E-Financial
Transforming Dispute-resolution Process in Banks Require Blockchain Technology – Uche Elendu
With the increased rate of fraud and dispute claims between customers and financial institutions across Nigeria, Uche Elendu, Co-founder and COO of Appzone has made the call for the adoption of blockchain technology to not only decentralise the process of moving money from one bank to the other but to help increase the level of visibility and transparency of the procedure.
Uche Elendu shared this thought during his presentation at the recently concluded Digital Pay Expo summit – a two-day event, sponsored by Appzone, which sought to discuss the possibility of accessing finance without a third party across the African continent through Decentralized Finance (DeFi).
As more Nigerians get financially included, customers have continued to move away from cash and checks toward electronic payments. This trend is a positive development for banks and the central bank of Nigeria (CBN); however, as card and online transactions grow, so does the number of disputable transactions and the incidence of fraud, putting pressure on dispute processes.
Speaking about the adoption of blockchain technology to foster a speedy payment settlement process, Uche Elendu, said “Financial institutions across the continent have continued to evolve, leveraging technology. They have metamorphosed from the days of a heavy analogue process to a more digitized era, and with the continuous increase in the volume of banking transactions,
“It remains pertinent to continuously adopt newer and more sophisticated technology infrastructure to remain dependable, especially with payment settlements.
“For us at Appzone, we are firm believers in blockchain technology. Its decentralized nature not only makes it faster, cheaper, and transparent but also makes it sophisticated enough to enable real-time settlement”.
Speaking further, Uche said “Having rolled out Zone – Africa’s first blockchain platform for payment processing in 2021, partner banks who have onboarded with us have seen a drastic change in their payment settlement process. Zone’s innovative architecture will reduce complaints from customers and provide banks with an opportunity to deliver delightful experiences on payment channels while also driving down costs”.
Developed in line with Appzone’s recent evolution into a payment infrastructure company, Zone is Africa’s first decentralized payment network that allows inter-bank transactions to be processed directly between banks on the Blockchain without the involvement of any intermediary.
With Zone, players in the industry should expect a reliable and scalable payment network that enables frictionless and instant payments, within and between every African country.
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc is facing a major financial scandal after hackers reportedly siphoned N9.3 billion from multiple customer accounts.
The breach, which occurred on March 23, 2025, has led to an urgent legal battle as the bank seeks to freeze accounts suspected of receiving the stolen funds.
Court filings reveal that the cybercriminals exploited a critical system glitch, discreetly transferring the money in small amounts across 54 financial institutions to evade detection.
Oluwasegun Falola, Union Bank’s Head of E-Fraud Investigations, confirmed that tracking the transactions has been challenging due to their fragmented nature.
Acting swiftly, the bank filed a lawsuit (FHC/L/CS/629/2025) at the Federal High Court in Lagos, requesting an emergency order to halt further withdrawals. On April 2, 2025, the bank’s legal team, led by A. Adedoyin-Adeniyi, informed the court that the stolen funds were still being actively moved—suggesting an ongoing laundering operation.
In response, Justice Deinde Dipeolu granted a Post No Debit (PND) order, freezing all implicated accounts pending further investigation.
This crisis comes just 15 months after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) dissolved Union Bank’s former board over governance failures. Under the leadership of MD Yetunde Oni, the bank now faces intense scrutiny as customers demand accountability.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a comprehensive review of documentation requirements for transactions processed through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), aimed at enhancing intra-African trade, promoting financial inclusion, and improving operational efficiency for cross-border payments within Africa.
In a press release issued on Monday, the CBN outlined key updates to the documentation framework in a circular addressed to Authorised Dealer Banks (ADBs) and the general public.
The revised guidelines are part of the CBN’s ongoing efforts to streamline processes and support seamless financial transactions across the continent.
Under the new framework, individuals conducting low-value transactions up to USD 2,000 equivalent in naira and corporates transacting up to USD 5,000 equivalent in naira can now rely on basic Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) documents already provided to their ADBs.
This measure simplifies compliance requirements for smaller transactions and reduces administrative burdens.
For transactions exceeding the specified thresholds, parties must comply with the full documentation requirements as outlined in the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual and related circulars to ensure regulatory compliance.
Applicants are also responsible for ensuring that all necessary regulatory documents are available to facilitate the clearance of goods as mandated by relevant government agencies.
The new policy permits ADBs to source foreign exchange for PAPSS settlements directly from the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, eliminating the previous requirement to obtain forex directly from the CBN.
Additionally, all export proceeds repatriated via PAPSS must be certified by the relevant processing banks to promote transparency and regulatory adherence.
The CBN urged all ADBs to adopt PAPSS and commence originating transactions in accordance with the updated policy.
Exporters, importers, and individuals were encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new requirements and leverage PAPSS for efficient cross-border transactions across Africa.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service has directed banks across the country to immediately identify and close any tax and levy collection accounts not authorised under its TaxPro Max platform.
The directive, aimed at promoting transparency and ensuring uniformity in tax collection, was disclosed in a public notice titled “Directive to close unauthorised FIRS tax collection accounts,” issued by the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, and circulated to journalists on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dare Adekanmbi.
According to the notice, all tax and levy collections must now be processed exclusively through assessments generated on the TaxPro Max system.
The FIRS warned that all banks participating in its collection, remittance, and reconciliation scheme must comply without delay, discontinue the use of unauthorised accounts, and ensure only transactions initiated from the TaxPro Max platform are processed.
“We count on your cooperation to ensure a smooth transition to this centralised system, thereby contributing to a more transparent and efficient tax collection process,” the agency stated.
Developed locally, the TaxPro Max platform facilitates key tax activities such as taxpayer registration, filing of returns, payment processing, and the issuance of tax clearance certificates.
It was introduced to streamline tax administration and support the FIRS’s broader digitalisation agenda.
The agency also urged taxpayers and stakeholders seeking clarification to contact its Revenue Accounting and Refund Department.
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