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Visa, PalmPay to Deepen Financial Inclusion Across Africa

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Visa, the global payments technology company and PalmPay, a new player in Africa’s Fintech industry, announced a partnership to advance financial inclusion across Africa through access to digital payment services.

 

As part of the partnership, PalmPay will launch an app with a mobile wallet in Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. The mobile wallet will offer customers a platform to top up funds electronically or via offline access points, with the ability to make and accept individual and merchant payments. Visa cardholders will be able to initiate payments within the app and make online and mobile payments by attaching their card details to their PalmPay profile. Non-card carriers can generate a virtual Visa card upon registration.

 

Additionally, the PalmPay app will provide access to a variety of financial products offered by third parties. PalmPay is also introducing a loyalty points programme to incentivize the growth of the service.

 

Otto Williams, Vice President Strategic Partnerships, Fintech and Ventures at Visa, said; “Advancing financial inclusion remains a priority for us at Visa and this collaboration with PalmPay will help us reach consumers and merchants not previously addressed by traditional financial services, across Africa. Around the world, there is a growing recognition that cash is a major impediment to advancing financial inclusion and Africa remains a cash centric region. Delivering access to digital payment services on more mobile phones will be a significant step towards the continued expansion of financial inclusion on the continent.”

 

Speaking on the partnership, CEO of PalmPay, Greg Reeve said; “We are building a digital financial ecosystem that brings together the best services and offers from across each market, which will be made available to anyone with a smartphone, including the unbanked. Most existing apps are built to only carter for people who already have formal financial accounts – that is you can only send money, request for loans once you have an account to deposit or receive such loans. With our mobile wallet, third parties can plug into our platform and encourage people who are just joining the digital world, to make and receive payments.”

 

PalmPay will also expand its partnership to other industry players including Global Technology Partners and Ecobank Group, who are working with the company on payment processing and banking services respectively.

 

PalmPay is currently being tested by a limited number of private beta customers in Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania and will be launched to the public in the coming months. An early access version is available on the Google Play Store and the iOS App store that allows users to accumulate PalmPoints, which can be used for transactions once the full app is available.


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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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