20th August, 2013
The latest Mobile Money Services Snap Poll conducted by NOI Polls has revealed that almost 6 in 10 Nigerians (59%) are unaware of mobile money services in the country.
NOI Polls is Nigeria’s leading Opinion Polling and Research Organisation which works in partnership with The Gallup Organisation (USA) to develop opinion research in Nigeria.
The poll was conducted to explore the current level of awareness of mobile money services among Nigerians and to determine the present rate of adoption and potential for the future.
According to the results of the poll, only 13 per cent of those that are aware (49%) of the services currently use it.
The poll also showed that an overwhelming majority (93%) of those that use the service, operate their mobile money account in connection with their bank accounts.
All the mobile money service users (13%) are all banked showing little or no adoption of this service by the unbanked, the study noted.
A key finding of the study indicated a positive experience by the users highlighting ease of use, security, cost saving and time saving as factors that enhance this experience.
In the report, about 7 in 10 (71%) non-users say they would consider using mobile money services in the future.
The CBN introduced mobile money services to provide basic financial services and create payment access especially to Nigerians without bank accounts, as well as to help drive financial inclusion in the country.
sixteen banks and other financial institutions were thus licensed to establish the services all over the states in August 2011 by the CBN.
Analysis based on geo-political zones according to the study, showed that the South-South (54%), South-West (46%) and the North-Central (43%) zones have the highest proportions of respondents who know of Mobile Money services.
Conversely, the North-East (70%), South-East (64%) and the North-West (63%) zones account for the highest proportions of respondents not aware of of thr mobile services, among other findings by NOI Poll.