By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to enhance financial inclusion in the country, AfriMoney, an appendage of Africell Sierra Leone in collaboration with The Pan African Bank, Ecobank Sierra Leone has on Tuesday 22nd February 2022 launched the “Bank To Wallet and Wallet To Bank” Service (Push & Pull Service) during an auspicious event held at Ecobank’s Headquarters on Lightfoot Boston Street in Freetown.
In his welcome address, Head of Customer Experience at Ecobank, Augustine Sankoh, said that as Bank they are excited to collaborate with AfriMoney to launch the Bank To Wallet and Wallet To Bank” service which he described as historic, adding that the launch means they are turning another corner (achieving another milestone) in their digital aspirations.
He stated that with the emergence of new technologies, Ecobank has always been at the forefront in the Banking industry in the country, delivering reliable payment solutions and convenient channels that will not only bring convenience to their customers but also bridge the gap between the banked and the unbanked, thereby promoting financial inclusion.
In his statement, the Director of AfriMoney, Martison Obeng-Agyei, expressed how elated they are to announce the launch the Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank service partnership in collaboration with the Ecobank.
He underscored that with the launch of the service it will allow AfriMoney subscribers with Bank Accounts at Ecobank 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 vice versa at the comfort of their zones. He further informed all that from subscribers’ AfriMoney account they can be able to check their bank account balance.
Oh her part, the Managing Director of Ecobank Sierra Leone, L. Aina Moore, said the launch is a milestone that started quite a while ago. She maintained that Ecobank prides itself as a digital leader in most of the digital products in Sierra Leone today maintaining how they are happy to state that they were the forerunner.
She noted that in contemporary times, digitalization is not a choice and that if people think that they could move on with their life without digitalization they are making a mistake and that as a bank they believe that banking is no longer where you go but is what you do.
- Aina Moore noted that with this partnership between Ecobank and AfriMoney customers can move money, pay for services, check their balances and even ask the bank to send their statements via email at the comfort of their homes.
The Managing Director revealed 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.
Dilating on how the service works Marcus Berdie disclosed that AfriMoney subscribers holding Ecobank Accounts will have to visit the nearest Branches to link their AfriMoney Money Accounts to their Ecobank Accounts.
She said after a successful linkage these are the processes to follow:
He disclosed that the subscribers must dial *161# then Select Option 3 Ecobank and then Choose: Bank to Wallet Transfer, Wallet to Bank or Balance Enquiry. Enter the Amount of money in LE they want to transfer, enter pin numbers to confirm the transfer of LE xxxx Leones wait for confirmation message (SMS). And the same replicate for Wallet to Bank.
The official launching of the Bank to Wallet and Wallet To Bank service was done by the Corporate Affairs Officer at Africell Sierra Leone, Joe Abass Bangura, the Director of AfriMoney, Martison Obeng-Agyei and the Managing Director of Ecobank Sierra Leone, L. Aina Moore.
