Leading and managing change to reach low-income savers in Nigeria
Scale2Save Campaign
Micro savings, maximum impact.
Leading and managing change to reach low-income savers in Nigeria | A case study of LAPO MFB June 2022
In August 2018, LAPO Microfinance Bank partnered with the World Savings Bank Institute (WSBI) to develop and implement a change management programme to underpin its launch of the savings product, My Pikin & I (MPI). The five-year programme scale2save (S2S) programme, managed by the WSBI, promotes financial inclusion. Its aim is to aid financial institutions to target those who are financially excluded, and to encourage the unbanked to open accounts and build a savings record giving them access to transaction banking and other financial services such as credit or insurance. When this succeeds, it helps increase self-esteem, self-confidence and entrepreneurship.
LAPO Microfinance Bank, a Scale2Save partner, is a Nigerian lender with over 7,000 staff and more than 500 branches throughout Nigeria, serving over five million clients. In 2018, as part of its collaboration with the Scale2Save programme, it introduced a savings product backed by health insurance and scholarship grants for those maintaining sustained balances.
This was a major mission extension for LAPO; when LAPO lends money as a microfinance institution, a customer arrives at the branch with empty pockets and walks out with cash, leaving the risks at LAPO. but in a savings rationale, the situation is reversed: the customer arrives at the institution with cash aand walks out with empty pockets, assuming the risk that his/her funds will be safeguarded.
To succeed as a deposit-taker requires that the customer has much more faith in a financial institution, to trust it with her or his hard-earned savings. To assume this new role, the institution’s customer advisors must gain understanding of the customer, deploy empathy, and work harder to build the trust of the customer in the institution. Communication must be clear, transparent and consistent.
Scale2Save
Unpacking the customer through demand side data
Scale2Save Campaign
Micro savings, maximum impact.
WSBI's Scale2Save programme launched the sixth case study of its Savings and Retail Banking in Africa research series. The publication 'Unpacking the customer through demand side data' gives examples of financial service providers who have used public data to develop customer-centric products and services.
Available in English and French, it presents examples of financial service providers (FSPs) who have used data to better understand and serve low-income customers by developing customer-centric solutions. It includes examples from WSBI members Awash Bank Ethiopia, BRAC Uganda Bank Limited and Zambia’s Zanaco.
Why read this case study?
Because it shows that data and research are valuable tools to acquire and retain customers and expand the customer base. This is crucial to attracting new customers in Africa, where informal employment is commonplace.
The development of customer centric products and operations helps ensure that customers who engage with the bank continue to do so, by aligning products with customer needs, and retiring them if they no longer do.
Scale2Save
For a single market for data to push growth and innovation
ESBG submitted its response to the European Commission (EC) targeted consultation on an Open Finance Framework and data sharing in the financial sector on 15 July.ESBG and its members highlighted that they share the objectives of the EC’s data strategy and the commitment to create a single market for data that will constitute a potential source of growth and innovation.
A European approach to data is essential to ensure competitiveness, avoid fragmentation, benefit from an effect of scale and guard against windfall effects from which certain non-European players could benefit. A flourishing data-driven market should be based on principles of mutual benefits and right incentives for all market participants. Therefore, a fair share of value and risk is a fundamental prerequisite for the success of data sharing.
In an open finance framework, the principle “same activity/data, same risks, same rules” shall apply to all actors, including third party providers, ESBG said in its response. To ensure customer’s trust, every third party accessing customer data shall ensure privacy rights and data protection in compliance with all applicable rules. As such, we suggest third party within the financial sector be subject to the same licensing requirements and to supervision by competent authorities.
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PSD2 review must seek fair distribution of value and risk among all market participants
ESBG submitted its response to the European Commission (EC)’s targeted consultation on the review of the revised payment services Directive (PSD2) on 15 July. In it, ESBG and its members stated that the core principle of PSD2 – access to data free of charge – did not foster the best outcome and that the PSD2 implementation has been a highly complicated and costly process for the whole market.
For banks, in particular, the investments required for the implementation of PSD2 have been unproportionally high without a chance of a return. More in general, the significant investment levels do not match the limited economic benefits for the market and the end-consumer.
Therefore, the review of the PSD2 should seek a more balanced approach, with a fair distribution of value and risk among all market participants.
