The Chief Executive Officer, 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), Branka
Mracajac has emphasized the need to pay
close attention to content creation as an important factor in driving and
accelerating financial inclusion in the country, stating that it is capable of
enhancing the future of digital banking in the long-term.
Mracajac made this assertion, while
presenting a keynote address, themed “Content Creation and Financial Inclusion;
The Future of Digital Banking” at the Tech Summit Ogun 2022, which held at the Olusegun
Obasanjo Presidential Library Abeokuta, Ogun State on Thursday February 17,
2022.
According to the 9PSB boss, while there are
ongoing efforts to support the country’s financial inclusion drive, a lot more
rest on formulating tailored strategies that address specific needs.
“Providing access to the banking agents and
touch points, across the country is happening as we speak; payment service
banks, microfinance banks, and FinTech companies are all working on this. But
will this be enough? Will the access to
digital banks change the mindset of Nigerians in rural areas of the country and
be enough to drive the transition from cash to cashless society?” she
questioned.
Proffering the way forward, Mracajac
stressed the need to provide financial literacy through content that speaks to
an average Nigerian in unserved rural areas of the country, stating that
financial inclusion is a process, not just a point in time and space that we
want to reach.
She added that, developing content that
speaks only to the already banked and mirroring the digital financial habits of
those who are fully included and heavily banked, will not help to keep the
newly on-boarded in the system long-term.
The CEO of 9PSB stated thus: “While
creating and delivering the content for financial inclusion, we need to have in
mind the needs of its beneficiaries, the targeted end-users of the financial
services who are currently underserved and the only sustainable way is that we
join our forces and create the content – apps and services that will address
the specific needs of a farmer in Benue, market women in Onitsha, trader in
Kano, fisherman in Delta, and the woman selling ofada rice in Ogun State”.
Speaking further, she noted that, to drive
the offline individuals and MSMEs from cash to cashless, from analog to digital
and from informal to formal, content creators need to focus on two major goals;
one, to deliver relevant and on-point digital financial literacy content,
educating people about the principles, ways, modules, and benefits of banking.
The second one, she stated, is needed for sustainable Financial inclusion:
delivery of digital banking services that are a reflection of the lifestyle of
the currently unbanked and underserved population.
She called on all stakeholders within the
financial ecosystem, including content creators to work collectively to develop
and implement a digital content strategy for the unbanked to move the financial
inclusion needle and ultimately advance the economy, society and improve life
of every Nigerian.
In his own keynote address, titled
“Disruptive Innovation: Production and Distribution of Creative Content,
Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital
Economy, who was represented by Dr. Abimbola Alale, the Chief Executive
Officer, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), remarked that
the quality of creatives and start-ups that Nigeria has produced is a testament
to the potential of the ecosystem, and as such the ministry will continue to
support the tech and creative entrepreneurs to play their part in developing
Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Tech Summit Ogun is an annual
convergence of Tech disruptors, innovators, startups, organizations and technology
enthusiast in Ogun State, aimed at spurring technological innovation towards
the digital transformation and technological advancement of Ogun State. This
year, the summit attracted over 2000 participants, mainly the youths and
start-ups.
9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB) is a
registered Nigerian bank operating under approval of CBN to provide unique
banking services to the underbanked, unbanked, as well as innovative services
to individuals with bank accounts.
9PSB operates as a fully digital bank and
runs its own agency network. 9PSB is a bank for everyone accessible by everyone
and offers seamless online & offline banking experience.