Banking
Ecobank Cancels Charges on *326# USSD Short Code
Ecobank Nigeria has announced that access to its *326# Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is at zero cost to the consumer. By this announcement an Ecobank customer who performs transactions on the bank’s platform by dialing *326# is free of the USSD session fee.
Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, who declared this at the ongoing 2019 Nigeria Fintech Week in Lagos, said all stakeholders must come together to make USSD short code services free to all users, as a key initiative to drive financial inclusion in Nigeria.
He noted that for the industry to grow, all stakeholders should allow consumers to access banking and financial services such as the USSD short codes at zero session use cost, to deepen financial inclusion in Nigeria and further drive its economic development.
Mr Akinwuntan, who asked stakeholders to adopt the strategy of shared infrastructure that will enable easy compliance to risk and regulatory policies, opined that skills development is at the top of core requirements for successful digital platform proliferation.
In his words “when the ecosystem comes together, we can unlock value for all partners and ensure rapid innovation. Clients’ data protection and the professional handling of this data are key to instilling consumer confidence in the system, and the entire ecosystem is only as strong as its weakest link. All participants need to adopt world-class standards for ensuring cybersecurity for the good of our customers”.
Furthermore, the Ecobank Managing Director said that in order to achieve a digitized Africa, countries must have positive regulatory oversight that encourages and facilitates collaboration amongst all stakeholders to unleash value which will include the much-needed investment in awareness and digital payment usage.
In his comment, President of the Fintech Association of Nigeria, Dr Segun Aina said the Nigeria Fintech Week brings together various organizations and individuals in the disruptive technology ecosystem both within and outside Nigeria. He further stated that the association has recorded in excess of four thousand participants across various sectors from over twenty countries across all the continents who have registered to attend different aspects of the week’s events.
“With the quality, diversity and comprehensiveness of the Nigeria Fintech Week, this annual event has obviously received overwhelming market acceptance and endorsement as the main annual Fintech and digital stakeholder platform to look forward to. We, therefore, expect all stakeholders to use the Nigeria Fintech Week as the main annual platform to showcase Nigerians creativity and remarkable exploits in value-enhancing Fintech products and services”, he noted.
The Fintech Association of Nigeria was created during the 1st National Fintech Conference in 2017 and can today boast of over one hundred institutional members from nine sectors of the economy all working together to connect, accelerate and advocate.
Similarly, the Africa Fintech Network was inaugurated during the 3rd National Fintech Conference and the maiden Africa Fintech Festival in December 2018. Today, less than one year after its inauguration, the association has twenty-nine member countries and country National Fintech Associations.
The Africa Fintech Network has been collectively supportive of continental initiatives such as the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA) and Digital Africa, built global partnerships and recognized by the African Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Development Bank, Afreximbank and others.
These self-regulated entities have brought needed coordination to the Fintech ecosystem in Nigeria and Africa with linkages to and alliances with similar organisations in other markets across the world.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, says Nigeria anticipates remittances from citizens living abroad to increase by two-thirds in 2026 as it seeks to bolster its foreign-exchange reserves to $1 billion monthly.
“We are expecting that by the end of the year, we will hit about a billion Dollars a month from diaspora remittances,” he said at the 14th Annual BusinessDay CEO Forum in Lagos on Thursday, themed From Stability to Shared Prosperity.
Mr Cardoso said remittances are expected to be boosted from more than $600 million currently, banking on the CBN’s deliberate target at remittances to diversify reserve sources beyond oil earnings.
According to him, the apex bank engaged Nigerians abroad, banks and international partners to identify barriers to official remittance flows.
He said the lender subsequently reviewed policies to ensure easier movement of funds into and out of the country.
Mr Cardoso described the approach as providing free entry and free exit for foreign exchange.
He said the reforms helped double diaspora inflows within one year and exceeded initial expectations, also projecting annual remittances could reach about $8 billion if the current momentum was sustained, adding that the development reflected growing confidence in Nigeria’s financial system and foreign exchange market.
Mr Cardoso said reforms introduced by the apex bank had restored stability in the foreign exchange market and improved investors’ confidence.
He identified exchange rate unification as one of the central bank’s major achievements under the reforms programme.
