A Nigerian
firm that specializes in technology-based financial and agricultural services
development, O-Mobile Multimedia Limited, has obtained a grant of $10m, about N3,605,000,000
billion, from So.Sui.Ben
Foundation, a Swiss-based non-governmental organization that promotes
development in Africa, reports ITRealms.
The
grant, ITRealms gathered, is to
promote digital economy on African continent, was facilitated by AfriCunia Limited, trading as AfriCunia
Bank, an innovative banking technology firm headquartered in United Kingdom.
A
press statement made available to ITRealms
quoted the Chief Executive Officer, O-Mobile Multimedia Limited, Mr. Benjamin
Aduli, as saying, the focus of the pact is to promote and deepen knowledge of
the practice of digital-based services among Africans and thereby reduce
poverty.
“We
are excited about this ground-breaking pact which involves the creation of
awareness about digital banking opportunities, educating governments and the
general public about digital banking opportunities. We will be developing applications
that will help Africans utilize digital banking technology and reduce poverty on
the continent,” he said.
Aduli
also said that the company would offer its multimedia business academy and provide
free, digital and multimedia training to all interested micro, medium, small
and small enterprises in Nigeria through a network of 1,200 O-Mobile academy
centres that are currently being set up across the country.
President, AfriCunia Bank, Don Chancellor, was also quoted saying that the
time had come to tackle poverty in Africa using every available means adding
that technology will help do this.
“Development
needs to be fast-tracked in Africa and we are committed to the continent’s
growth through digital banking products and services. We are very elated about this opportunity to
develop MSMEs across Nigeria and Africa and make them globally competitive in
this era of technology. We have already started the hardwork. Working with
O-mobile and So.Sui.Ben affords us the opportunity to quickly reach the
unbanked and unconnected and give them access to first-world banking
infrastructure and services. We believe that our partnership with a firm that
already understands technology and has wide presence in Nigeria will help us
quickly accomplish our goal,’’ Chancellor commented.
Aduli
stated further that the company had already commenced work and hoped to sign-up
at least 500,000 digital banking customers for AFRICUNIA BANK within 90 days
globally.
He
said O-mobile had already commenced rolling out the first agency group network
in Africa that will take financial, telecoms, insurance, educational, agricultural
extension services and data mining services to the unbanked and unconnected in
the continent.
Ayo Midele/GEE
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