News
Nigerian Banks Lost N42.6Bn to Fraud in Q2 2024
Fasasi Sarafadeen Atanda, national president, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) said Nigerian Banks lost N42.6b to fraudsters in Nigeria within the Q2 of 2024.
Atanda quoting Financial Institutions Training Center (FITC) report, said the loses were traced to agent locations through the use of stolen cards, phones, fake alerts and ransom cash out.
Atanda, who made the disclosure at the 8th Annual National Conference of the association in Benin City, Edo State with the theme “Match Data With Actions” said that to steam the tide AMMBAN has introduced an automated verifiable identity card for agents and launched a Joint Task Force (JTF) in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), DSS, NSCDC and other security agencies.
According to him, “The 8th AMMBAN annual national conference is unique as it is meant to match data with actions.
Data on Access to Financial Inclusion: As at the last EFInA report in 2023, financial inclusion was at 64% but on the ground, over 300 local government areas in Nigeria are without bank branches (AMMBAN Survey, 2024).
Why access to commercial banks are of concern? CBN recent regulation on mandatory BVN and/or NIN for owning an account or a wallet requires the presence of bank branches, because they are majorly the structures enabled for BVN enrollment/modification.
On action from AMMBAN, he noted that the association has introduced a one-stop shop for financial services, offering NIN, BVN, Account Opening, Card Issuance, Sim Registration, Savings, Credit, Insurance etc across the excluded local government areas.
Continuing, he said. “Data on Security: Nigerian banks lost N42.6B to fraud in Q2, 2024 (FITC), and most were traced to agent locations through the use of stolen cards or phones, fake alerts, ransom cash out, etc.
“Action From AMMBAN: AMMBAN introduced an automated verifiable identity card for agents and launched a Joint Task Force (JTF) in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), DSS, NSCDC and other security agencies. JTF has been providing intelligence for the security agencies on enforcement sanity and regulatory standards at agent locations – in public interest.
AMMBAN has indeed led the way of data to actions by turning our insights into inclusive financial solutions (NFIC, Agent QR-coded ID card, Agent Joint Task Force, AMMBAN cooperative, AMMBAN women wing etc).”
In his keynote address Mr. Philip Ikeazor, Deputy Governor Financial Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) represented by the apex bank Controller, Benin Branch, Michael Mgbeze said that the Central Bank aims at advancing financial inclusion and building a robust and inclusive financial system that leaves no Nigerian behind.
He said the contribution of AMMBAN have been instrumental in ensuring that millions of Nigerians particularly in the underserved communities now have access to financial services.
“We gather today with a shared mission – to advance financial inclusion and build a robust and inclusive financial system that leaves no Nigerian behind. Your contributions have been instrumental in ensuring that millions of Nigerians, particularly in underserved communities, now have access to financial services.
“As we approach the end of 2024, we are closer than ever to our goal of 95% financial inclusion. Currently, less than 25% of Nigerians are financially excluded – an impressive leap from 32% in 2020. This figure represents millions of people gaining access to the tools needed to improve their lives, from savings and loans to insurance and investment products.
“Nigeria’s financial inclusion landscape has transformed significantly from 2016 to 2024. As at 2023, the formal financial service usage has grown from 30% to 57%, the adoption of financial service agents has also skyrocketed, from 4.4% in 2018 to 54%in 2023.
“The Usage of informal financial service providers increased by 39% since 2020, with significant increase in the use of village associations predominantly in the South East. The use of financial services, including transaction accounts, savings, remittances, credit, and insurance, is on the rise. Notably, savings increased by 2%, remittances by 8%, and credit by 4%”, he said.
On his part, the Sen Ibrahim Hadejia Deputy Chief of Staff to the President Office of the Vice President, represented by Nurudeen Abubakar, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is putting sustainable mechanisms in place to build a $1trillion economy by 2030, adding that while substantial progress has been made. Something around 26% of the adult population primarily women, rural dwellers, and small business owners are financially excluded.
“As we seek to achieve this milestone, financial inclusion is at the heart of our economic agenda, ensuring that all Nigerians—regardless of location, gender, or socioeconomic status—are not only included but also empowered in our financial system.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is putting sustainable mechanisms in place to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030,
“This has been made evident in the administration’s effort to boost access to credit for Micro, Small, Medium, and Nano Enterprises (MSMSNE), and various other programs targeted at enhancing inclusive growth through economic and financial inclusion”, Abubakar stated.
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PalmPay, Jumia Reward Users in Festive Campaign
This holiday season just got a whole lot more exciting! PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, operates Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and has teamed up with Jumia, the continent’s e-commerce giant, to launch a festive campaign that’s all about convenience, rewards, and enhancing your shopping experience.
