E-Financial
NIBSS, Global Tech Giants Partner on Cashless Policy
Nigeria’s cashless policy agenda received a boost recently as the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems PLC (NIBSS), in conjunction with two global technology giants, Samsung and International Business Machine (IBM), renewed commitment to the project.
Specifically, 10 Nigerians emerged winners in the 2015 eNNovation Challenge, organised by the collaborating organisations.
The eNNovation Challenge is an online crowd sourcing contest open to members of the public.
“The contest seeks to promote the spirit of innovation, and showcase the depth and variety of talent available for cognitive cultivation in the national economy,” says Ade Shonubi, Managing Director/CEO, NIBSS.
NIBSS conceptualised this pan-Nigeria, multi-disciplinary contest, collaborating effectively with IBM and Samsung to ensure that the initiative benefitted from the global best practices and benchmarking standards of these two technology companies.
According to NIBSS, the entries were assessed using several parameters, including creativity, uniqueness, practical application/impact and potential for commercial viability.
“The contest was borne out of our proactive measure to solve some of the challenges posed by the nation’s cashless policy programmes,” Shonubi explained.
Slightly over 1,800 entries were received at the initial stage of the competition earlier this year. The screening and judging panel comprising of top industry executives from Central Bank of Nigeria, NIBSS, eTransact, Microsoft, Paga, Konga, Samsung, IBM, TEP, Dudu Mobile, and the immediate past managing director of CitiServe Ltd.
The best 30 entries were shortlisted, from which the top 10 ideas were selected. Eventually, only four of the entries in this top 10 group met the project/judges’ pre-defined standards for ‘outstanding innovation’, earning each of them the top prize of N350, 000 in addition to other gift items. All the top 10 finalists also received Samsung tablets, printers, notebooks and T-shirts.
The prizes were presented to the finalists during the grand finale event, an ideas and prize presentation ceremony of the eNNovation Challenge held at the IBM Client and Innovation Center in Lagos. Expectedly, this maiden edition of the competition succeeded in harvesting innovative ideas that tackle and resolve some of the salient obstacles against electronic payments systems whilst deepening and fomenting the culture of electronic cum digital payment channels in Africa’s largest economy.
“A cash-based economy poses many challenges. It is an increasingly expensive and insecure way to transact business,” said Charles Chukwuemeka, Mobility Manager, Samsung Nigeria Ltd.
“Mobile money is the future of retail and commerce. Soon, almost everybody will be using one type of mobile device and this eNNovation challenge offers us a good platform to promote mobile innovation. Samsung believes in innovation and we invest a lot in young people,” he added.
Odimayo Adesokan, a bio-chemistry graduate of Ladoke Akintola University, was one of the top four prize winners. His “Cashless Campus” idea conceptualised a nation-wide ecosystem of university campuses devoid of cash.
Another outstanding winner, Rukevwe Onoge, a freelance web developer and graphic artist, showcased a “Mobility Monitoring and Payment” system. She hopes to fine-tune her idea into a commercially viable solution in the near future.
“The 2015 eNNovate challenge has been a mind opening experience for me,” she said.
“IBM is proud to be associated with this laudable initiative which aligns superbly with our focus on promoting technology innovation and talent,” said Taiwo Otiti, Country General Manager, IBM West Africa.
“Competitions like this help to expose home grown applications and software solutions to the rest of the world. We look forward to supporting all the winners of this eNNovate challenge with IBM’s suite of software solutions and platforms in the very near future.”
Nigerian banks have resumed processing international tuition payments from Naira accounts through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Form A portal.
Form A is an application form designed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay for service transactions (invisible trade).
The form allows customers to purchase foreign exchange at the CBN or interbank rate to make payments for eligible services as predetermined by the foreign exchange manual.
This development comes a month after commercial banks announced the resumption of international transactions on their naira cards.
In an email to customers, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (GTBank) and Lotus Bank announced that the service is now available for applicants paying undergraduate and postgraduate tuition fees abroad.
“Pay international tuition fees directly from your Naira account,” the notice from GTBank read.
To access the service, customers are required to register and submit their applications via the Trade System Portal at www.tradesystem.gov.ng.
GTBank explained: “Select the ‘Form A’ application for Educational Fees. Choose GTBank as the processing bank, attach required documents, and submit the application.”
