By Oluwaseun Ayantokun, Nigerian Tribune -

Efforts are on  to enable the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) play significant role in deployment of mobile banking service in the country.

Players in the mobile banking industry have expressed their happiness at the news, stating that NIPOST had the experience to make it happen.

Nigeria will, therefore,  be joining the postal services like  Mpesa in Kenya and GCASH in Phillipines, where  the mobile banking has leveraged on the post to  deliver basic financial services.

Post Master General,  Mallam Ibrahim Mori Baba, has been scheduled to deliver a keynote address to a gathering of financial institutions, mobile network operators, technology providers, agent networks and other stakeholders  at the Mobile Remittance West Africa summit  which started yesterday (Tuesday) and ends today.

Mobile financial services are significantly improving access to formal financial services all across Africa where bank penetration is concentrated in urban and semi urban areas, with millions of people excluded from formal financial services in the rural areas.

NIPOST presents ready and well-networked branches across Nigeria for delivering formal financial services to unbanked populations  in Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria is actively licencing mobile financial service  providers in Nigeria, a country with over 140 million people, 70 million bank accounts and about  70 million mobile subscribers.

According to the organiser of the  sunnit and principal associate at Mobile Money Africa, Mr Emmanuel Okoewale, “Mobile payment presents a safe and convenient channel to take banking and payment services to millions of Nigerians  cost effectively.”

Delegates from approved providers will be presenting their solutions and exploring opportunities in the new ecosystem with the aim  of bringing formal financial services and remittances to Nigerians in a cost effective manner in a country with over $10billion  in formal remittances.

Leading players in the Nigerian financial ecosystem will evaluate present obstacles to providing efficient services and will proffer sustainable solutions.
Speakers from Ecobank, Fortis MobileMoney, TxtPay Ghana, eTranzact, MoneyGram, Medallion communications, Roamware, UTIBA, GTS infotel, MMIT, Hendomark, SugarAnts, UBA Uganda and a host of others are expected to speak at  event.