E-Financial
Al Baraka Banking Group Overhauls Islamic Core Banking Systems with iMAL
Path Solutions signed a strategic partnership agreement to revamp the bank’s core technology platforms in four locations with a shared ambition for rapid growth
Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG), a leading international Islamic banking group and one of the largest Islamic banking players in the world, today announced that it has opted for Path Solutions’ iMAL, the multi-award winning Islamic core banking system.
ABG runs a number of Islamic core banking systems. iMAL was selected to be the new Islamic core banking system in four of its subsidiaries, in addition to its newly established subsidiary in Morocco.
ABG’s decision to implement a new Islamic core banking system was threefold: The ability to meet its growth in areas such as Sharia and regulatory compliance; hence, the richness of iMAL and what it can offer on the Islamic level and the flexibility to launch new Islamic products quickly. iMAL is an upgradable solution which will enable Al Baraka to capitalise on the thousands of enhancements delivered every year based on industry best practices; and the company’s fast and cost-effective implementation approach and world-class support services.
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 24th General Strategy Meeting at ABG headquarters in Bahrain Bay on December 7th, in the presence of Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif, President and Chief Executive of Al Baraka Banking Group, Mr. Mohammed Kateeb, Group Chairman & CEO of Path Solutions, and the CEOs of the group’s subsidiaries and representatives from Path, during which Mr. Kateeb presented the future roadmap of iMAL and the company’s five-year strategic plan.
ABG is licensed as an Islamic wholesale bank by the Central Bank of Bahrain, listed on Bahrain Bourse and Nasdaq Dubai stock exchanges. It is a leading international Islamic banking group providing its unique services in 15 countries with a population totaling around one billion.
On this occasion, Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif, President & Chief Executive of Al Baraka Banking Group said, “We clearly view this as a strategic initiative to address the bank’s new business requirements, adapt to dynamic market conditions and increasingly complex compliance mandates, and enhance our customer service. iMAL is at the heart of this technology-driven transformation strategy”.
ABG aims to foster its leadership internationally, leveraging cutting-edge Islamic platform to derive benefits through innovation and product differentiation, and expand its branch network and customer base.
Commenting on this strategic partnership, Mr. Mohammed Kateeb, Group Chairman & CEO of Path Solutions stated, “We are extremely pleased to expand our partnership with ABG, an organization with which we share a common objective of advancing Islamic finance worldwide. As Islamic banks across the world are having aggressive plans to increase market share through expansion, and extend their reach through digital transformation, a significant step to achieve these goals is by upgrading to a new core banking platform as aging legacy systems hinder Islamic banks from expanding and launching innovative products to the market”.
Mr. Kateeb continued, “We are delighted to extend our long-term strategic partnership with ABG. Throughout the years, we have built a working relationship based on trust. We are confident that this reinforced collaboration will allow us to better answer their growth aspirations. This strategic breakthrough will provide an excellent reference model for multi-subsidiary Islamic banking groups looking at replacing their legacy core banking systems with iMAL to drive cost reductions and to achieve business agility with a lower total cost of ownership. We look forward to supporting these four newly signed banks of ABG, and help empower them to achieve their full potential”.
ABG issued RFPs at the end of 2016 to find a replacement for their legacy Islamic core banking systems. Following a rigorous evaluation process, iMAL Islamic core banking platform was selected based on its broad Islamic coverage and technological strengths, being the perfect match for the group’s current and future requirements.
Path Solutions will install iMAL, including retail banking, corporate banking, finance, payments, digital channels, branch automation and administration, to support the growth strategy and expansion of each institution. Eight subsidiaries of ABG have chosen to go for iMAL in the pursuit of their growth plans, reconfirming the company’s dominance of the Islamic core banking software market, while leveraging on unparalleled breadth and depth of industry-specific solutions and services.
E-Financial
First Securities Brokers Empowers Nigerians to Trade in the Stock Market with the Launch of FirstInvest App
First Securities Brokers, one of Nigeria’s leading stockbroking firms and a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc, is pleased to announce the official launch of the FirstInvest App, an innovative mobile investment platform designed to make stock market investing simpler, faster, and more accessible for Nigerians.
The FirstInvest App offers investors a seamless digital experience, enabling them to open and manage their investment accounts, monitor their portfolios, and trade equities listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) directly from their mobile devices.
Designed with both new and experienced investors in mind, the platform combines convenience, security, and ease of use to help users make informed investment decisions anytime and anywhere.
As Nigeria continues to embrace digital financial services, the FirstInvest App reinforces First Securities Brokers’ commitment to driving financial inclusion and expanding access to wealth creation opportunities through technology.
Speaking on the launch, Fiona Ahmed Ahimie, Managing Director of First Securities Brokers, said: “The launch of the FirstInvest App represents another significant milestone in our digital transformation journey and our commitment to delivering innovative investment solutions to our clients.
“We understand that today’s investors value convenience, speed, and accessibility. FirstInvest has been developed to provide exactly that: a secure and intuitive platform that empowers individuals to participate confidently in the capital market from wherever they are.”
She added: “Our goal is to remove the traditional barriers associated with investing by placing the power of timely investment and decision making in the stock market directly in the hands of Nigerians. Whether you are taking your first investment step, actively managing your portfolio or just evaluating your investment, FirstInvest provides the tools and flexibility needed to support your financial aspirations.”
