E-PPAN Techno-Interactive Forum Holds in May

E-PPAN is set to host the eight edition of the E-PPAN Techno-Interactive Session.

Date: 17th of May, 2011

Time: 9am

Venue: Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Theme of this edition is: Mobile Payment and the changing financial landscape in Nigeria.

The E-PPAN Techno-Interactive Forum is the most significant payment industry event which holds quarterly in Nigeria, it is designed to address specific issues identified in the e-payment industry and to come up with road maps for resolving these concerns. The forum attracts technocrats, experts, business icons, consultants, regulators from the financial industry, government agencies, investors, senior level executives from private and public companies and seasoned professionals.

According to the Executive Secretary of the Association Mrs. Onajite Regha, the  E-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria has followed with great interest the developments within the payment industry even as it embraces mobile banking/payments. We find the advent of this new channel both intriguing and daunting. The reason for this is that mobile payment seems to hold the solution to our long time challenge of bringing the unbanked into the formal financial stream of the economy and provides the most convenient platform for consumers, but our fears lies in the fact that we may yet be prepared for the task associated with the process. Though, mobile payments have succeeded in Kenya which is also an African country but our peculiarities in Nigeria are very different.

In a press release by the organization,details of the event reads:

One issue that stands out is that we will have to deliberately shape our environment so as to prevent failures of projects, investments and users confidence. Our focus therefore at E-PPAN is to seek contributions from all categories of stakeholders on what deliberate actions, policies, infrastructure, resources and events we must establish to help create an enabling environment which will ensure the success of mobile payment. These must not be left to chance. We should grab the opportunity offered by mobile payment and make a difference for the Nigeria economy.

On this note, we have identified experts to engage in a constructive interactive session with all necessary parties to build the conducive /enabling environment for mobile payment. As stated above, we will focus on the principles and practice of an enabling environment for mobile payment.

Discussion points will be focused on:

–       The integrity of Telecoms system for mobile payment

–       The creation of certainty & support for mobile banking in the Nigeria economy.

–       Managing the complex trade offs between growth & regulatory/legal barriers

–       Transformational process for enabling mobile payment

–       Creating viable partnership between banks and Telco’s for scaling up mobile payment

–       Ensuring the benefits of mobile banking are evenly distributed across all banking and consumers sector

–       The importance of safeguarding the consumers’ interest to enhance the success of mobile payment in Nigeria

The following experts have been invited as discussants for the session with key industry players.

–       Mr. A.S F Atoloye, Director, Banking & Payment Systems Department, Central Bank of Nigeria.

–       Mr. Sylvester Ehikioya, Director, Nigerian Communication Commission.

–       Mrs. Ify Umenyi, Director General/ CEO, Consumer Protection Council.

–       Mr. Chuma Ezirim, Head, Cards and Channels Management, First Bank Nigeria Plc

–       Mr.  Lucas Dada, Director, Products & Services,  Etisalat Nigeria Plc

–       Mr. Emmanuel Okeagwale, Principal Associate, Mobile Money

Africa.