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E-payment: CBN Urges Banks, Others to Avoid Penalty

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  • E-payment: CBN Urges Banks, Others to Avoid Penalty

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said banks and other electronic payment service providers must navigate the evolving and increasing complex regulatory environment to avoid penalty.

The Director, Banking and Payments System Department, CBN, Mr. ‘Dipo Fatokun, described fraud as the biggest challenge facing the electronic payment sector, stressing the need for banks, customers and regulators to tackle it.

Fatokun stated this at the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria Bi-Monthly Forum in Lagos on Saturday, while making a presentation, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent.

“Electronic payments continue to be a growth story across the world and Nigeria is not an exception, but banks and other service providers face a number of challenges in ensuring that they make the most of this opportunity,” he said.

He said the Nigerian electronic payments industry had been evolving in line with the evolution in global payments in both wholesale and retail systems.

Fatokun said banks, payment service providers, and the CBN had played various roles in developing the payments system and creating products and channels for electronic payments.

He said the Retail Payments Transformation Programme of the CBN had led to the introduction of various electronic payment products and services by operators in the industry.

“The electronic products are gradually reducing the usage of cheques and cash, as noticed consistently in the annual performance report since the inception of the Cashless Policy in 2012,” he said.

Fatokun said the volume and value of transactions based on cheques and National Electronic Funds Transfer had been consistently reducing annually since 2013, while same data for the NIBSS (Nigeria Interbank Settlement System) Instant Payment, Automated Teller Machine, and mobile money channels had been on the increase.

The CBN director said, “The ATM channel accounts for the highest volume of transactions, while the NIP accounts for the highest value of transactions annually. This is because the ATM is usually the e-payment channel that new and lower value account holders always interface with, while corporates and upwardly mobile middle class customers make transfers using NIP.”

According to Fatokun, banks and other e-payment service providers operate in a highly regulated environment.

He described regulation as necessary to ensure that “operators focus on delivering products and services that enable compliance, efficiency, financial stability and a positive customer experience.

“The regulatory landscape remains complex for operators; they not only need to comply with existing regulations but also adhere to new regulatory initiatives, some of which affect established operating or business models.

According to him, increased complexity in the regulatory landscape sometimes creates the need for banks to leverage new technology for compliance purposes.

“Required rate of policy review is increasing due to technology changes and innovations. This creates disruption in the smooth flow of implementation, where a policy becomes ineffective as a result of better technology,” Fatokun said.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Insurance

Heirs Insurance Group Unveils Revolutionary Website for Seamless Insurance Experience

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Heirs Life Assurance- Investors King

Heirs Insurance Group has launched a website designed to revolutionize the insurance experience for its customers.

With a focus on simplicity, accessibility, and personalized service, the new website aims to streamline the process of obtaining insurance coverage and empower customers to make informed decisions about their insurance needs.

The website boasts a range of innovative features that make navigating insurance options easier than ever before.

From simple and intuitive navigation menus to personalized insurance recommendations, the website is designed to guide customers through every step of the insurance process quickly and efficiently.

According to Ifesinachi Okpagu, the Chief Marketing Officer of Heirs Insurance Group, the new website embodies the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer service.

“Today’s customers want simplicity, and this new website delivers on that request,” Okpagu said. “We are empowering customers to take control of their lives, their businesses, assets, and their most cherished people.”

One of the key features of the website is its personalized insurance experience, which takes customers through a short journey to help them identify the best insurance plan for their needs.

Whether customers are looking for coverage for their home, car, business, or loved ones, the website provides tailored recommendations to ensure they find the right insurance solution quickly and easily.

With its user-friendly interface and innovative features, the new website from Heirs Insurance Group sets a new standard for the insurance industry, making it easier than ever for customers to protect what matters most to them.

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Banking Sector

Safaricom, Access Holdings Forge Partnership to Revolutionize Remittance Corridor in Africa

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Access bank

Safaricom, the leading telecommunications company in Kenya, has entered into a strategic partnership with Access Holdings, spearheaded by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.

The collaboration aims to revolutionize the remittance corridor between East and West Africa, marking a significant step towards enhancing financial inclusion and empowering millions of individuals across the continent.

The partnership comes on the heels of Access Holdings’ recent acquisition of the National Bank of Kenya Limited, signaling the company’s ambitious expansion into the East African market.

Leveraging Safaricom’s extensive network and expertise in mobile money through M-Pesa, which currently dominates the mobile money market in Kenya, the alliance seeks to create seamless and efficient channels for remittance transactions.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the driving force behind Access Holdings, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting its potential to transcend traditional boundaries and foster greater economic connectivity between East and West Africa.

He highlighted the fusion of collective expertise and resources between the two entities, underlining their shared commitment to driving financial inclusion and empowerment across the continent.

The partnership holds promise for addressing the challenges faced by millions of Africans in accessing affordable and reliable remittance services.

By connecting more than 60 million customers and 5 million businesses across eight countries, the collaboration aims to facilitate over $1 billion in daily transaction value, significantly boosting the flow of remittances within and outside Africa.

With the first phase of the collaboration focusing on key markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania, stakeholders anticipate a transformative impact on the remittance landscape, paving the way for greater intracontinental trade and economic integration in line with the objectives of initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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Banking Sector

EFCC Urged to Repatriate Recoveries to NDIC for Depositors’ Relief

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The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has made a fervent plea to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite the repatriation of recovered funds to its coffers to facilitate the timely reimbursement of depositors affected by bank failures.

During a recent meeting between the Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, and the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the NDIC headquarters in Abuja, Hassan stressed the importance of enhanced collaboration between the two agencies in recovering depositors’ funds lost due to bank failures.

Hassan emphasized that the return of recoveries made by the EFCC on behalf of the NDIC would significantly contribute to the prompt reimbursement of affected depositors.

He commended the EFCC for its unwavering efforts in combating corruption and financial crimes, highlighting its crucial role as a key member of the Taskforce on Implementation of the Failed Banks Act chaired by the NDIC.

The NDIC boss also highlighted the existing partnership between the two organizations, which led to the establishment of the NDIC Help Desk at the EFCC in 2022.

He disclosed that several high-profile cases referred to the EFCC were currently under investigation.

In response, Olukoyede reiterated the EFCC’s commitment to collaborating closely with the NDIC to combat financial crimes and safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian banking sector.

He pledged to intensify efforts to repatriate recovered funds promptly, acknowledging the interconnectedness between criminal activities and bank failures.

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