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Nigeria Occupies 7th Place on PoS Transactions in Africa

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Nigeria occupies seventh position among African countries where the use of point of sale (PoS) form part of transactions, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has learnt.

According to a report by Indexmundi only 21 percent of total transactions in the country are done through the PoS device.

South Africa stands at the top with 91 percent followed by Ghana 80 percent while Tunisia is third with 79 percent. Other countries ahead of Nigeria are Egypt, Morocco and Kenya in that order.

According to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the PoS density per 100,000 people in Nigeria is 13, while India’s is 67; Uganda, 453; Namibia, 338

The target for Nigeria, according to the bank, is to meet Brazil’s PoS deployment rate of 2,247 per 100,000 people by 2020.

The initiative would lead to GDP contributions and job creation with a ripple effect on the economy while boosting national pride and reducing exposure of national security in the area of espionage.

Kevin Chung of Avante International Technology, at the just concluded CashlessAfrica Expo, said that while the communication network and bandwidth are adequate, the data centres in the financial communities in Nigeria needs to upgrade from Tier 1-2 to Tier 3-4 to enable the cash-less economy.

Tunde Ogungbade, managing director, Global Accelerex Limited, said that cash places a huge toll on GDP and that in Nigeria cost of cash management is projected by CBN to be N250billion by 2020.

“There is high percentage of unbanked in the country and uneven access to money, these hobbles cashless initiative in the country.”

He added that a cashless future must serve society at large, and that it cannot be about corporate interest, governmental control or surveillance and monitoring. “It must be about providing endless consumer choice for payment”.

Ogungbade highlighted barriers to cashless future such as high rate of illiteracy, inadequate sensitization and education as well as inadequate instruments and channels.

He identified benefits of cashless future to include better access to capital for micro-merchants and small business, and increase instruments to drive economic growth and development.

He urged the sector’s regulator to implement policies and regulations that promote electronic payment acceptance, lowering of transaction cost and provision of alternative payment before penalizing the use of cash as well seek and explore innovation at all steps of the payment process.

Onajite Regha, executive secretary/CEO, E-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN), said that operators of the payment system have worked so hard to match innovation with needs, and have battled tirelessly to ensure the integrity of the payment systems.

“In the same vein, our regulators have not left any stone unturned to ensure that our payment systems meet their desire to make it nationally utilized and internationally recognized. As an Association E-PPAN has remained the bridge between the providers, the regulators and the users. It has not been an easy ride but we can proudly say we have come a long way since 2012,” she said.

“So while there is still a lot of room for improvement, in my opinion we are deserving of a pat on the back in the implantation of the cashless society so far.”

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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E-Financial

Lagos State Appoints MoneyMaster as Payment Partner for “Ounje Eko” Programme

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“Ounje Eko”, the food price discount initiative of the Lagos State Government, has appointed leading payment service bank, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank Limited (MMPSB), as its collaborator in the bid to ensure ease of payments at the market.

MoneyMaster is one of the Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed Payment Service Banks (PSBs) to promote financial inclusion across Nigeria.

Under the partnership, MMPSB will apply its cutting-edge payment solution to engender easy payment and reconciliation in order to make   the experiences of Lagosians who will be getting their food supplies from the markets pleasurable. Its payment solution is also all-encompassing and ensures real time value to payment destinations.

The mobile bank was appointed as the collection and payment partner for “Ounje Eko” Food Markets programme which is a government initiative serving the five divisions of Lagos State. Consequent on this, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank will collect payments in 57 LCDAs in the state.

The partnership gives credence to the quality of payment solutions that MoneyMaster is reputed for in its services to its growing business clientele in private and public sectors.

 


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CBN, EFCC Probe Banks, Firms over Alleged Forex Racketeering

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is investigating irregular foreign exchange transactions and forward contracts valued at approximately $2.4 billion.

CBN, EFCC Probe Banks, Firms over Alleged Forex Racketeering

The  inquiry follows an extensive audit by Deloitte, which scrutinized $7 billion in dollar debts accumulated under the bank’s previous leadership.

In the aftermath of the 294th Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja, Yemi Cardoso, governor of CBN,  disclosed to journalists that the investigation, supported by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, among other security bodies, aims to clarify the legitimacy of these FX allocations identified as problematic by the audit.

“It was determined that a number of these transactions did not qualify…they were outright illegal. The law enforcement agencies are now looking into those transactions that as far as we are concerned, are not valid to be paid,” Cardoso detailed, emphasizing the unlawful nature of these forex deals.

The crux of the investigation lies in the audit findings that a significant portion of the scrutinized transactions lacked proper documentation and, in many instances, were deemed outright illegal.

However, the unfolding investigation has raised concerns within the organized private sector, with some entities contemplating legal action against commercial banks for unresolved forex bids.

Despite these tensions, Governor Cardoso reassures that the foreign exchange market remains open and transparent, inviting stakeholders to address their forex needs through the official channels.

Furthermore, Cardoso clarified the distribution of fertilizers to farmers as a one-off measure and not indicative of a shift back to direct interventions by the CBN, underscoring a commitment to strategic, regulatory governance rather than direct market involvement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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CBN Urges Banks to Expedite Action on Recapitalisation

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed deposit money banks in the country to expedite action to increase their capital base from the current ₦25bn.

CBN Urges Banks to Expedite Action on Recapitalisation

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of CBN

Olayemi Cardoso, governor of CBN, stated this during the apex bank’s 294th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Tuesday in Abuja, when the MPC hiked the interest rate by 22.75% to 24.75%.

The apex bank chief said the MPC examined developments in the banking sector and expressed satisfaction that the industry remained stable. The committee, however, said to guard against risk, commercial banks in the country should accelerate their recapitalisation efforts.

Cardoso said, “The MPC also reviewed developments in the banking system and noted that the industry remains safe, sound, and stable. The committee thus called on the bank to sustain its surveillance and ensure compliance of banks with existing regulatory and macro-potential guidelines.

“The MPC also enjoined the banks to expedite actions on the recapitalisation of banks to strengthen the system against potential risks in an increasingly globalised world.”

 

 

 

 


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