By Amin Kef Sesay
Afrimoney, an appendage of Africell Sierra Leone, in collaboration with Access Bank on the 11th June 2021 launched the Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank Service during a snappy event which took place at the Access Bank Building on 30 Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown.
In attendance were the Director of Afrimoney, Massa Mayson Dennis, Managing Director of Access Bank Sierra Leone, Ganiyu Sanni, some members of staff of both Afrimoney and Access Bank as well as a cross section of customers of the Bank and members of the Fourth Estate.
Anifa Adams, a member of staff of Access Bank, in her welcome address, intimated that there has been a longstanding relationship between the two institutions which has mutually benefitted both parties. She furthered that the relationship is going to take a higher dimension as the two institutions are on the verge of launching another platform which is the Access Bank & Afrimoney Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank Service. Anifa pointed out that with the new platform customers of the two institutions will now experience enhanced digital banking underscoring the convenience the platform will provide to customers when doing banking transactions.
In her statement, the Director of Afrimoney, Massa Mayson Dennis, revealed how they are delighted to launch the new platform underscoring that it marks another milestone in their financial inclusion efforts in Sierra Leone. She also expressed excitement to partner with, what she referred to as ,one of the preferred banks in the country, in order to launch their innovative Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank Service with Access Bank.
“This service will allow Afrimoney subscribers with Bank Accounts at Access Bank to be able to transfer money from their Bank Accounts to their Mobile Money Wallets and from their Mobile Money Wallets to their Bank Accounts,” the Afrimoney Director informed further stating that according to the National Financial Inclusion Strategy released by the Bank of Sierra Leone, there are almost 80% of Sierra Leoneans that do not have access to financial services in the country saying studies have shown that there is a direct link between financial inclusion and a country’s GDP.
She highlighted that the Bank to Wallet and Wallet to Bank Service is therefore one of the many solutions to digital financial inclusiveness which will directly drive financial inclusion and growth of the nation’s GDP.
Dilating on the benefits which the service will offer , Massa Mayson Dennis, stated that subscribers will be able to move money from their bank accounts directly to their Afrimoney money accounts and vice versa. She furthered that from a subscriber’s Afrimoney money account a customer can be able to check his or her bank account balance and effect any transaction from the comfort of his or her home or anywhere.
Explaining how the service works, the Afrimoney Director said subscribers holding an Access Bank Account will have to visit the nearest Access Bank Branch to link their Afrimoney Money Accounts to their Access Bank Accounts.
She said after a successful linkage these are the processes to follow:
The subscriber must dial *161#
Select Option 9 “Bank”, Select Option 1 “ACCESS BANK” and then
Choose: Bank to Wallet Transfer,
Enter the Amount of money in LE he or she wants to transfer.
Please enter your pin to confirm the transfer of LE xxxx leones
2. Wallet to Bank
Enter the Amount of money in LE a person wants to transfer
Please enter your pin to confirm the transfer of LE xxxx leones
3. To Check Bank Account Balance
She also stated that a customer must please enter his or her Afrimoney money Pin to confirm the request to check his or her bank account balance.
After explaining the processes, the Afrimoney Director then expressed gratitude to the Management and Staff of Access Bank for entering into the partnership in order to move Sierra Leoneans to join the electronic payment system cashless era.
“As always, Afrimoney continues the lead in introducing cutting edge voice, data and fintech services in the country: thus reducing the cost, improving the speed, comfort and security with which people talk and conduct their financial transactions,” she assured all present adding that Afrimoney will always do more with actions than more with words.
On his part, the Managing Director of Access Bank, Ganiyu Sanni, stated that it gives him great pleasure to be part of the arrangement by the two institutions to partner in order to launch the service that will enhance efforts to address the financial inclusion problem in Sierra Leone. He continued that with this new service they expect to see an exponential growth in its use as well as an increase in customer satisfaction.
The Managing Director said it all started with the principles of financial inclusion which the Bank of Sierra Leone has laid emphasis on. He intimated that the branches of Access Bank has indeed grown maintaining that life is now better for many with the coming of the new service further expressing the view that with the service there is going to be an increase in the volume of transactions conducted with the Bank.
Ganiyu Sanni noted that the platform will enable their esteemed customers to conduct financial transactions securely and efficiently without going through the normal hassle of queuing in the banking hall but can conduct transactions within their comfort zones at any time by using their mobile phones.
He thanked all for working in record time to make the service functional further attesting that they have tested it and it is really working. The Access Bank Managing Director encouraged its customers as well as other members of the public to make good use of the service and enjoy the benefits it has to offer.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding formed the highpoint of launching the Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank Service thereby making it operational from that moment.
