Access Bank closes banking gap with 74,000 ‘Closa agents’ – Access bank Plc has empowered 74,000 Access Closa agents to provide financial services to customers across Nigeria in line with its mission to deliver superior value to its customers and provide innovative solutions for the markets.
With the Access Closa Agents spread across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country, the bank aimed at significantly growing access to finance and banking services to millions of previously unbanked and underbanked Nigerians.
The agent banking also provided alternate streams of income for micro, small and medium enterprises ( MSMEs) while promoting financial literacy. It also advanced Access Bank’s ambition to bank one in every two Nigerian by 2025.
Senior Banking Advisor, Retail, Access Bank Plc, Robert Giles, said the exponential growth of Access Bank’s agent network was part of the bank’s promise to ensure easier and safer access to financial services for every Nigerian.
According to him, as a bank driven by innovation, Access Bank must deliver better outcomes for customers in terms of speed, security and service to enhance customer experience in all the locations that we operate.
“With the recent mapping of over 70,000 Access Closa Agents, customers and non-customers of the Bank who are travelling for Business, events or to visit loved ones in any location in Nigeria will continue to enjoy uninterrupted banking services as our Closa agents are available in several rural and semi-urban locations across the country.
“They can also access financial services from a Closa agent near them, by simply searching for “Access Closa Agent” on Google Map instead of walking long distances in search of a branch,” Giles said.
Head, Agency Banking, Access Bank Plc, Tolulope Oyeyipo said the Access Closa agent network is a bespoke channel through which Access Bank expresses her passion and commitment to broadening the opportunities and access to financial services for every Nigerian and African, irrespective of where they might be.
“With over 70,000 agent locations spread across every neighborhood in the country, we are making sure our customers and indeed customers of other banks can enjoy seamless banking services close to where they live and work, in a safe and convenient manner. By offering basic financial services such as cash withdrawal, cash deposit, bill payments and account opening, our continuously growing agent network is increasingly making the need to visit a bank branch unnecessary for everyone. We are committed to being at the forefront of providing digital financial services in Nigeria,” Oyeyipo said.
Oyeyipo assured that Access Bank remains committed to delivering more than banking solutions to its customers leveraging the power of technology noting that the geographical location tagging of Access Closa agents on Google Maps through internet-connected devices is one more way the bank is living up to its brand promise as it will assist customers and non-customers of the bank locate and access Closa agents within their communities, truly bringing financial services closer to the people.
Oyeyipo added that Access Bank has over the years leveraged technology including advanced analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics process automation to reform business operations and drive performance to improve customer experience.