SystemSpecs to release the mobile version of Remita e-payment and e-collection platform before year-end, as it targets pan-African expansion
From their smart and feature phones, millions of Nigerians will now be able to make payments from any of their commercial or micro-finance bank accounts or through any debit or credit card to thousands of merchants and billers in Nigeria when SystemSpecs, creators of the Remita e-payment platform, release the mobile version of the application by the end of this year.
Disclosing this at the on-going GITEX in Dubai which has participants from over 157 countries, ‘DeRemi Atanda, Executive Director SystemSpecs said, “Remita mobile app will enable any individual or organisation see in real-time the balance in accounts held across different banks on a single app. Apart from this first-of-its-kind feature on a mobile app, users will also be able to make payments using the latest scan-to-pay and tap-to-pay technologies. Speaking further at the event which also had other successful Nigerian technology companies showcasing their offerings, ‘DeRemi said “Remita is conceived as a ONE-STOP payment app that will easily address the diverse needs of customers who currently have to download and use many payment apps at the same time. “
While welcoming Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Barister Adebayo Shittu, Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on ICT, Honourable Mohammed Onawo and others to Remita’s stand within the Nigeria pavilion, Atanda said, “Remita has been around for about ten years and currently serves over 1,000 merchants, billers, multinationals, SMEs, and governments at various levels and processes about $30 billion worth of payment transactions every year. The uniqueness of Remita lies in its unique ability to serve as a ONE-STOP payment platform that offers organisations and individuals the most number of payment and collection channels available on any single platform”.
He explained that Remita is also at the forefront of driving the national financial inclusion policy as it is currently in use by about 500 micro-finance banks to meet the needs of many Nigerians who do not have access to commercial banking services and to also empower them to extend financial service to large number of unbanked Nigerians.
According to him, Remita’s vision is to empower every Nigerian to easily make payments for any product or service you can think of in the easiest way possible. He said one of the areas of immediate impact of the Remita mobile app is that anyone will now be able to pay FRSC, CAC, DPR, all tertiary institutions and all other Federal MDAs without having to visit the bank as they will be able to easily generate RRR, make payment and generate payment receipt all on their mobile phone. MDAs will also be able to verify payments in real time and provide services to payers without the need for customers to queue in banking halls to pay or carry bank tellers or paper receipts around as evidence of payment before service can be delivered.
Also speaking on the company’s plan to take the solution beyond Nigeria’s border, he assured the minister that Remita is ready to roll out to the whole world, starting from Africa. “Based on proven performance track record in the Nigerian market and especially on the national TSA project, we have been receiving great interest from other African countries to replicate the same model. While each country may have its own peculiarity, we believe we have developed a robust financial technology platform that can compete anywhere in the world. We are therefore very comfortable taking Remita out of Nigeria and become one of the indigenous organisations that can help our country become a net foreign exchange earner from technology,” he said.
The minister pledged the Federal Government’s support for SystemSpecs’ quest to roll out Remita across African countries and beyond. “We will continue to support all your endeavours to take our country to the next level”, the minister said.
Honourable Onawo explained that he is particularly excited that Nigerian software firms are showcasing their solutions at GITEX 2016. “With what I have seen, it has encouraged me to take a lot of things back home. We need to encourage our IT firms and technology start-ups so that more Nigerian companies can do what Remita is doing for the economy.”
