At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, MasterCard announced an agreement with eTranzact International plc, a leading pan-African mobile banking and payment services company, to make international remittance services available to millions of consumers in Nigeria. Under the agreement, citizens will be able to securely receive international remittances into their eTranzact mobile money wallets or select bank accounts through the international transfer hub, HomeSend. A joint venture between MasterCard, eServGlobal and BICS, HomeSend bridges the gap between various entities globally such as banks, non-financial entities and mobile operators, enabling Nigerians living abroad to send money from mobile money accounts, payment cards, bank accounts or cash outlets back home. “For millions of Nigerians, the receipt of funds from friends and family is an important lifeline.
“HomeSend provides senders across the globe and the recipients in Nigeria with a convenient, safe, and cost effective money transfer channel,” says Omokehinde Ojomuyide, vice president and area business head for West Africa, MasterCard. Upon receipt of funds into their eTranzact mobile wallets, Nigerians can use PocketMoni, eTranzact’s mobile money platform, to pay bills, top-up airtime, pay select merchants, cash out at agents or at participating bank ATMs, and send money to any bank account, PocketMoni user, eTrazact card or mobile phone user. “Our partnership with MasterCard enables us to bring a new, cost-effective, cross-border remittance service to Nigerians, many of whom have previously struggled to access such facilities as they do not have formal bank accounts,” said Valentine Obi, chief executive officer, eTranzact International Plc.
“Instead of travelling long distances and waiting in long lines, Nigerians will now be able to electronically receive cash transfers from family overseas with the convenience of their mobile devices.” eTranzact, which is connected to and switches transactions for all of Nigeria’s major commercial banks, will also enable millions of consumers to receive remittances directly into their bank accounts. According to the World Bank Migration and Remittances Brief, Nigeria is the largest remittance market in Africa and the fifth largest in the world, attracting US$21 billion in remittances in 2014, which contributed four percent to Nigeria’s GDP. “We are pleased to partner with eTranzact to bring one of the most comprehensive international remittances offerings to Nigeria. This type of service has the potential to open up new remittance corridors, expand the scope of cashless money transfers, extend financial inclusion and support the growth of the economy,” said Ojomuyide.
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