wallet.