GT BANK ,ETISALAT LAUNCHES NIGERIA INTO MOBILE BANKING FUTURE

MR SEGUN AGBAJE OF GT BANK SPEAKS TO THE PRESS

GT BANK ,ETISALAT LAUNCHES NIGERIA

 INTO MOBILE BANKING FUTURE

BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU.

The duo of GT Bank PLC and Etisalat Telecommunications have launched a multi-billion mobile banking package  which will in the long term strengthen the art and culture of banking in Nigeria and beyond.

In his address to a cross section of the Nigerian media at the corporate Head office of the bank,The Group Chief Executive Officer of the bank,Mr Segun Agbaje in his foreign accent told the world that with the coming to the market of GT easy savers product the banking world will never be the same in Nigeria.

He told the gathering that  the two mega brands came together after two years to forge the current partnership because they shared a common heritage in terms of values.

He recalled that a lot of people had been asking for a vey long time why mobile banking had been working in places like Kenya,South Africa among other places of interests on the continent but now the newly launched product has more than answered the question.

He assured that both organizations were driven by there  strength of character in terms of been able to activate breakthroughs in every venture they either pioneer or partner in.

According to the banking architect ,the firm for quite some time had been working out the possibility of new innovations not just from the view point of responding to technology but customers demand.

He added that since good things take time before they are made ,it took the two outfits two years to fine tune there rolling out strategies since they were both guided by regulatory agencies before they launched out.

In his own contributions, Executive Director in the bank, Mr Bolaji Lawal said that there were still very many Nigerians that were still unbanked, with cases abound of people feeling intimidated when dealing with banks  and all of this they have been able to sort out by using the newly launched product to break barriers.

Etisalat’s Mr Francesco Angelone while talking to the press affirmed that they wanted to be first to play a role in the mobile banking market in Nigeria and this was why they formed a synergy with GT Bank Plc.

In his own contributions, Mr Lucas Dada ,another Etisalat chieftain told Paedia Express Multimedia exclusively on the sidelines of the conference room that the product was uniquely built for the market by brand engineers and as such it could not be cloned by any other institution.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc, a foremost financial institution in Africa and Etisalat, one of Nigeria’s most innovative and fastest growing telecommunications company have partnered to introduce GTEasySavers, a savings account that is easy to open and easy to save; designed to enable under-banked and unbanked individuals achieve their financial goals while operating a regular bank account via their mobile phones. This strategic alliance that will enhance the service delivery of both brands, will offer customers, unparalleled lifestyle and loyalty benefits.

Registered subscribers of Etisalat network can conveniently open a GTEasySavers account by simply dialing a USSD short code –“737*0#”via their mobile phones, and a ten digit GTBank account number is sent via SMS immediately. Funding of the account can be done by Cash deposits at Etisalat Experience Centers and GTBank branches; electronic transfers from other bank accounts; Cash Deposit ATMs at GTBank branches and GT Express Agent locations.

Speaking on the partnership, the Managing Director and CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje stated that “we are passionate about driving the CBN’s financial inclusion strategy in ensuring the under banked and unbanked, begin to find the propositions of banking services more attractive and convenient and then take the bold step of patronizing our numerous bank products and offerings, a passion which we fully share with Etisalat Nigeria”.

The GTEasySavers account operates like a regular bank account and is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s financial inclusion strategy for the country. Transaction limits on the account is pegged at CBN’s Tier 1 KYC status limits of N20,000 for single deposits and maximum cumulative of N200,000 account balance at any point in time. Benefits for account holders include free airtime, higher interest rates on savings and quarterly rewards.

"This is a new chapter in the continuing growth of the banking industry made possible through GTEasySavers by GTBank and Etisalat Nigeria. Enabling account opening via an Etisalat phone will make it more convenient for individuals to carry out transactions using the transformative power of the banking system. Etisalat currently has the highest quality network in Nigeria and our partnership with GTBank is designed to add value to the lives of our customers and make banking more accessible. We will continue to offer innovative products and services in fulfillment of the promise we made to Nigeria over six years ago when we commenced operations in the country. The partnership will also begin the journey for unbanked customers from our over 22 million subscriber base," said Etisalat’s CEO Matthew Willsher.      

Customers who sign up for this account need not provide any initial documentation but can upgrade the status of their accounts to Tier 3 at any time, by simply visiting any GTBank branch with additional information/documentation, including a valid identification card and utility bill