FirstBank takes 24-hour banking to UniAbuja

Students and staff of the University of Abuja will have access to round-the-clock banking services following the commissioning of a Digital Xperience Centre on the university campus.

The facility is designed to provide a range of banking services, including cash deposits and withdrawals, funds transfers, account opening, ATM card issuance and other account-related transactions without the need to visit a conventional banking hall.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Olusegun Alebiosu, said the centre was part of efforts to bring digital banking services closer to customers, particularly young people.

“The most important thing for us is that we are bringing the banking of the future to our customers today,” he said.

Alebiosu said the centre would enable members of the university community to conduct transactions at any time, including weekends, without being restricted by conventional banking hours.

“Our primary target is to get customers onto our digital platform and enable them to carry out transactions digitally, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

He explained that users could check their account balances, obtain bank statements, update their email addresses and phone numbers, replace ATM cards, deposit cash and pay in cheques at the facility.

According to him, the bank has established similar centres at Bayero University, Kano, and the University of Benin, as part of its plan to extend the model to more university campuses.

On concerns about cybercrime, Alebiosu said the centre had several security measures, including fingerprint and facial biometrics and one-time passwords (OTPs), to verify customers before sensitive transactions could be completed.

He, however, warned customers against compromising their passwords and other personal banking information.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, said the facility would address the absence of a dedicated commercial banking service on the campus and improve access to financial services.

“Until now, we have not had a proper commercial banking service on campus. However, with the introduction of this digital experience centre, I believe our students and staff will begin to enjoy international-standard banking services within the university,” he said.

Fawehinmi said the facility would be particularly useful to students who regularly receive money from their families and make payments or transfers to friends and relatives.

He described it as a one-stop facility where students could open accounts, obtain ATM cards and carry out other transactions.

The vice-chancellor, however, identified possible security breaches and vandalism as challenges but said the university and the bank had put measures in place to provide round-the-clock surveillance.

He said the security arrangements were intended to protect the facility and ensure its continued use by members of the university community.

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