The leading Nigerian bank, First Bank of Nigeria, launched a new “Digital Experience Centre” located at Banana Island, Lagos. A banking Centre created to provide its customers with its banking services digitally, in other words, without human interference.
However, this is not the first of its kind in Nigeria as the bank already has similar Digital Experience Centres in Ibadan, Abuja, and Victoria Island. According to the CEO, Adesola Adeduntan, the purpose of creating such a digital experience in his words, “is all about weaving the bank into the fabrics of the society in which it operates”.
However, the General Manager of Biporal, Adewale Oluwatubo, who is the host of the facility, noted that the location and the actual purpose of the centre was to provide services to the wealthy individuals who are residents of the estate.
What we are commissioning today is a world-class digital experience centre where residents and non-residents who have access to this highly prestigious estate be able to carry out their banking transactions withouth the need for human intervention. Whether it is to do transfers ir issue cards, whatever they want to do, it can be done, without any human intervention.
The First Bank CEO, Adesola Adeduntan, during the commissioning of the Digital Experience Centre
What does the First Bank of Nigeria Digital Experience Centre have to offer?
The one question that got all the attention was, “What can the digital experience Centre provide that is not obtainable on the First Bank mobile app?”.
To answer the question, the CEO explained that one major banking service the center will provide is the issuing of ATM cards in just under three minutes.
Yes, you read that correctly, three minutes.
In addition, the Centre will have what the bank calls “the teller-cash recycler”. This allows customers to deposit cash into their bank accounts or a third-party account without the need to walk into any banking hall.
All you need to do is get to the digital experience center, put in your details, including that of the recipient, and put in the money. The machine will count the bills and issue a receipt for the transaction.
Although the glamour of operating an unmanned Centre is exquisite, the issue of security still poses a threat and people are asking questions. However, Adeduntan assured those present and those not, that the threats of cyber-attacks were thought of when building the infrastructure.
He also explained that most of the terminals require biometric authentication to access the services. While on the backend, the entire operating system is built with the use of a world-class security system designed to avoid digital and physical break-ins, protecting customer’s funds at all times.
In conclusion, the First Bank of Nigeria states that it is in the process of creating five more digital experience centers in Nigeria before the end of 2024. And this time, the “Digital Experience Centres” will be located in strategic places that will serve a majority of First Bank customers.
