Pan-African bank, Ecobank has launched a new mobile banking app. What’s special about that, you may ask? Well, the app is a unified platform that lets Ecobank customers in 33 African countries shop, send money and pay bills from the convenience of their phones. It is being advertised as the “first unified app delivered by any institution for use in 33 countries.”
Launched in Lagos over the weekend, the app allows customers transfer money across borders without paying fees for everyday transactions. It was designed to work with Ecobank’s Xpress Account, allowing customers open new accounts remotely without paper references.
Speaking at the launch, Patrick Akinwuntan, Ecobank’s Group Executive for Consumer Banking said, “This product launch fulfils our promise to create relevant solutions for consumers. With the Ecobank Mobile App, Ecobank customers can now make and receive instant payments across 33 African countries on their mobile devices. They can also pay in store with their mobile phones. This is genuine convenience delivered to our consumers.”
Ecobank MD, Charles Kié, explained the choice of Lagos as their launch location saying, “Nigeria is a leading hub for entrepreneurship and technology for Ecobank. This is why we chose Lagos as the venue to launch the Ecobank Mobile App. This new product will allow customers in Nigeria and other affiliates across our vast network, to grow their businesses by giving them a convenient and secure way of banking.”
Ecobank hopes to leverage on this app to reach its target of attaining 100 million customers “in a profitable and sustainable way.” The ability to transact across African borders seals the deal for me. I hope this will spur other financial institutions to tow the same line and ultimately translate into better service for customers.