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Number of unbanked adult EU citizens more than halved in the last four years
Nevertheless, more than 13 million adults, or 4% of the adult population, face financial exclusion, according to an ESBG analysis of the Global Findex Database 2021, recently released by the World Bank.
BRUSSELS, 14 July 2022 – The number of unbanked citizens more than halved over the past four years, but more than 13 million adult EU citizens still lack access to formal financial services, with room for Europe’s savings and retail banks to continue contributing to financial inclusion.
The European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) conducted an analysis of the Global Findex Database 2021 recently released by the World Bank, and was pleased to find that the number of banked adults in the EU has climbed.
This significant improvement can be attributed to increased efforts from the banking industry, including notably the ESBG membership serving 162 million Europeans, as well as to an increased move towards digitalisation spurred by the pandemic.
“Financial inclusion is at the core of our members’ vocation and they put great efforts on serving individuals, families and SMEs, with a focus on leaving no one behind, which has surely contributed to the improvement of financial inclusion in the block”, said ESBG Managing Director, Peter Simon.
According to the World Bank Findex (which has no data for Luxembourg over 2021), 3,6 % of Europe’s population remain financially excluded, an improvement from the 8,2% reported in 2017. This percentage translates to some 13 million adult citizens being unbanked in 2021, down from close to 31 million in 2017.
Part of the remaining unbanked are probably less-digital savvy people and banks need to continue cater for that segment. Without any doubt, all the unbanked rely on cash to participate in the economy and therefore banks must play a responsible role regarding cash provision.
Looking at some European countries in detail, Romania suffers the highest no-account rate at 30,9%, while neighbour Bulgaria faces the second highest financial exclusion rate at 16%. Following them are Hungary (11,8%), Croatia (8,2%) and Portugal (7,4%). Compared to the 2017 data, Bulgaria showed nearly an 11 percentage points improvement from 2017 when they reported 27,8% of the population remained unbanked. The Czech Republic and Lithuania significantly improved their unbanked rates over the reported period, dropping out of the top 5 list of EU countries with the highest no-account rates, as Croatia and Portugal replaced the pair.
Best-in-class countries include Denmark, with hardly any unbanked people reported, followed by Germany (0,02% unbanked) and Austria (0,05%). These are followed by the Netherlands (0,3%) and Sweden (0,3%). Austria is the newcomer in this top 5, replacing Belgium. Nevertheless, Belgium, together with 10 other countries have more than 99% of their population participating in banking services.
Table: Financial inclusion in EU Member States, unbanked adults
(Sources and notes: Global Findex – 2021 data on Luxembourg is missing in Global Findex so has been omitted, analysis by WSBI-ESBG)
| 2017 | 2021 | |||
| Country | Unbanked adults 15+ | Relative share | Unbanked adults 15+ | Relative share |
| Austria | 137.700 | 1,84% | 3.761 | 0,05% |
| Belgium | 128.041 | 1,36% | 95.329 | 0,99% |
| Bulgaria | 1.697.604 | 27,80% | 947.642 | 16,03% |
| Croatia | 494.946 | 13,86% | 283.466 | 8,20% |
| Cyprus | 109.767 | 11,28% | 69.197 | 6,87% |
| Czech Republic | 1.703.016 | 19,01% | 456.366 | 5,06% |
| Denmark | 3.947 | 0,08% | 0 | 0,00% |
| Estonia | 22.137 | 2,01% | 6.929 | 0,62% |
| Finland | 9.866 | 0,21% | 21.861 | 0,47% |
| France | 3.270.789 | 6,00% | 419.374 | 0,76% |
| Germany | 613.053 | 0,86% | 16.765 | 0,02% |
| Greece | 1.341.302 | 14,53% | 473.335 | 5,12% |
| Hungary | 2.105.537 | 25,06% | 983.136 | 11,78% |
| Ireland | 173.372 | 4,66% | 13.310 | 0,34% |
| Italy | 3.255.366 | 6,21% | 1.401.949 | 2,71% |
| Latvia | 112.583 | 6,78% | 53.731 | 3,38% |
| Lithuania | 419.049 | 17,12% | 152.777 | 6,47% |
| Malta | 10.302 | 2,64% | 15.982 | 3,55% |
| Netherlands | 51.485 | 0,36% | 39.231 | 0,27% |
| Poland | 4.292.591 | 13,27% | 1.377.061 | 4,28% |
| Portugal | 681.086 | 7,66% | 658.625 | 7,35% |
| Romania | 7.039.982 | 42,25% | 5.031.950 | 30,88% |
| Slovak Republic | 727.964 | 15,82% | 201.923 | 4,38% |
| Slovenia | 43.408 | 2,47% | 16.937 | 0,95% |
| Spain | 2.474.022 | 6,24% | 689.696 | 1,70% |
| Sweden | 21.133 | 0,26% | 26.545 | 0,31% |
| Totals | 30.940.048 | 8,20% | 13.456.879 | 3,54% |
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26th edition of SPOTLIGHT : Hello, itsme® you're looking for ?