Running from December 11th to 28th, 2024, this holiday campaign is set to reward shoppers who use the new “Pay with PalmPay” feature on Jumia with cash prizes. Every purchase made using the direct payment method automatically enters participants into a draw, giving them a chance to win exciting cash rewards while enjoying the seamless shopping and payment process.
A Strategic Partnership To Enhance Digital Payments
The integration of the “Pay with PalmPay Wallet” feature on Jumia marks a major milestone in the partnership between the two industry leaders.
Speaking at the media announcement, Mr. Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, highlighted the broader mission driving this collaboration: “We are thrilled to join forces with Jumia to redefine convenience for shoppers. At PalmPay, our mission has always been to drive economic empowerment through accessible and user-friendly financial services. This partnership is a natural step forward in achieving that goal.”
Beyond the holidays, this partnership with Jumia m,k is a signal of bigger things to come. Mr. Chika added: “This is more than just about payments—it’s about creating value for our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will unlock in 2025, including campaigns and innovative initiatives that will further transform the online shopping landscape.”
Sunil Natraj, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, highlighted the shared vision between both companies, stating: “At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience. This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform. By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions.”
How to Join the Holiday Fun
Participating in the campaign is simple. When shopping on Jumia, select the “Pay with PalmPay” option at checkout, and your entry into the draw is automatic. It’s that easy!
Bonus Entry: Share a screenshot of your purchase on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #PalmPayXJumia to increase your chances of winning. Additional winners will be selected from participants engaging with the campaign on Twitter.
Whether you are shopping for gifts, or gadgets this festive season, PalmPay and Jumia are making sure your experience is not only seamless but also rewarding.
To learn more about the campaign, stay tuned to the official X accounts (formerly Twitter) of @palmpay_ng and @JumiaNigeria. for updates, announcements, and more chances to win.
News
Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has revealed that none of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in the country complied fully with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures in the passing year.
This was following the findings from the Commission’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) for the MDAs.
The Commission warned that henceforth, non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives.
According to the EICS scorecard released on Thursday in Abuja by Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, no MDA out of 330 MDAs that were assessed through physical deployment by ICPC teams achieved full compliance.
The EICS serves as a preventive tool used to assess and enhance the compliance of MDAs with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.
Findings from the report indicated that no MDA achieved full compliance, while 29.55 per cent of MDAs captured attained substantial compliance, and 51.62 per cent had partial compliance.
The report also observed that 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance, while 292 per cent were non-compliant.
According to the report, common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units, adding that many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports.
Commenting on the report, Bakare noted: “This year, 2024, the tool covered 323 responsive MDAs, with 15 MDAs non-responsive and categorised as high corruption risk.
“It is imperative to inform you that this initiative has yielded some positive and value-driven impacts, and these are, but not limited to, increased awareness and compliance with anti-corruption measures, enhanced competition among MDAs to meet criteria, and improved procurement processes and data reliability.
“The Commission recognises the MDAs with substantial compliance and will continue deploying these tools to promote integrity and accountability.
“Non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives. We are certain that these efforts will continue to underline ICPC’s dedication to enhancing good governance and preventing corruption.”
News
Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has dismissed claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) used a $1 billion loan secured through a crude forward sale agreement to support the refinery during a liquidity crisis.
In a statement on Wednesday, Anthony Chiejina, company’s chief branding and communications officer, said the NNPCL’s stance was a distortion of the facts.
“We would like to clarify that this is a misrepresentation of the situation as $1bn is just about 5% of the investment that went into building the Dangote Refinery,” Chiejina said.
Chiejina stated that the refinery’s decision to enter into a partnership with the NNPCL was based on the recognition of “their strategic position in the industry as the largest offtaker of Nigerian crude” and at the time, the sole supplier of petrol into Nigeria.
“We agreed on the sale of a 20% stake at a value of $2.76 billion. Of this, we agreed that they will only pay $1 billion while the balance will be recovered over a period of 5 years through deductions on crude oil that they supply to us and from dividends due to them,” Chiejina said.
“If we were struggling with liquidity challenges we wouldn’t have given them such generous payment terms. As at 2021 when the agreement was signed, the refinery was at the pre-commission stage.”
According to the statement, the agreement would have been cash-based rather than credit-driven if the refinery struggled with liquidity issues.
The refinery’s spokesman said the NNPCL was subsequently unable to supply the agreed 300,000 barrels a day of crude (bpd).
He stated that the shortfall was because the NNPPC “had committed a greater part of their crude cargoes to financiers with the expectation of higher production which they were unable to achieve”.
“We subsequently gave them a 12-month period for them to pay cash for the balance of their equity given their inability to supply the agreed crude oil volume,” he said.
“NNPCL failed to meet this deadline which expired on June 30th 2024. As a result, their equity share was revised down to 7.24%. These events have been widely reported by both parties,” he said.
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