Banking
Heritage Bank Agent Outlets hits 400, Opens in Badagry
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In line with the financial inclusion strategy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its determination to capture the alarming number of unbanked market women, artisans and underserved population in the country, Heritage Bank Plc has deepened its retail banking structure by launching agent banking services at the coastal town of Badagry in Lagos State.
This has brought the growing number of the lender’s agent banking base to 400 ‘Corner Shops.’
The new Badagry outlet, called Thy Grace, was unveiled over the weekend to provide a range of financial services to customers in the neighbourhood of Mowo under the Badagry Local Government.
The MD/CEO of Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo explained that the bank has continued to set standard in the launching of ‘Corner Shop’ to cater for the need of traders and artisans at different locations across the country.
According to him, the shop is aimed at giving the unbanked, especially in the rural areas the opportunity to enjoy financial services without the risk and stress of walking kilometres in order to visit a bank branch.
Speaking at the commissioning in Badagry, the Zonal Business Coordinator, South-West, South-South, Agent Banking, Heritage Bank, Ms Oluwakemi Adewunmi, described the feat as a major breakthrough that would relieve the people living in the Ikogazebbe community of the stress they hitherto faced in transacting banking services.
She said with the new Agent commissioned to represent Heritage Bank in the locality, banking services would no longer constitute a headache, but rather would be stress-free for all categories of bank customers.
According to her, anybody can benefit from the services of the agent whether you are a customer to Heritage Bank or another bank.
Ms Adewunmi explained that customers can open bank account, deposit cash, transfer money even to other banks and also pay bills. In view of the peculiarity of the community, she disclosed that the agent deploys mobile POS; adding that the device would make the agent make banking services available at the doorsteps of customers.
With the inclusion of Thy Grace, she said Heritage Bank now boasts of about 400 agents it has established in different parts of the country. She commended the agents for their commitment over the past two years that Heritage Bank’s campaign for financial inclusion started.
Her words: “The level of their loyalty is very high and commendable. Our agents maintain a clean record and they have been effective.”
In his remarks after receiving the Certificate of Authorisation to carry out agent banking on behalf of Heritage Bank, Mr Hunyingan Pius Mifrinso, promoter of Thy Grace, commended the bank for the approval given to him.
He assured that the services of his agency would help to bring banking services closer to the host community. Before now, Mr Mifrinso disclosed that for anybody to transact banking services, the person had to travel over a distance of 15km before getting to the nearest bank.
His words: “The Ikogazebbe community is about 15km far from Badagry and for anybody to do a small banking transaction; the person has to travel to Badagry town.” Apart from the time usually wasted in doing that, he said transportation cost a minimum of N400.
Meanwhile, Mr Mifrinso assured that with the new dispensation, the people in the neighbourhood could heave a sigh of relief as banking is now made easy. In order to effectively cover the area, he disclosed that his agency would recruit some roaming agents to comb the community for traders who might not have the time to deposit the proceeds of their sales in banks.
Agent banking is the delivery of financial services outside conventional bank branches, often using non-bank retail agents and relying on technology, such as card readers, point-of–sale (POS) terminal or mobile phones for real time transaction processing. It is an initiative to actualise the CBN’s policy on financial inclusion.
By Dipo Olowookere
Tech enthusiasts interested in participating in the Take on Squad Hackathon, organised by Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc, can now enter the contest via the official portal at https://squadco.com/hackathon.
The programme enters its third edition in 2026, and the theme for this year is Smart Systems: The Intelligent Economy, according to a statement issued by the organisers.
The hackathon brings together developers, designers and entrepreneurs across Nigeria in a collaborative environment to build practical solutions across key sectors, including financial services, healthcare, commerce and digital inclusion.
Participants are challenged to design and build intelligent, data-driven solutions that transform how communities engage with money.
It is part of the organisation’s commitment to fostering innovation, empowering talent, and supporting the development of technology-driven solutions that address real-world challenges across Africa.
