E-Financial
Mobile Money Growth in Sub- Saharan Africa Imminent – Reports
Findings in separate reports released by the IMF, World Bank and GSMA support the notion that mobile money growth in Sub-Saharan Africa will increase substantially in the next five years.
Growth is expected from mobile-enabled platforms that will increasingly disrupt traditional value chains across the region.
The number of registered mobile money accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa is 395.7 million as at 2018 represents almost half of total global accounts, according to GSMA’s The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2019 report. The number of accounts is expected to increase to over 600 million by 2025.
Improvements in productivity and efficiency due to increased take-up of mobile services will bring mobile’s contribution in SSA to almost US$185-billion (9.1% of GDP) by 2023, up from current US$144.1-billion – especially in high-growth markets like Nigeria and Ethiopia where subscriber addition is expected to be concentrated.
The World Bank states that Nigeria is the largest remittance-recipient country in Sub-Saharan Africa and the sixth largest among low and middle income countries. It has reportedly received more than US$24.3-billion officially in 2018, an increase of over US$2-billion compared to 2017.
Nearly 9 in 10 registered mobile money accounts are in East and West Africa, according to GSMA. West Africa, which leads mobile subscriber penetration, is home to most of the countries with the highest remittances as a share of their GDP: The Gambia, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Senegal, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Remittances to the region is expected to continue to increase, albeit at a lower rate, to US$51-billion by 2020 after reaching an estimated US$48-billion in 2019, from US$46-billion in 2018.
It will coincide with an increase in the 23% of the region’s population (about 239 million people) that currently use the mobile internet on a regular basis and smartphones – which currently account for 39% of mobile connections – increased to two-thirds of connections.
Telcos are also expected to invest an estimated US$60-billion on network infrastructure and services by 2025 as the mobile economy supports more than 3.5 million jobs.
According to an IMF report The Rise of Digital Money, e-money is being readily adopted, driven by convenience, integration with social media, faster and cheaper cross-border transfers and efficiency.
The IMF has identified certain risks associated with rapid e-money adoption including impacting privacy, monetary policy transmission, market contestability (the emergence of large monopolies), financial integrity as well as policymaking in general, in the event of data loss.
E-Financial
CAC Moves Against Unregistered POS Operators as Deadline Expires
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has begun moves to enforce its directive that Point of Sale (POS) operators should register with the commission.
The registration directive gave POS operators July 7, 2024 to September 5, 2024.
In a statement released by the Commission, the CAC said that it is now working closely with law enforcement agencies and other relevant stakeholders to develop and implement a robust enforcement and sanction framework.
This framework, according to the CAC, will not only target the shutdown of non-compliant businesses but could also involve more severe legal actions against defaulters.
The Commission expressed concern over the low level of compliance by POS operators, despite the large number of such businesses operating across the country.
They also commended those operators who adhered to the directive, noting their responsible approach to formalizing their operations.
“We are to make it clear that the Commission is working with Law Enforcement Agencies and other relevant stakeholders to deploy a comprehensive enforcement and sanction framework that may include not only possible shutdown but other severe legal Consequences,”
However, the Commission criticized what it termed “recalcitrant operators,” many of whom have either refused or failed to comply with the registration requirement.
The CAC suggested that some of these operators might be engaging in “unwholesome activities” or have other undisclosed reasons for resisting formalization.
As the CAC moves towards enforcement, it urges all unregistered POS operators to take immediate steps to formalize their businesses or face the consequences of their inaction.
Recall that in May 2024 the CAC announced that PoS agents have been given a deadline of July 7, 2024, to register their business.
Hussaini Magaji, Registrar-General of the CAC, who announced this said this was the agreement with the PoS operators after a meeting in Abuja.
According to him, the registrations also align with the legal requirements and the directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He added that the action was equally backed by Section 863, Subsection 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA 2020 as well as the 2013 CBN guidelines on agent banking.
Magaji said the registration is aimed at safeguarding the businesses of fintechs and customers, strengthen the economy and tackle the surge in fraud in Nigeria’s financial industry.
