CEO,  Citiserve, Mrs. Lola Ogunbambi,

By Eromosele Abiodun

Point of Sales (PoS) merchants in the country have called on the Nigerian Interbank Settlement Scheme (NIBSS) to move from transaction day plus one clearing day currently in place to same-day clearing process to enable the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  work effectively.

Speaking at a forum for merchants organised by Citiserve Nigeria Limited, the merchants said the delay in having transactions cleared was frustrating their efforts at selling the policy to the ordinary man on the street, who are yet to embrace the policy.
One of the merchants, Mr. Francis Okeke of Bahali Stores, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, decried the slow start of the cashless policy and blamed it on the attitude of the uneducated who more in number than the enlightened ones willing to use cards for transactions.
He also called on telecommunications firms  to put in more effort to transform the poor network situation that most users of PoS are complaining about.

“We are not able to use the device as often as we want because of network problems. Also people find it difficult to operate the PoS device because there are several menus on it that are hard for even the educated customers to operate. Some customers are also afraid of fraud and in this regard we urge the authorities to put in more effort to educate ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer of Citiserve, Mrs. Lola Ogunbambi, tasked the merchants to help in educating their customers on the need to embrace the cashless policy so that they will not be left behind as the CBN is not going back on the policy.

Ogunbambi, who admitted that cases of transaction delays, communication problems change in sales staff and preference for cash still existed, stressed that Citiserve was working hard to ensure that issues reported to it were  resolved as quick as possible.
She highlighted security of cash, encouraging more sales, commissioning of other PoS products closer relationship with customers and their banks as some of the things the CBN seek to achieve through the cashless policy.

Banks, she said, have invested heavily in PoS terminals adding that only PoS merchants could ensure that the PoS terminals were put to use, adding that Citiserve was working hard to ensure optimal connectivity to network, provide easy to use POS terminals, smooth transaction and ensure transaction activity updates are available on time.