Financial Inclusion: Airtel Activates “Smartcash” Payment Solution In Abuja
Telecommunications giant, Airtel Plc. has introduced a mobile phone banking service called “Smartcash” Payment Service Bank to ease financial transactions for Nigerians.
The Airtel Smartcash was introduced to bridge the financial inclusion gap in the country, by ensuring that unbanked and underserved Nigerians have access to financial services using their mobile phones.
Speaking at the activation of the Smartcash Payment Service Bank recently at Wuse Market in Abuja, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Smartcash, Muyiwa Ebitanmi said, the Smartcash Payment Service Bank was a newly liscenced payment service bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide Financial Services to every Nigerian, both in the rural areas and in the urban cities.
Ebitanmi explained that, on the financial platform, mobile phone users have full control of their transactions.
“Your phone is your bank, as long as you have a phone, you are eligible to have a relationship with Smartcash. Building a banking relationship with smart cash is very easy, very secure and it is very simple.
“Smartcash is the new bank in town for everybody. We have distribution network all over the country and we are just next to you in every part of Nigeria”, he said.
The Smartcash CEO posited that, the key essence of the Payment Service Bank was to bridge the financial inclusion gap in the country.
Speaking further on the platform’s credibility and how it can close the financial inclusion gap, Ebitomi remarked: “We have a lot of people in the rural areas who are probably far from the city and reasonably excluded, Smartcash has come to make it easy for them to be able to create a wallet.
“Smartcash Payment Service Bank is very safe, we operate business thinking about our customer. The safety of our customer is the first for us. It is the most important element in everything we do and so because of that, we will continue to do business in a way that will safe guard the funds of the customers that place money with us”, he said.
The Smartcash Helsman explicated that they have agents located across Nigeria and anybody who wanted to withdraw money from their Smartcash wallet could walk in and cash out, even without an ATM card, stating that the service was not limited to Airtel users only.
“If you want to withdraw money, from your Smartcash wallet, as long as you see a smart Cash logo, or a smartcash brand in any of the agent location, if you walk in there, you would be able to withdraw money.
“The beauty of Smartcash is that you don’t need a debit card, your phone is your bank.
“You can create a Smartcash wallet from any network, it is not limited to only one network, any network you have, you can create smart cash wallet”, Ebitanmi stated.
Highlighting some of the services available on Smartcash Payment Service Bank, the CEO stated: “Smartcash is a bank, which means you can create an account, create wallet, save money, send money to your family and friends in all parts of Nigeria, even those who don’t have a bank account, you can send money to their phone number via Smartcash.
“You can pay your DSTV, utility bills, and buy airtime with Smartcash. Smartcash is a bank for every Nigerian, it is a bank for the common Nigerian”, he added.
On why they were in Wuse Market, the Smartcash boss said, “we are in Wuse Market Abuja just to sensitize people about Smartcash PSB. And we are trying to connect with every person on the street to let them know that Smartcash is the bank that is made for them”.
