Emma Okonji
The Electronic Payment Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN), in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has commenced the new sensitisation initiative of the CBN to further deepen cashless initiative across the country.
The E-PPAN team recently took the cashless campaign to IkareAkoko and Ode-Irele kingdom in Ondo State, where the team met with the royal persons as well as market women, businessmen and women as well as other people cutting across transporters, apprentices, students, among others.
The team engaged the rulers of the different communities, market leaders, traders, consumers’ trade association and influencers, among others, the sensitisation exercise on the cashless initiative, designed to create further awareness far and wide.
There was excitement and expression of relief by the traders at the grassroots, as they were reassured that going cashless and reducing the heavy dependence on cash in their day-to-day business transactions would reduce the risks they have encountered in their businesses in the past.
Explaining the team’s sensitisation experiences in Ondo State, the Chief Executive Officer of E-PPAN, Mrs. OnajiteRegha said the team commenced the grassroots sensitisation in the three senatorial districts of the state with an official visit to the CBN, Akure branch.
According to her, the purpose of the visit was to have an in-house interaction with the local CBN branch in Akure while paying a courtesy visit to the branch controller.
She said the E-PPAN team in the company of the Shared Services Department of the CBN, Abuja, engaged the CBN Akure in an interactive dialogue session to intimate them on the activities of the cashless awareness campaign in Ondo and the ambassadorial role they will play after the team departs state.
Apart from the face-to-face interactions with the indigenes and residents of the state, the E-PPAN team also deployed broadcast media in form of call-in programme to reach out to many people, educating them on the cashless policy.
“The E-PPAN team moved on to Ondo Garage in Akure, which was a major motor park and one of the busiest motor parks in Akure to meet with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members,” Regha said.
She said the sensitisation was successful, as the NURTW members expressed delight in the new system of payments.
“After the sensitisation at the NURTW, the team then had a road show from the garage through to the various markets in Akure town. The road show terminated at Oja Oba market, the biggest market in Akure land. The market leaders and traders came out in mass to listen to the news on the cashless policy,” Regha said.
