Unity Bank Plc has unveiled an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) banking in Nigeria’s three major languages including Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.
According to Unity Bank, USSD transactions had gained traction over the past five years among bank customers, compelling Nigerian financial institutions to make it a core component of their e-payment solutions. It stated that the introduction of Nigerian languages was an added feature to the Unity Bank’s USSD Platform.
To enjoy the bank’s USSD service in Nigeria’s three major languages, customers should dial the short code *7799# on any mobile phone, and they would have the option to continue their transactions in any of their preferred languages.
“The upgrade in the features of the transaction of the platform is part of Unity Bank’s initiatives aimed at achieving an optimal level of interaction on the USSD banking channel.
“It is targetted at market segments at the lower level of the pyramid intended to drive greater financial inclusion in the country as well as deploy more solutions for fast, efficient and convenient banking while targetting the underbanked.”
Unity Bank Group Head, Retail, SME & E-Business, Unity Bank Plc, Olufunwa Akinmade, said that the solution would boost the existing e-payment channels available to the bank’s customers to further drive customer experience.
He stated that it would also help to deepen mobile payment and contribute to Nigeria’s drive to meet the 80 percent financial inclusion target this year.
Akinmade stated, “What we have done is to expand the channel of access to our offerings. Nigeria’s teledensity, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission, is at 91.1 percent as of 2019. This means that a solution like this will resonate with millions of Nigerians who are more comfortable transacting in their local languages.”
