As part of the strategy to broaden the opportunities and access to financial services for the unbanked and underbanked segment of our society, FBNBank Ghana has launched the Agent Banking channel.
Speaking at the launch of the FBN Agent Banking channel, Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director of FBNBank Ghana said the bank has leveraged new and evolving technologies to provide access and bring affordable and convenient financial services closer to customers through a network of agents.
Mr. Asante expressed the concern that lack of access and usage of financial services by a significant portion of the population hinder their ability to contribute to the economy as they may not able to attract capital or secure credit for production and/or consumption purposes.
According to the FBNBank Ghana Managing Director, this highlights the need for financial inclusion as a socio-economic development tool. He said financial inclusion has emerged strongly as a current issue among policymakers, development partners and the private sector, all of who recognise it as an enabler for attaining the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mr. Asante noted that the bank will work with its network of agents to present a convenient and comfortable alternative for customers that require simple and easy to use digital channels across the country.
“Our agent banking project will go along with continuous innovation and a roll-out of new and improved electronic ways that will allow many users to carry out several transactions within their communities at FBNBank Agent locations,” the FBNBank Ghana MD said.
He was optimistic that FBNBank Ghana will leverage on the experience and knowledge of its parent, First Bank of Nigeria Limited that had grown its agent banking model, Firstmonie, launched in 2017, with the indirect creation of over 150,000 jobs through its over 53,000 Firstmonie Agents to meet the needs of customers.
Welcoming guests to the launch of the FBNBank Agent network, the bank’s Country Head for Technology & Services, Rachel Adeshina remarked that “the FBNBank Ghana Agents are positioned within the Accra-Tema metropolis and other locations around the bank’s branches to provide basic financial services such as account opening, cash deposit, cash withdrawals, funds transfer and much more to customers.”
She added that “through this channel, the bank is committed to providing convenient services that endear trust, provide ease of access to financial products, thereby saving time and travel cost.”
