Why CBN introduced New unified ATM cards
why cbn Introduce d New unified ATM cards
The new Atm is allegedly designed in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS) which seeks to unify payments in Nigeria and bring in the unbanked population.
The new Atm card is expected to compete with other credit and debit cards, including Verve,Mastercard, Discovery, and Visa cards but for now, cannot process international transactions.
Following this new arrangement,banks and other financial institutions will be in a position to offer payment solutions like debit, credit, virtual, loyalty, and tokenized cards, non-interest cards, and identity cards.
Announcing the deployment CBN’s Director, Corporate Communications Department Osita Nwanisobi, over the weekend announced that the National Domestic Card was introduced because of its belief that Nigeria had achieved “significant transformation in its payments system over the past decade.
He further said that this has been driven by rapid digital and technological innovation, increasing mobile penetration, and the proactive policy initiatives of the CBN which have spurred unprecedented adoption of digital financial services.”
He listed the benefits of the new CBN unified Atm card scheme to include among others, reduction of cost and use of foreign exchange, protection of data sovereignty, enabling locally relevant propositions, and making cards and payments more accessible and affordable for Nigerians.
“Given that MasterCard, Visa, Discovery, and other such cards are foreign controlled, the bank said National Domestic Card would ensure “improved sovereignty and security of our data and its operations will be locally based. It will also help to improve and drive financial inclusion nationwide”.
“The card also has the potential to leverage its platform for seamless dissemination of government-to-person payments and other social impact initiatives, ultimately enhancing financial inclusion and supporting the growth of a robust digital economy,” CBN added.
The card will be delivered through Nigeria’s central switch, the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS) Plc, in conjunction with the Bankers Committee and other financial ecosystem stakeholders.
Also read How CBN introduced New unified ATM cards
Nigeria is not the first
Today’s deployment will enlist Nigeria into the growing list of countries like India, Turkey, China, and Brazil that have launched similar cards for domestic use.
The countries have harnessed the transformative benefits of the schemes to drive their payments and financial systems, particularly for the underbanked.
The CBN said: “The domestic card scheme will be an important game changer for financial inclusion in Nigeria.
“The plan is to deliver Africa’s first central bank-driven, domestic card scheme that combines a fully domestic infrastructure with international interoperability.
“Our plans will enable us to pivot into the largest card scheme in Africa, and amongst the biggest globally.”