Similarly, Lotus Bank stated, “Register on the Trade System Portal. Select Form ‘A’ application for Educational Fees. Choose Lotus Bank as the processing bank, attach required documents, and submit the application.”
In a similar notice, Lotus Bank also informed customers of processing international fees using its facility.
“Register on the Trade System Portal (www.tradesystem.gov.ng). Select Form ‘A’ application for Educational Fees. Choose Lotus Bank as the processing bank, attach required documents, and submit the application,” the bank said.
In 2022, Nigerian banks said international school fees and upkeep requests via Form A will be processed within 120 days due to forex scarcity at the time.
Safaricom, M-PESA and PayPal have announced a strategic collaboration to enable account linking and seamless fund transfers across their networks.
This collaboration aims to empower more than 35 million M-PESA customers and two million businesses and micro traders in Kenya to access PayPal’s global network.
By first linking their PayPal and M-PESA wallets, users can easily transfer funds from their PayPal accounts into their M-PESA wallets, and vice versa. This service is designed to enhance the experience for customers and businesses transacting between the two platforms.
The solution is currently available to Safaricom M-PESA customers in Kenya, with plans to roll out the service to the other M-PESA markets in the future.
“As globalization and digitization continue to reshape how people and businesses connect, our partnership with PayPal is a bold step forward in enabling seamless, worry-free, safe, secure, and inclusive digital payments.
“This collaboration empowers over thirty-five million customers and two million businesses and micro-entrepreneurs across Kenya to participate in the global digital economy by conveniently sending and receiving payments across more than 200 markets. It’s part of our commitment to unlocking opportunities and transforming lives through the power of M-PESA,” said Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer, Safaricom PLC.
“Building seamless connections between the global economy and local financial ecosystems is crucial to expanding digital financial inclusion,” said Otto Williams, Regional Head and General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, PayPal. “We are thrilled to enable millions of M-PESA’s customers across Africa connect more easily to PayPal’s international customer base.”
For 18 years, M-PESA has driven financial inclusion and bridged the digital divide. With M-PESA Kadogo, introduced in 2016, Safaricom waived fees for transactions of Kshs 100 and below, making digital payments more accessible. Now, through Ziidi MMF, customers can invest from as little as Kshs 100, promoting a culture of saving and financial wellness.
The partnership will tap into the emergence and growing popularity of the gig economy that has seen a rise among Africans accepting online jobs for clients across the world.
It equally marks a growing trend of interoperability between fintech providers with a goal of providing customers with a digital financial ecosystem that meets their needs by combining different capabilities.
PayPal is a leading global payment processor with more than 400 million active PayPal accounts operating across 200 markets, while M-PESA is Africa’s leading mobile money service connecting more than 50 million customers across Africa, 2 million businesses and micro traders, with more than $1.1 billion transacted daily.
Federal government has mandated banks and financial institutions to begin reporting monthly transactions exceeding N25 million for individuals and N100 million for firms to the tax authorities.
Under the new provisions of the Nigerian Tax Act, financial institutions are required to submit quarterly returns to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The agency will be renamed to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) from January 2026, when the new tax system will take effect.
“Every person who has an obligation to deduct and remit tax under this Act or any other Returns for tax legislation shall render monthly returns to the appropriate tax authority, as specified deduction of tax in the regulation issued for that purpose,” the Act reads.
“Without prejudice to section 142 of this Act, every bank, insurance company, stock-broking firm, or any other financial institution, shall prepare, with or without demand be delivered by the relevant tax authority, quarterly returns to the relevant tax authority specifying the names and addresses of new customers;Nigerian fashion trends
“…and existing customers in the case of (i) an individual, all transactions where the cumulative transactions in a month amount to N25,000,000 or more, or (ii) a body corporate, all transactions where the cumulative transactions in a month amount to N100,000,000 or more.”
Prior to the new tax law, banks were mandated to report deposits of N5 million — a measure intended to curb illicit financial flows, according to TheCable
Experts said the shift is part of efforts to tighten anti-money laundering reporting in the financial sector.
In 2023, Nigeria was listed on the grey list by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) over deficiencies in tackling money laundering and terrorism financing.
Since then, the country has been making efforts to exit the grey list, which subjects it to increased monitoring by the FATF.
In November 2024, Hafsat Bakari, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), said Nigeria has achieved upgrades in five key recommendations from the FATF.
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