The app delivers a range of features designed to enhance your investing experience, including: Secure digital account opening and onboarding, Real-time access to investment portfolios, Buy and sell Nigerian equities with ease, User-friendly trading interface, Secure transaction processing, Convenient access to market information and investment opportunities.
The launch of FirstInvest aligns with First Securities Brokers’ broader strategy of leveraging technology to improve customer experience while supporting the growth of retail participation in Nigeria’s capital market.
First Securities Brokers remains committed to providing trusted investment advisory services, innovative financial solutions, and exceptional customer service, helping clients build and preserve wealth across generations. The FirstInvest App is now available for download on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
The next currency crisis could accelerate the shift of the roughly $315 billion global stablecoin market into a digital-dollar alternative for citizens in emerging economies, notably in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
As local fiat currencies face devaluation and high inflation, citizens and businesses are increasingly utilizing smartphone-based stablecoins (such as USDT and USDC) as hedges and primary mediums of exchange.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the rapid adoption of dollar-linked digital assets—particularly in countries heavily affected by inflation like Nigeria—poses significant risks to monetary sovereignty.
With up to 95% of surveyed individuals in some African markets preferring to receive payments in stablecoins over local fiat, the rising volume of these decentralized, cross-border channels weakens domestic currency demand and dilutes the effectiveness of local monetary policy.
IMF observed in a report titled “Stablecoins in Nigeria: A Growing Cross-Border Channel” noted that the widespread use of stablecoins poses risks to monetary sovereignty, particularly as more individuals and businesses turn to digital dollar-linked assets for savings and transactions.
Nodding in agreement is Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII Institute), a non-profit organisation run by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund.
FII Institute said that central banks face structural challenges.
And according to the institute, when citizens move savings out of national banks and into private digital wallets, conventional capital controls lose their grip.
Institutions like the Bank for International Settlements warn that interest-bearing stablecoins compete directly with domestic-currency deposits, complicating financial oversight and making smartphone-based transfers incredibly difficult for authorities to monitor.
In Nigeria, Naira depreciation has pushed users toward dollar-stablecoins, according to report by Gino Matos in cryptoslate.com.
A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a steady value by pegging its price to a reserve asset, such as a fiat currency (e.g., the U.S. dollar) or a commodity (e.g., gold).
They act as a bridge between traditional money and the digital asset world, providing the speed of crypto without the extreme price swings of assets like Bitcoin.
Federal government has reopened three federal government of Nigeria (FGN) bond issues valued at N1.2 trillion for subscription as part of efforts to raise long-term funds from the domestic debt market.
The Debt Management Office (DMO), which announced the offer on Tuesday, said the three reopened bond issues are each valued at N400 billion.
According to the DMO, the first offer is the January 2035 FGN Bond, a 10-year reopening, carrying an interest rate of 22.60 per cent per annum.
The second is the May 2028 FGN Bond, a 15-year reopening, with a coupon rate of 15.45 per cent per annum, while the third is the June 2037 FGN Bond, a 20-year reopening, also valued at N400 billion.
The office said the bond auction is scheduled for July 20, while successful subscriptions will be settled on July 22.
It explained that the bonds are offered at N1,000 per unit, with a minimum subscription of N50 million and additional investments in multiples of N1,000.
For the reopened bonds, the DMO said successful bidders would pay a price based on the yield-to-maturity that clears the auction, in addition to any accrued interest on the instruments.
Interest on the bonds will be paid every six months, while the principal will be repaid in full on the respective maturity dates.
The DMO reaffirmed that FGN bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government and constitute obligations chargeable on the general assets of the federation.
It added that the bonds qualify as trustee investment securities under the Trustee Investment Act and enjoy tax exemptions for eligible investors, including pension funds, under the Company Income Tax Act and Personal Income Tax Act.
The bonds are listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and FMDQ Securities Exchange and also qualify as liquid assets for banks in computing their liquidity ratios.
FGN bonds are long-term debt instruments through which investors lend money to the Federal Government in exchange for periodic interest payments and repayment of the principal at maturity.
NBC Scraps Annual Digital Access Fee on DSO
Surge in Fibre Cuts Hobbles Service Provisioning
Why Bandits, Kidnappers are Hard to Trace despite NIN-SIM Linkage – FG
First Securities Brokers Empowers Nigerians to Trade in the Stock Market with the Launch of FirstInvest App
Quest Merchant Bank Hosts Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
Nigeria Launches FreeTV Nationwide
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
Telecom3 days agoMTN Nigeria Slashes Cost of Broadband Internet Router, Unwraps New Data Bundles for Low-Budget Users
E-Financial3 days agoNigerians Accumulate $59Bn in Cryptocurrency Assets —FDC
E-Financial3 days agoFlutterwave Partners Xoom on Transfers into Nigeria
General News3 days agoNearpays, Nigerian Fintech Becomes First African Startup to Win UN’s AI for Good Innovation Factory
News3 days agoDataPro Upgrades Dangote Cement’s Credit Rating to AA+
E-Business3 days agoTinubu Orders NIMC to Enrol Every Nigerian by End of this Year – DG
Telecom3 days agoNokia’s 14 Years of Mobile-Phone Supremacy Ended in an Afternoon
General News3 days agoFintech Brands Should Communicate Right in a VUCA Economy