Banking
Ecobank, Mastercard Score High in Innovative Banking
By Dipo Olowookere
For their drive in innovative banking in Africa, two leaders in their sectors, Ecobank Group and MasterCard, have been honoured at the 2017 African Banker Awards.
Both firms were announced as winners of the ‘Innovation in Banking’ award category for ground breaking partnership focused on reaching 100 million new customers in Africa with Masterpass QR by 2020.
Recall that the landmark deal between both organisations was signed in 2016 and focused on financially empowering 100 million new customers in Africa by 2020, through access to the Ecobank Mobile App supported by Masterpass QR.
The award ceremony was held on May 23 under the patronage of the African Development Bank, and is the continent’s banking and finance sector’s most prestigious event in recognising innovation and excellence in the industry.
Commenting on the development, the Group Executive in charge of Consumer Banking at Ecobank, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, stated that, “Millions of Africans already hold the transformative power of technology in their hands with their mobile phones – and Ecobank is leveraging the mobile platform to introduce solutions that truly meet the financial, payments and collection needs of customers and owners of small and micro businesses in Africa.”
He noted that, “It is for that reason that we partnered with MasterCard to deliver a quick, convenient, secure and above all, affordable payments solution that we have integrated into our mobile banking platform to better serve our customers and deliver on financial inclusion in Africa. This win at the African Banker Awards is therefore a recognition that we are moving in the right direction.”
The introduction of pioneering solutions that meet the needs of all Africans and deliver higher levels of economic involvement is a core differentiator of leading financial solutions. MasterCard in partnership with Ecobank work to illustrate their continued commitment to facilitating financial inclusion and ensuring all Africans can meet their full potential.
Also commenting, the Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, Omokehinde Adebanjo, remarked that, “We are committed to delivering solutions that build inclusive ecosystems and ultimately foster the move to a cashless society.
“Our partnership with Ecobank has resulted in Masterpass QR being rolled out across Africa in 33 markets, delivering a more secure and convenient way for merchants to accept payments and for consumers to pay for goods and services.”
Masterpass QR is ground-breaking in that it lets customers pay for goods and services using their smart or feature mobile phones, while delivering efficient and cost effective digital payment solutions to micro, small and medium size enterprises on the continent.
These businesses are core to driving growth and development in Africa, and have traditionally been held back by the high installation and running costs of point-of-sale infrastructure.
The introduction of the Ecobank mobile banking app has resulted in more Africans gaining access to financial tools than ever before. Empowered with easier access to payment solutions such as Masterpass QR means that consumers and business owners alike are now able to transact more securely.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The chief executive of TeamApt Limited, Mr Dennis Ajalie, has called for a robust collaboration in the digital payments ecosystem, saying banks and fintech companies should not see themselves as rivals.
Mr Ajalie said the industry’s regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has delineated what each entity should do and how they should function in creating a successful payment ecosystem that protects consumers and enables businesses, which he admitted to be complementary and not competitive.
Touching on the imperative of borderless transactions and the solutions for implementation concerning the framework, he said, “Borderless transactions have to happen because we’re becoming more interconnected by the day and by the minute.”
“We still have a lot of siloed implementations among key stakeholders and unless we recalibrate our systems, borderless remains beyond our reach and a mirage,” Mr Ajalie stated at the Committee of e-Business Industry Heads (CeBIH) conference in Lagos themed Payment System Vision 2030: Navigating Contemporary Issues in Driving Future Growth.
“There’s the fierce urgency of now that demands that we find solid ways to interconnect, and once we’re able to interconnect within ourselves, reconcile properly, especially on the local front, then we can present a single, unified front that will enable us to push transactions and receive transactions from outside.
“We cannot go forward without fixing these internal challenges,” he added at the event, where he was one of the panellists.
TeamApt, a subsidiary of Moniepoint Incorporated, facilitates payment processing across many industries while enabling reliable payments for banks and their customers while reducing operating costs.
Wrapping up his thoughts, the TeamApt boss reiterated the need for industry-wide collaborations in fighting the menace of fraud.
“If we are able to all share information and collaborate seamlessly, we’ll find out that it becomes disinteresting for these bad faith individuals to use the collective technology commonwealth that we have all built to commit nefarious activities.
“So, it goes back to collaboration among fintechs, the banks, NFIU, infrastructure providers, the telcos, and switches. We’ve all got to come together to say, enough is enough and that this present situation threatens all of us rather than just one of us,” he added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An innovative web banking platform to provide customers with an additional digital channel to manage and carry out uninterrupted daily transactions on their phones, laptops and other devices has been introduced by Bankit Microfinance Bank (MFB).
The emerging small financial institution said it came up with this platform to break barriers and empower individuals and businesses to manage their finances with confidence.
With this, Bankit MFB is redefining convenience and security in banking, ensuring uninterrupted access to financial services, time-saving functionalities, efficiency, real-time account updates, 24/7 availability, and faster transactions.
“In today’s fast-paced digital age, connectivity is everything in banking, and for us, it’s all about improving customer experience with simple banking options and empowering our teeming customers to live their best lives.
“We are revolutionizing the Fintech landscape in Nigeria, and we have developed this solution to empower our customers to bank securely, anytime, anywhere, conveniently.
“We are committed to leveraging technology to enhance the banking experience for all our customers,” the chief executive of Bankit Africa, Mr Yen Choi, stated.
“Bankit’s web banking platform reaffirms one of the bank’s core values – Innovation and sets a new standard for accessibility and security in the banking industry.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to excellence, Bankit Africa will continue to evolve its offerings to meet and exceed the needs of its rising customer base.
“Some key features of this web banking platform include: a simple way to send money, buy airtime, and pay bills with no extra fees or hidden charges,” he added.
Bankit MFB is a licensed financial institution dedicated to providing innovative, customer-centric financial solutions to individuals, businesses, and communities in Nigeria, with a focus on simplicity, convenience, and security.
By Dipo Olowookere
Banking operations at the branches of most financial institutions in Nigeria will end earlier than expected today, Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
The majority of them have sent messages to their customers to inform them of this development.
Business Post sighted some of these notices sent by the banks to their customers via electronic mails (e-mails).
One of them from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Limited said transactions at its Lagos branches will close for the day and year by 3 pm while in other branches at 2 pm, encouraging customers to use its digital channels for their financial transactions.
“We would like to inform you that all our branches nationwide will close to customers early on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
“During this period, we encourage you to take advantage of our digital channels for banking needs,” the notice read in parts.
On its part, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc said its branches would close for the day at 2 pm across the nation.
“As we prepare for the New Year celebration, our branches will close by 2 pm on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
“While our branches take a break, our digital channels, the UBA Mobile Banking, Leo, *919# or internet banking are available 24/7 for all your banking needs.
“Your security is our priority. We will never ask for your BVN, card number, PIN or personal details. Suspect anything fraudulent? Call our Fraud Help Desk,” the message from the lender read.
As for Fidelity Bank Plc, it plans to stop banking services at its branches nationwide today by 2 pm to resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
“Please be informed that our branches will close at 2 pm on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, ahead of the New Year holiday.
“As always, our digital channels; Mobile Banking, USSD Bank (*770#), PoS, ATMs, Cards, and Ivy Chat, will be available 24/7 for all banking transactions.
“Please note that normal operations will resume at 8 am on Thursday, January 2, 2025,” the bank said in its message to customers.
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