The mobile network operators in the country have been identified as critical stakeholders in the success of the full digitisation of the fi nancial services sector in Nigeria. Director, Digital Business, Etisalat Nigeria, Adia Sowho Etisalat, who made the observation while speaking at the 2016 eWorld Forum organised by Ajomedia identified four enabling factors that can facilitate the achievement of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s goal of the full digitisation of the financial services sector in Nigeria.
Sowho who spoke on the subject, Financial Inclusion and Digital Financial Services said that the factors include interoperability of standards for money exchange across operators, agents and products, agent/ merchant distribution network that accept and processes clients’ transactions, technology platform or avenue by which digital financial services are being provided to the target customers as well as product variety which addresses key pain points and creates value in the community.
She called on relevant stakeholders in the digital financial services ecosystem to evolve ways that could help them remain relevant, assuring the commitment of Etisalat to seeking and creating more innovative ways to create value for consumers. She said, “Research results show that only 12 per cent are doing mobile banking while online banking has just 18 per cent of the population. This is a long road to our destination, and it calls for a strategic approach that involves the collaboration of all stakeholders.”
She noted that there must be regulatory interventions in place to foster the right conditions for increased collaboration stressing that the banks must see and work towards the greater need for client-centric and digital mind set to increase customer base and deposits while reducing cost to acquire and serve. “On our part, we are committed to efforts that will drive smartphone and broadband penetration to enhance the experience of customers who are expected to carry out fi nancial services”, said Sowho. Etisalat Nigeria recently won the 2016 MobileMoneyExpo Kalahari Financial Inclusion Product of the Year Award for its contribution to the growth of the financial sector of the economy through its mobile money product, GTeasysavers.
Source: http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/mnos-key-to-financial-inclusion-sowho/