Hello, itsme® you're looking for ?
About this event
Belgian Mobile ID is a consortium of Belgium’s leading banks, mobile network operators and Federal Holding and Investment Company who have joined together to create itsme®, the European reference for mobile identification, authentication and digital signature.
Itsme® was granted accreditation by the Belgian government as an official form of digital identity in January 2018 and on a European level in December 2019 (LOA high eIDAS). The itsme® app is used extensively in the financial sector among others because it complies with PSD2, FATF and GDPR guidelines. It has also been awarded ISO27001 certification. Since April 2021, itsme® is also available for Dutch citizens.
Guest Speaker:
Sylvie Vandevelde
Chief Marketing Officer at itsme
From taking care of customer experience in real life to Design thinking and UX in a digital world, for Sylvie Vandevelde, CMO at Belgian Mobile ID, the customer-user-citizen needs to be at the heart of every solution. Thanks to technology and innovation, we have the opportunity today to be in the driving seat of our digital us. An inclusive society needs a trusted ID that is easy to use and compliant.
On the EU Commission consultation on Distance Marketing in Financial Services Directive review
The publication of the European Commission proposal amending Directive 2011/83/EU and repealing Directive 2002/65/EC, follows the public consultation carried out last year. The Distance Marketing in Financial Services Directive (DMFSD) has historically provided a legal basis for the distance selling of financial products and a minimum safety net for consumers, when there is no specific text (for example, when new products are introduced or for products outside the scope of a specific directive).
ESBG supports the scenario chosen by the Commission for its proposal to retain the relevant and still valid elements of the DMFSD by integrating them into a broader directive (the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU which is not currently concerning financial products) and to make some adjustments. Thus, a specific chapter dedicated to “Financial services contracts concluded at a distance” has been added to this directive, making it possible to retain the specificities of the DMFSD.
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World savings and retail banks call for harmonised taxonomies on sustainable finance
WSBI Chairman, Isidro Fainé, says banks face the future with hope and optimism, despite the short-term turbulent context.
Paris, 8 July 2022 – The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI), a global network representing over 7,000 savings and retail banks, called today on policymakers for the harmonisation of taxonomies on sustainable finance. This as a necessary step for banks to play an effective cross-regional role providing the investment needed to achieve the ambitions of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
At the end of the WSBI World Congress, the association’s members approved the Paris Declaration which detailed the call to policy makers to develop a set of principles for designing taxonomies that are centred on pragmatic and science-based targets.
“As WSBI members are present in remote areas, close to the people, and focus on SMEs and private households, they are aware of the necessity of having ambitious, yet pragmatic, progressive and proportional, targets”, states the document.
The Declaration called for taxonomy design principles that encourage interoperability and mutual recognition to promote cross-border sustainable finance and to reduce compliance costs. It points out the need for a common language to ease comparability while preventing duplication of efforts and points to the EU-China Common Ground Taxonomy (CGT) as a promising first step in the right direction.
The WSBI Chairman, Isidro Fainé, closed the World Congress with a message of optimism despite the short-term turbulent context the world is living.
“The WSBI community of banks is facing the future with hope and optimism. An optimism that translates into specific actions for social progress. This is evidenced by our impeccable track record in the way we do banking, where financial inclusion is our flag and with our philanthropic actions, where our priority is to help those most in need through a wide range of social and educational programmes”, said Isidro Fainé.
The Chairman also emphasised that “the determination of our community to contribute to a better world, as our DNA dictates. Our WSBI members on five continents believe that a better world is possible”.
Founded in 1924, the WSBI members share a business model that has social responsibility at its core and is focused on serving local communities, households and SMEs. WSBI has 65 members in 88 countries. They serve over 1.7 billion customers, have total assets of over 15 trillion dollars, and employ 2.2 million workers.
The 26th World Congress was held in Paris on 7-8 July.