The Commission also announced an extension of the mandatory registration for Fintech Operators to September 5, 2024.
It said the 60-day extension is to give sufficient time to operators particularly those in remote areas who might have encountered network challenges to register and continue with their businesses.
“The Corporate Affairs Commission wishes to notify Fintech Operators also known as Point of Sales Operators that the initial deadline of 7th July 2024 given for the registration of sole Agents, Super Agents, and Agents has been extended for sixty days beginning from 7th July 2024 to the 5th September 2024,” CAC said in the notice.
“This is to give sufficient time to Operators particularly those in remote areas who might have encountered network challenges to register and continue with their businesses.”
E-Financial
CBN Sells FX to BDCs @N1 580/$ to Boost Liquidity
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the sale of dollars to bureau de change (BDC) operators at a rate of N1,580 per dollar.
In a circular signed by W.J Kanya, the acting director of the trade and exchange department, on Friday, September 6, the CBN stated that each BDC operator is eligible to purchase $20,000 in foreign exchange (FX).
The directive further stipulated that all BDCs are permitted to sell FX to eligible end-users at a margin of no more than 1 percent above the purchase rate set by the CBN.
The CBN also instructed interested and eligible BDCs to make their naira payments to the CBN deposit account numbers assigned to them.
It read; “This is to inform the Bureau De Change (BDC) Operators and the general public that we are providing more liquidity into the market. To this end, the CBN has approved the sale of US$20,000.00 to each eligible BDC at the rate of N1,580/$.
“This is to meet the demand for invisible transactions. Also, payment confirmation and all necessary documentation for disbursement are to be submitted at the appropriate CBN branches – (Abuja, Awka, Kano and Lagos) for collection of the US$20,000.00.”
E-Financial
SEC Introduces eFiling System to Reduce Listing Time
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has said that it has introduced various initiatives to reduce time to market with the aim of improving the efficiency and attractiveness of the Nigerian capital market, promote economic growth and development.
Dr. Emomotimi Agama, director general, SEC, who stated this, said these initiatives include streamlined registration processes, introduction of an electronic filing system and enhanced regulatory frameworks among others.
Agama emphasized that shorter time to market can benefit capital market development in several ways like increased liquidity which will lead to faster listing allowing companies to access capital more quickly, increased liquidity in the market and enable companies to allocate resources more efficiently, thereby driving economic growth.
He stated: “Shorter time to market will also improve investor confidence because when the listing processes are efficient, it can enhance investor trust and confidence in the market. A shorter time to market can make a jurisdiction more attractive to companies and investors, promoting competition and growth’’.
Explaining further, he said, “The Commission has been actively digitizing its operations, including the submission and processing of applications for securities registration, to reduce delays caused by manual processes. This involved the use of electronic platforms for document submissions and approvals, which not only speeds up the process but also improves transparency.
“We have undertaken regulatory reforms aimed at simplifying and streamlining the approval processes. These reforms include updating rules and regulations to reflect current market realities and adopting international best practices that enhance efficiency. For instance, the Commission introduced checklist review for registration of fixed income securities, thereby shortening the review and approval timelines. The Commission launched and conducted a targeted bi-annual training for Issuing Houses to enhance time to market and fast-track review of applications”.
- News2 days ago
World Bank says 40% Nigerian MSMEs are Owned by Women
- Telecom1 day ago
Coker Urges Africa to Close Digital Infrastructure Gap for Prosperity
- News2 days ago
Bridging the Digital Divide: Governor Soludo Empowers Disability Rights Commission
- E-Business2 days ago
Allison, BHM Partner to Host ‘Africa Breakfast Convos’ @UNGA79
- Telecom2 days ago
Trump’s Crypto-business: What Does it Portend for American People if he Wins the Election?
- News2 days ago
FG Launches Digital Quality Assurance Platform For Basic Education
- Broadcasting2 days ago
NIPR Appoints Rasheed Bolarinwa As Chairman of FinanceHub Committee
- News1 day ago
Thabo Mbeki Tells African leaders to Emulate Relationship Between Nigerian and South African Musicians