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Banking Sector

Four Banks Record 477,405 Unresolved Complaints in 12 Months –Reports

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Within a period of one year spanning January 1 to December 31, 2020, four top banks in Nigeria recorded a total of 477,405 unresolved customer complaints.

The banks are Zenith, Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa and Access Bank.

The figures were arrived at after analysing the 2020 annual financial reports of the banks.

The reports also revealed that the number of unresolved complaints carried forward by the banks in 2021 grew by 172,399 from 305,791 recorded in December 2020.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had in November 2016 issued the Consumer Protection Framework with the aim of engendering customers’ confidence in the financial system.

Later in 2019, the apex bank introduced the consumer protection regulation which, among other things, seeks to provide guidelines for banks to deal with customer complaints.

The apex bank noted in a circular titled, “Issuance of Consumer Protection Regulation”, dated December 20 2019, that the regulations were meant to protect consumers from unfair and exploitative practices by institutions in their dealings with the consumers.”

It was also targeted at checking unethical and predatory practices that undermine consumer confidence in the use of financial products and services.

The regulations were meant to tackle the provision of inadequate and misleading information and/or failure to disclose material information; by ensuring access to complaints redress mechanisms that are “free, fair, timely, transparent, accessible and independent” among others.

Despite these policies and regulations, banks continue to record a high rate of unresolved complaints.

A breakdown of the total unresolved complaints by the four banks shows that during the period in review, Access bank received a total of 2.2m customer complaints.

The bank said that 2.1m was resolved but pending complaints carried over from the previous year brought unresolved complaints at the end of 2021 to 306,116 unresolved complaints out of 2.2m complaints received within year.

For Zenith bank, a total of 166,314 complaints remained unresolved as of December 2021. This figure is almost double the amount recorded in 2021 (83,899).

GTB recorded a total of 673.7m complaints attached to claims of N3.09bn.

While about 672.1m complaints were successfully addressed, unresolved complaints stood at 1,605 owing to carried-over cases.

In addition, the bank noted that the sum of N365.5m was refunded to customers during the year.

UBA disclosed in its annual report for 2021 that it received a total of 464,391 complaints in 2021, 461,162 were resolved, 3,370 remain pending while 38 escalated to the CBN for intervention.

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Banking Sector

CBN Assures Nigerians of Bank Deposits’ Safety Amid Online Disruptions

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Amid growing challenges of maintenance delays and internet disruptions being faced by many of the commercial banks in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has assured depositors and other clients that their money is intact.

Reassuring the public of its unwavering commitment to ensuring the stability and reliability of the Nigerian financial system, the apex bank asked Nigerians not to panic, stating that it remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds.

In a statement signed by Hakama Sidi Ali, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, the apex bank noted that it recognises the crucial role confidence plays in banking operations and wants to affirm that all deposits in Nigerian banks are secure.

Ali said the CBN is actively ensuring that banks adhere to established regulations and best practices to maintain the integrity of the nation’s financial system.

According to him, regular stress testing is conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities, helping to ensure that the financial institutions are resilient.

He added that the CBN has implemented Early Warning Systems that proactively detect and address emerging risks, allowing the bank to provide timely solutions to any foreseen issues.

The statement pointed out that the bank’s approach to Risk Based Supervision ensures that it focuses its regulatory efforts on institutions that may pose the highest risk to the financial system.

“This targeted strategy allows it to maintain a robust oversight mechanism while promoting the overall health of the banking sector,” it stated.

Ali disclosed that the CBN has established a Memoranda of Understanding with the various countries where Nigerian banks’ subsidiaries are located, adding that the collaboration enhances regulatory coordination and ensures that the nation’s banks operate within a safe and sound framework in accordance with banking regulations, both domestically and internationally.

He further assured bank customers that the CBN remains dedicated to fostering a secure banking environment where depositors can be fully confident in the safety of their funds.

The statement revealed CBN’s plans to continue to monitor and adapt strategies to safeguard the financial interests of all Nigerians and stakeholders in our financial system.

