E-Financial
AMMAN Picks Holes in Shared Network Initiative of Banks
Association of Mobile Money Agents in Nigeria (AMMAN) has pick holes in the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) and money deposit banks’ recently launched Shared Agent Network initiative, saying that infrastructure on ground does not support massive rollout of agent network in the country.
Shared Agent Network initiative entails an aggressive rollout of a 500,000 agent network within two years to offer basic financial services. The approved CBN-Bankers committees’ roll out ratio will be as follows North-east 30 percent, North-west 30 percent, north-central 20 percent; south-south 7.5 percent, south-east 7.5 percent, and south-west 5 percent.
Victor Olojo, national president, Association of Mobile Money Agents of Nigeria (AMMAN), told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that recruiting 500,000 agents across the country within the next two years is not difficult and what is tall order to achieve is managing that number with poor infrastructure they are presently facing in the business of agency business.
“Presently, banks and licensed mobile money operators lack capacity to manager issues arising from network downtime. Web based solutions does not have the capacity to carry out transactions volume of up to 5,000 let alone when 500,000 are brought into the system.
“There must be concrete plans to improve upon available infrastructure to be able to support additional agents into the system. More so, there is knowledge gap in the management of agents by banks officers who does not understand business of informal sector. Over the years, we have noticed that some bank staff lack basic knowledge on digital financial service, “he said.
Olojo urged CBN and banks to put in place Agent support system in dealing with agents who are people not regulated by any institution.
Ifeoma Onibuja, head, Digital banking, Fidelity Bank, had acknowledged that managing mobile money agents as well as logistic challenge have been a headache for the banks which has resulted in some banks scaling down their mobile money operation focusing on other digital payments.
Olojo however, commended the recent Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA) launch of global certification scheme. This according to him, will regulate chaotic situation they face in the business and go a long way to boost confidence in the system.
John Giusti, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA , said the GSMA Mobile Money Certification is a consumer-focused initiative, aimed at giving customers confidence that a provider has taken steps to ensure their funds are in safe hands, their rights are protected and they can expect a high level of customer service.
“With over 690 million accounts globally, the mobile money industry is having a clear impact on the global effort to expand financial inclusion, providing access to life-enhancing financial services and serving as a gateway to the digital economy. Mobile money is directly advancing 13 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by facilitating access to essential services such as health and education, providing employment opportunities and reducing poverty,” he said.
The naira appreciated to N1,600 per dollar in the parallel market at the close of trading hours on Monday, strengthening from N1,610 per dollar recorded over the weekend.
Similarly, the naira saw a slight gain in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), trading at N1,605 per dollar compared to N1,606 last Friday, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This represents a marginal N1 appreciation.
As a result, the gap between the parallel market and official exchange rate widened slightly to N5 per dollar, up from N4 over the weekend.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) spent N315.18bn on currency issue expenses in 2024, marking a sharp increase of 306 per cent compared to N77.67bn recorded in 2023, the apex bank’s audited financial statement for the year has shown.
Currency issue expenses cover the printing, processing, distribution, and disposal of banknotes.
The latest figures reveal that the CBN’s cost of managing physical cash spiralled dramatically during the year under review, as Nigeria grappled with lingering cash shortages and disruptions in the money supply chain.
The surge in expenditure came as the country continued to deal with the effects of the naira redesign policy introduced in late 2022.
Despite efforts to stabilise cash circulation throughout 2023, Nigerians still faced queues at ATMs and difficulties in accessing cash in early and late 2024.
Faced with mounting public outcry, the CBN deployed several emergency measures to address the crisis.
Deposit Money Banks were directed to ensure consistent ATM loading and rural cash distribution, while the Bank also launched public hotlines for citizens to report cash scarcity incidents.
Also, the CBN ramped up enforcement efforts, including deploying monitoring teams, issuing sanctions against non-compliant banks, and mandating improved cash distribution.
PalmPay, a full-service digital bank, has reaffirmed its dedication to advancing the future of payments in Nigeria by promoting the widespread adoption of contactless-enabled payment terminals.
This was made known during the recently concluded BusinessDay Future of Payment Conference, themed “Fintech Evolution: Gateway to Payments.” In his welcome address, BusinessDay Publisher, Frank Aigbogun, emphasized that the next phase of fintech innovation must be driven not only by speed, safety, and simplicity but also by trust, inclusion, and accessibility to ensure broad-based impact across all segments of society.
Talking about PalmPay’s impact in the panel session titled “The Next Wave of Digital Payments: Trends and Innovation,” Ifeanyi Uzoka, Senior Business Development Manager at PalmPay, discussed the evolving landscape of digital payments in Nigeria.
He noted that while regulatory frameworks have supported the introduction of contactless payments, the high level of cash dependency remains a key barrier to widespread adoption.
“At PalmPay, financial inclusion is central to everything we do,” Uzoka stated. “To support this mission, we’ve launched contactless-enabled debit and premium cards, ensuring our users have access to convenient and secure payment experiences. We also understand that trust is critical, which is why all contactless transactions on PalmPay’s platform include an additional layer of authentication for enhanced security.”
PalmPay continues to lead innovation in Nigeria’s digital finance ecosystem by delivering secure, user-friendly, and future-ready solutions. The company’s recently launched debit and premium cards in partnership with Verve are now serving its growing base of over 35 million users nationwide.
This move into contactless payments underscores PalmPay’s alignment with global payment trends and its ongoing commitment to building a more inclusive and digitally empowered economy.
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