Media Updates: Recent updates about NIBSS you may want to catch up with; News stories, Media mentions, Reports, views and chronicles of our activities

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) would join other stakeholders at the upcoming International Financial Inclusion Conference (IFIC) to examine opportunities, identify concrete solutions and initiate interventions that would ensure the achievement of Nigeria’s financial inclusion objectives.

The theme of the IFIC, which is billed to hold in Abuja on November 24 and 25, 2022, is, “Financial Inclusion for all: Scaling Innovative Digital Models.”

The conference would be the first to be held in the country since the Nigeria launched its National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) in 2012.

The NIBSS, in collaboration with other financial services providers has made huge investments to provide affordable digital financial services (DFS) to the unbanked and financially excluded members of the Nigerian population.

Speaking on stakeholders’ contribution towards the national financial inclusion objectives, the Managing Director/CEO of NIBSS, Mr. Premier Oiwoh, reiterated the role of technology in the provision of financial and payment innovation.

Oiwoh said: “We are aware that digital financial inclusion enables access to financial services and advance the economic progress in underserved market segments, In ensuring that the financially excluded are efficiently and effectively catered for within the ecosystem.

“We have created a platform-based payment system to enable the players in the ecosystem innovate and thrive.”

He noted that the industry over the years has leveraged cutting-edge technology to design and deliver financial products and services to drive financial inclusion.

He added that research had shown that, “financial inclusion stimulates the growth of the local economy while empowering the citizens. It provides access to basic financial services for the unbanked to be served in a manner that is sustainable and affordable, as it is aimed at enhancing growth and development.”

The NIBSS said among other innovative payment solutions created for financial inclusion, the introduction of the NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) platform transformed the way Nigerians choose to pay for goods and services at all levels.

“Leveraging on this, NIP has provided more opportunities for financial services providers and other players within the ecosystem to innovate and provide more options to drive financial inclusion.

“Also, through the initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Bank Verification Number (BVN) was developed to harmonise the financial services sector, improve banking operations and encourage financial inclusion.

“With strong collaboration across the ecosystem, NIBSS has over the years facilitated the growth and proliferation of BVN with the commencement of remote offline BVN enrolment by agents for a wider reach. This is in addition to the recently launched ‘iGree’ BVN Consent Management Platform, for expanded financial inclusion and consumer protection,” the NIBSS said.

It further stated that, “in addition to the successful deployment of Biometric Scanners at no cost to financial services providers, inclusive of DMBs, Super Agents, MMOs for the purpose of remote BVN enrolment, NIBSS has implemented 100 per cent increase in monetary incentives paid to BVN enrolling agents to incentivse them for every new BVN successfully enrolled in a bid to drive sustainable Financial Inclusion.”

The press release said other areas through which the NIBSS has supported the nation’s financial inclusion strategy included the, “introduction of the NXPay platform, an affordable industry local money transfer financial inclusion initiative, with token value redemption at agent locations” and the development of new quick response (NQR) for affordable, contactless, digital payments.”

Other areas that the NIBSS has advanced financial inclusion in Nigeria were the, “launch of the NIBSS Easy Pay for instant transfers for non-bank Financial Service Providers (FSPs)” and the “development of an industry centralised dispute service for dispute resolution across the industry.”

The NIBSS said, “in line with the National Financial Inclusion initiative, the timely delivery of financial services through agency banking has also revolutionised the economy, as this has boosted job creation through financial entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, digitalisation of the society and increased GDP, as each state’s economic activity is increased with a multiplier effect.”

First Publised on ThisDay