Press Release
Banks, at the weekend flagged off a pilot road show to enlighten and encourage traders and the public at large to embrace the cash-less banking initiatives, recently introduced by the Bankers’ Committee.
The show, which started at the Trade fair Complex Lagos, would move to different parts of the state this week to make the initiative more widely understood. Other markets billed for the hosting of the show include Alaba, Mile 11 and Idumota.
The main objectives of the road show are to effectively communicate the initiative as an inevitable innovation payment option that is much safer than cash transactions. Other goals of the show include, test running the point of sales (PoS) machines, teaching customers and merchants alike how to use them. PoS machines will also be supplied to customers who qualify for them by their respective banks. Other merchants that qualify for the PoS machines but do not operate current accounts will also be guided on how they will be serviced.
The road show format also uses drama skits to drive home salient points on the benefits associated with this technology initiative to individuals and corporate organisations, among others.
At the event, traders were not only made to understand how the PoS works, but were also advised to see the technology as the only solution to problems such as theft, and delay in payment for goods and services.
Banks will also be test-running the machines this week at the venues of the show, and would give prompt feedbacks/comments to their management as required.
“Each bank would give PoS machines to their customers who have come to the show. Now, we are doing the test-running of the machines. The banks would get feedback on the issue later. Giving the machines to traders would not be based on the feedback given to the banks, but on the basis of the accounts they are operating with the banksâ€ÂÂ, the sources added.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) commenced the pilot scheme of the cash-less programme in January 1, 2012 in Lagos and slated January 2013 for the take-off of the policy in other states. The scheme, like any other, was fraught with problems such as ignorance, lack of enough education about the scheme, customers’ apathy, insufficient PoS, among others.
The apex bank rolled out 150,000 point of sales machines few weeks ago, to complement the existing ones and the outlook now appears very promising.
