By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to enhance financial inclusion in the country, AfriMoney, an appendage of Africell Sierra Leone in collaboration with Skye Bank Sierra Leone has on Wednesday 31st August, 2022 unveiled the “Bank To Wallet and Wallet To Bank” Service (Push & Pull Service) during an auspicious event held at Skye Bank Boardroom on Rawdon Street in Freetown.
In his statement, the Managing Director of Skye Bank, Abiola Bolaji, said as a 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 as a bank.
Abiola Bolaji expressed appreciation to Afrimoney for the partnership describing it as a great deal for the people of Sierra Leone and especially people in remote communities where banks are not existing adding that the bank currently has five branches in the country, four in Freetown and one branch in Bo.
The Managing Director said that in order to serve their valid customers easily and affordably the bank has introduced internet banking platform to host all their customers, adding that in order for the bank to do more they need to leverage on the growth of the use of internet in the country.
He revealed that in terms of financial inclusion there are about 12.4 % of Sierra Leoneans that are financially included, stating that such shows that only 12.4 % has a bank account of which he said with the launching of the “Bank To Wallet and Wallet To Bank” Service (Push & Pull Service) those unbanked in the remote communities will be catered for through Afrimoney.
Abiola Bolaji 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.
On his part, the Director of AfriMoney, Martinson Obeng-Agyei, expressed how excited they are to announce the launch of the Bank to Wallet, Wallet to Bank service partnership in collaboration with the Skye Bank.
He underscored that with the launch of the service it will allow AfriMoney subscribers with Bank Accounts at Skye 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 vice versa at the comfort of their zones. He further informed all that from subscribers’ AfriMoney accounts they can be able to check their bank account balances.
He disclosed that subscribers should just dial *161# then follow the instructions in order to do their transactions in an easy, safe and affordable manner.
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, Martinson Obeng-Agyei and the Managing Director of Skye Bank, Abiola Bolaji.