Investors King had reported that customers of Zenith Bank recently expressed their frustration over difficulties with online banking transactions.

Just like other banks, Zenith Bank witnessed online service disruptions and maintenance delays for hours as its customers experienced hitch in sending, receiving money and viewing their balance on their bank apps.

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Banking Sector

Unity Bank, CashToken Rewards Promo Produces New Millionaire

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A Unity Bank customer, Mr. Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, has emerged as the latest winner of One Million Naira in the ongoing Cash Rewards Promo by Unity Bank Plc and CashToken Rewards Africa.

CashToken Rewards Africa is a Cash-Reward-as-a-Service company that rewards customers for their patronage and loyalty.

Mr. Amadi, a customer from Unity Bank’s Aba Road Branch, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, won the cash prize after completing qualifying transactions on Unity Bank’s digital banking channels including Unifi, *7799#, and on his Unity Bank-issued Verve card. Through these transactions, he received CashTokens, which entered him into the weekly national consumer draw, where he was selected as the lucky winner of the N1 million prize.

The grand prize winner, Mr. Amadi is the second customer to claim the N1 million grand prize in the rewards promo, which commenced in November 2023. Since the launch, Unity Bank customers have collectively won over N6 million in cash rewards.

Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards promo offers guaranteed instant cash rewards and life-changing opportunities for loyal customers who transact on any of the Bank’s electronic payment platforms, including the Unifi mobile banking application and the *7799# USSD platform. Every card transaction earns customers CashTokens, which qualify them for the weekly national consumer draw, with prizes ranging from N5,000 to N100 million.

Presenting the cheque to the winner in Port Harcourt, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager for Port Harcourt/Uyo Region, Mr. Etop Ikpe, congratulated the winner and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to building a sustainable loyalty platform for customer engagement and satisfaction.

He said, “We are happy to see another one of our loyal customers win a substantial cash prize through the Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards Promo. This initiative aligns with our mission to reward customer loyalty while providing a seamless and rewarding banking experience. As we continue to innovate and enhance our digital banking platforms, we are committed to creating more opportunities for our customers to benefit from their relationship with Unity Bank.”

In his reaction, an elated Mr. Amadi said, “This is a reward for my steadfastness. I have been banking with Unity Bank for a long time and I am really happy to win the cash prize. I commend the bank for the initiative and Unity Bank has always come through in keeping their promises both in terms of service delivery and meeting expectations of customers.”

Also commenting on the development, Simi Adeoye, Chief Business Development Officer for CashToken Rewards Africa, added: “We are proud to partner with Unity Bank in bringing life-changing opportunities to their customers through our Cash-Reward-as-a-Service model. We aim to make every transaction meaningful by turning regular banking activities into chances for customers to win significant rewards. We congratulate Mr. Amadi on his win, and we look forward to creating more millionaires as the promo continues. Mr. Amadi just like other beneficiaries can easily cash out his win by dialling *6700#, following the prompt and transferring his wins directly to his Unity Bank account.”

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Banking Sector

Zenith Bank Enhances E-Channel Services for Customers

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Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has restored improved services across its electronic transaction channels, ensuring customers have seamless access to banking services.

In a statement released on Thursday via its X handle, the bank confirmed that customers can now conveniently conduct transactions across various platforms following a recent upgrade. These enhancements follow temporary glitches caused by routine IT maintenance aimed at optimizing service delivery.

Zenith Bank reiterated its commitment to providing improved services and highlighted the various channels available for customer transactions, including:

– Zenith Bank Debit, Credit, and Prepaid Cards
– Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
– Point of Sale (POS) Terminals
– Zenith Bank Mobile App
– Internet Banking Platform
– Zenith Agents nationwide for agent banking

Customers are also encouraged to visit any of the bank’s branches across the country for in-person transactions.

Zenith Bank reassured further improvements in service delivery following the IT infrastructure upgrade. Customers with bulk payments and salary requests are encouraged to present payment mandates at any Zenith Bank branch nationwide for expedited processing.

Zenith Bank remains dedicated to enhancing customer experience and ensuring reliable banking services across all platforms.

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