By Providence Emmanuel

Accion Microfinance Bank, AMfB, has upgraded its core banking system with a view to mitigating risk of failing system while also helping to boost the businesses of people leaving with disability.

Speaking at the bank’s annual customer forum in Lagos, Managing Director/Chief Executive, AMfB, Mr. Taiwo Joda, said that the bank is doing a lot to improve and upgrade to the latest core banking system.

Joda also added that technology is the way to go, saying: “We are doing a lot, we have upgraded our core banking system, from terminus we upgraded to the latest in series, which is R16 which makes business very fast. We have warehoused our digital application tablet that we give to account officers. Technology is the way to go and we are embracing it.

“ We need technology to drive mass market to reach a lot of people and we need technology to drive efficiency. We have relaunched our USSD: *572#, it makes transactions very easy, customers can use it to transfer money, they can use it to pay bills, check balance sheet from the comfort of their homes. It does not need a smart phone.

“We are going to launch our full end to end digital product, a savings product called save brighter in which people can save from the comfort of their homes. We are embracing technology and we have invested so much in technology,” he said.

Meanwhile, the bank celebrated three of its customers leaving with disability by donating a 6.9KVA generator set to Mr. Amole Alaba, a dry cleaner and Mrs. Faniyi Oluwatoyin, an entrepreneur, while Mr. Denis Ideze, who is visually  impaired received a cheque from the bank to pay off his children’s outstanding school fees.

The bank also donated other gift items to some of its customers with outstanding performance while members of staff received gifts for long service.

According to the Joda, “Because there is ability in disability, we are celebrating three of our customers that are leaving with disability but economically active, they are not relying on family and friends to be able to feed. The least we could do is to help their businesses grow.

“Our loans are not restricted by age, our philosophy is that anyone that is economically active or of age such as 18 can have access to loan.”