According to him, replacing multiple exchange rate windows with a market-driven system eliminated distortions and improved transparency.
Mr Cardoso said improved foreign exchange liquidity and stronger reserves were among the gains from the reforms.
He said Nigeria’s net external reserves had risen from about $3 billion at the start of the reforms to above $40 billion currently, noting that gross external reserves had grown to about $52 billion, representing about 10 months of import cover.
According to him, the reserves are designed to shield the economy from external shocks and excessive market volatility.
He said the reserves were not meant for routine interventions or day-to-day exchange rate management.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The flagship banking subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Limited, has been announced as the winner of Nigeria’s Best Digital Bank award at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026.
The lender clinched this accolade at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026 ceremony, held on July 17, 2026, at The Peninsula London, England, for its outstanding performance, innovation, customer service, and leadership.
GTBank’s recognition as Nigeria’s Best Digital Bank reflects its continued leadership in digital innovation and its commitment to delivering seamless, secure, and customer-centric financial solutions.
As the banking franchise of GTCO, GTBank has consistently set industry benchmarks in digital transformation, pioneering solutions that have redefined how individuals and businesses access, manage, and experience financial services.
Over the years, GTBank has transformed the banking experience through a suite of innovative digital platforms, including the GTWORLD mobile app and solutions that provide millions of customers with seamless, secure, and convenient access to financial services.
The bank continues to strengthen its digital capabilities by introducing products and services that meet evolving customer needs while maintaining the highest standards of security, reliability, and service excellence.
This latest recognition underscores the company’s position as a market leader and reflects its sustained investment in technology, operational excellence, and innovation.
“This recognition is a testament to the legacy upon which GTBank was built and the vision that continues to guide us today.
“From inception, our goal has been to deliver on the Group’s vision to make end-to-end financial services accessible to everyone by leveraging technology to remove barriers, simplify experiences, and create meaningful value for our customers,” the chief executive of GTBank, Mrs Miriam Olusanya, stated.
“While we are honoured by this recognition, we see it as an acknowledgement of what we have achieved and a motivation to do even more.
“We remain focused on raising the bar for digital banking, investing in innovative solutions, and delivering exceptional experiences that create lasting value for our customers.
“As the financial services landscape continues to evolve, we will continue to innovate, adapt, and lead with the same commitment to excellence that has defined our franchise for decades,” she added.
The Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026 convened leading financial institutions, industry executives, and policymakers from across the globe to celebrate excellence, innovation, and leadership in the financial services sector.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A collaboration to enable fast money transfers into Nigeria has been entered into between Flutterwave and Xoom, PayPal’s international digital money transfer service.
The partnership allows Xoom transfers to be converted by Flutterwave and settled locally in Naira, enabling quick transfers directly into recipients’ bank accounts at Access Bank, UBA, Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTBank, and additional participating banks across Nigeria.
The deal also enables Xoom’s global network with Flutterwave’s local payout infrastructure, allowing users globally to send funds directly into Nigerian bank accounts with improved speed and efficiency.
Nigeria is the leading remittance recipient in Sub-Saharan Africa, receiving over $20 billion in personal remittances in 2024. Despite this volume, receiving international payments has historically remained complex due to FX constraints and settlement delays. This collaboration helps address those challenges in a market of more than 232 million people, where the ICT sector is projected to contribute 21 per cent of GDP by 2027.
By combining Xoom’s expansive reach with Flutterwave’s local compliance and banking partnerships, the two companies are providing a more accessible financial corridor for the continent.
Xoom, a PayPal service, is a fast and secure international digital money transfer service that enables consumers to send money, pay bills, and reload phones for friends and family in approximately 160 markets globally.
As part of PayPal’s global payments ecosystem, Xoom leverages advanced fraud protection, compliance capabilities, and a trusted global network to help millions of customers move money quickly and securely across borders.
“We’re excited to have been chosen by Xoom for their Nigeria expansion. Millions of Nigerians rely on money from abroad to support everyday needs, whether it’s families receiving help from loved ones, freelancers getting paid for their work, or individuals earning income from the global economy. This helps make it easy and more reliable for people in Nigeria to receive funds and stay connected to opportunities beyond borders,” the chief executive of Flutterwave, Mr Olugbenga GB Agboola, stated.
