The Committee of E-Business Industry Heads [CeBIH], has hinted on plans to promote digital solutions targeted at the bottom of the pyramid [BoP] in a bid to expedite access to financial services across the country.
The New Chairman, Stanley Jacob who doubles as the Head of Consumer Distribution at Ecobank Nigeria, made the remark in his acceptance speech at the change of leadership by the Association.
HE said that the new executive will pursue three broad agenda namely financial inclusion, digital security and strengthened collaboration amongst industry stakeholders.
CeBIH was setup in 2008 and comprises the upper echelon of electronic business and digital banking practitioners in all banks in Nigeria with its major and most important objective being the promotion of electronic banking services in line with “global best practices”, whilst driving its adoption through right policies, standards, technologies and public awareness programs in Nigeria.
According to Jacob, CeBIH will work with other stakeholders to reduce financial exclusion which currently is over 40 percent in Nigeria as well as bridge the wide digital divide in the country.
“As CeBIH we will actively collaborate with industry to provide the needed financial services at the right pricing to the bottom of the pyramid. We will also ensure adequate capacity building for all stakeholders to equip them in tackling the exclusion challenge.
“CeBlH will pull industry resources and work with the regulators to promote an industry approach for combating cyber-security and payment frauds. Financial literacy campaigns and robust customer education will also be a key tool to achieving this.
“This new executive council will strengthen collaboration by promoting the Shared Agency Network Facility (SANEF) with a view to ensuring that the expected benefits are delivered to consumers; partnerships with other financial institutions (OFIs) and FinTechs to deliver improved financial services; Research and case studies to drive emerging payments”, he said.
Past chairman of CeBIH, Dele Adeyinka implored the new executives to continue with the mission and vision of the group, which is using collaboration with drive financial inclusion and adoption of electronic payment, which are what CeBIH stands for today.
He noted that under his leadership, CeBIH collaborated with various industry stakeholders and this initiative yielded results which became evident through better engagement of CeBIH in issues pertaining to policy formulation in the industry.
Other elected officers are Kayode Olubiyi, Vice-Chairman; Yemi Atanda, Secretary-Industry Shared Services; Bidemi Asunmo, Secretary – Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) & Fintech Relations; Mike Onwu, Secretary-Emerging Payments & Technologies; Celestina Appeal, Secretary- Product Pricing & Revenue Assurance; Mike Ogba, Secretary- Finance & Treasury; Gloria Eruemegbe, Secretary-Publicity & Advocacy; Nmutaka Chikwendu, Internal Auditor and Oluremi Tinuolu, Assistant Secretary – Finance & Treasury.