“Today’s dynamic, digitally driven world demands continuous innovation, which is shaping how economies grow, how businesses scale, and how societies evolve.
“Through Take on Squad Hackathon, we are deliberately investing in the ideas and talent that will define the future.
“Our objective is not simply to encourage innovation, but to enable its translation into scalable solutions that deliver real and measurable impact.
“This reflects GTCO’s role as a financial services platform that connects capital, capability, and creativity to drive sustainable progress,” the Managing Director of HabariPay, Ms Eduofon Japhet, stated.
The social coding event remains a cornerstone of HabariPay’s mission to foster creativity and problem-solving among emerging tech talents. Competing teams will leverage Squad’s advanced APIs to create scalable digital tools that address everyday challenges faced by businesses and individuals.
Through initiatives such as this, GTCO continues to position itself at the intersection of finance, technology and enterprise, actively shaping the future of digital transformation in Africa.
By Dipo Olowookere
Banking services will not be interrupted throughout the Easter public holidays, from Friday, April 3, to Monday, April 6, 2026, for any reason, Ecobank Nigeria has assured its customers.
In a message over the weekend, the member of Africa’s leading pan-African banking group, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, said customers would continue to enjoy quality service delivery during the period.
It noted that its secure and robust digital platforms would remain fully operational to support financial activities during the festive period.
All digital channels, including the Ecobank Mobile App, Ecobank Business App, USSD *326#, Ecobank Online, OmniPlus, Omnilite, EcobankPay, Ecobank Cards, ATMs, PoS terminals, and over 35,000 Ecobank Xpress Point agent locations nationwide, will remain accessible throughout the holiday, the financial institution further said, urging customers to conveniently conduct transactions at any time using this wide range of digital solutions.
Ecobank customers were encouraged to maximise the bank’s alternative channels for transfers, bill payments, airtime purchases, card services, and account management.
They were also advised to stay vigilant by shopping only on trusted websites; avoiding the sharing of PINs, passwords, and one-time passwords (OTPs); refraining from banking on public Wi-Fi networks; being cautious of urgent or emotionally charged messages; and regularly monitoring their account activity.
“Customers will continue to enjoy a full bouquet of services during the holiday, including local and international funds transfers, bill payments, airtime top-ups, merchant payments, balance enquiries, account statements, and cardless cash withdrawals via ATMs,” the Head of Products & Analytics, Consumer & Commercial Banking at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Victor Yalokwu, stated.
“We understand that festive seasons come with increased financial activity, and our priority is to ensure our customers enjoy fast, reliable, and secure banking wherever they are.
“Our digital channels are designed to support uninterrupted transactions, and we have strengthened our systems to guarantee optimal performance throughout the Easter break,” he added.
Mr Yalokwu noted that, “Ecobank remains committed to providing innovative financial solutions and exceptional customer service. We wish all our customers and partners a peaceful and joyful Easter celebration.”
By Dipo Olowookere
Customers may have difficulty accessing the digital platform of Polaris Bank, known as VULTe, during the Easter holidays from Friday, April 3, to Monday, April 6, 2026.
This is because the financial institution is carrying out system maintenance on the platform in its effort to ensure users enjoy a better banking experience.
In a notice over the weekend, the lender said “access to VULTe may be limited,” but it provided an alternative, which is the PolarisXperience.
Polaris Bank, which expressed regret over “any inconvenience” this action may cause its customers, said the “scheduled system maintenance” would happen from 10 pm to 8 am daily, promising that normal service would return after the maintenance.
“In continuation of our commitment to delivering a seamless and improved banking experience, we will be conducting a scheduled system maintenance during the Easter holidays.
“During this period, access to VULTe may be limited. We have provided an alternative channel, PolarisXperience:
“Please go to our website to onboard or use it as an existing user. You can also use this link: (https://elogin.polarisbanklimited.com).
“We regret any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Normal service will resume after the maintenance,” parts of the notice seen by Business Post read.
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