Yemisi Izuora
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has raised over 27,000 agents to advance its Firstmonie agent network, as part of efforts to promote financial inclusion in the country.
The over 27,000 Firstmonie agents were present in almost all Local Government areas across the country, the bank said in a statement on Monday.
In line with the financial inclusion objectives of the Central Bank of Nigeria to bring financial services closer to Nigerians, Firstmonie agent network is a unique channel designed by FirstBank to solve the challenge of access to financial services.
Firstmonie agents were empowered with secured digital channels to provide basic financial services such as account opening, cash-in, cash-out, funds transfer, airtime top-up, and bill payments to customers across the country, the bank said.
It said that it had through this financial inclusion drive, made impressive impact on job creation, women and youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship development – fundamental pillars of overall economic development.
According to the statement, a Firstmonie agent operating from Rimin-Gado area in Kano State, Alhaji Bashir Muhammad, said, “I have been with Firstmonie since they started and I can say that it has been a life changing experience, I have been able to build trust of the communities around me as many workers in my area have forgotten the last time they visited any bank branch for basic banking services.
“I am a proud employer of labour and as a result, my members of staff are well paid and comfortable.”
As part of its drive to deepen inclusion through agent banking, FirstBank said it had also partnered with the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
“The partnership with NURTW seeks to leverage the human traffic and commercial activities at various motor parks across the country to ease access to financial services, it stated.