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World savings and retail banks moving forward on sustainability
World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI)'s members get together for the first time since 2018 at the 26th World Congress, in Paris.
Paris, 7 July 2022 – The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI), representing over 7,000 organisations globally and serving some 1.7 billion customers, held today its 26th Congress ‘Regionally rooted, globally responsible’ with focus on how to move forward with financial sustainability in the current challenging times.
“Feeling and acting socially responsible is inextricably linked to our identity. The fact is we were born that way, it forms part of our DNA, and it is our vocation. All of this translates into our way of doing banking that is fundamentally different from other players in the sector, and furthermore, it is profitable, efficient and fair”, said WSBI President, Isidro Faine, as he addressed over 200 participants from 4 continents who gathered today in Paris for the first time since 2018.
Sustainability was the key topic at the centre of the discussions and panels, as savings and retails banks seek the most effective ways to move forward on the topic and contribute to address the pressing environmental needs.
The internationally renowned mountaineer and activist, Reinhold Messner, presented his vision for a sustainable future.
Sustainable financial regulation, the role of the physical branch in the digital era, and the most recent geopolitical shifts were some of the topics covered today.
“This kind of crisis moments are the time that we have to realise our power and to fulfil our duty to the fullest by contemplating on what we can deliver in the face of these challenges,” said WSBI Managing Director, Peter Simon, at the end of the first day of this event.
The 26th World Congress is held in Paris on 7-8 July.
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WSBI shares conclusions of its 6-year programme on financial inclusion
Scale2Save Campaign
Micro savings, maximum impact.
The Scale2Save programme, a WSBI partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, achieved its goal of banking over 1 million people in African countries through 8 innovative projects with local partners. The programme also made important contributions to finding sustainable business models to serve the mass market of low-income people. This is the most recent of a series of initiatives by WSBI to build financial inclusion and resilience for people in vulnerable situations.
Paris, 6 July 2022 – The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI)’s programme for financial inclusion, Scale2Save, held today a closing knowledge sharing event in Paris with focus on the achievements of a six-year partnership with the Mastercard Foundation: over 1 million people banked in Africa and a substantial contribution to the understanding of products and services that can boost financial inclusion.
Scale2Save, soon to come to an end, worked with local banks and microfinance institutions in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal and Uganda. It implemented eight innovative projects to reach out to the lowest income people. As projects are implemented, Scale2Save also contributes to building knowledge about the key elements of sustainable business models to serve this segment of customers, often underserved or completely excluded from formal financial services.
“Scale2Save theme is ‘Microsavings for Maximum Impact’ because we aim at enabling our partners to find financial solutions that work, and that can be scaled-up to allow low-income people to actively save”, said WSBI Managing Director, Peter Simon, during the event attended by participants from financial inclusion stakeholders from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe.
Scale2Save goes beyond banking people towards adding value to the lives of these new customers by finding ways of keeping them engaged and making full use of their financial services and products, to address the common issue among low-income people of not using the accounts offered to them on a regular basis.
The keys to success found though the eight projects include a customer-centric approaches, digitalisation, financial education and literacy, and the use of roving agents and sharing agency infrastructure.
Scale2Save projects are focused on three long time financially excluded groups: women, to close the gender gap as they are more than half of the financially excluded worldwide; youth, because they increasingly make significant contributions to their households; and farmers, as they constitute an important part of many African economies and formal financial services.
Scale2Save current partners are: Advans Microfinance in Cote d’Ivoire; PostBank in Kenya; Al Barid and Barid Cash in Morocco; LAPO Microfinance and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Nigeria; and FINCA Uganda, Centenary Bank, BRAC Bank Limited in Uganda.
“I am absolutely positive that that the Scale2Save partners as well as WSBI and its members are committed to continue their efforts to contribute closing the remaining access gaps”, said Programme Director, Weselina Angelow.
Scale2Save is a six-year partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. It is the most recent in a series of initiatives by WSBI to mobilize its global network of over 7,000 savings and retails banks in favour of financial inclusion. WSBI sees financial inclusion as an enabler to achieve the UN Agenda 2030, to open the doors to economic and employment opportunities for people in vulnerable situations and to build resilience to shocks.
Founded in 1924, WSBI has members who share a business model that has social responsibility at its core and is focused on serving local communities, households and SMEs. WSBI has 65 members in 88 countries. They serve over 1.8 billion customers, have total assets of over 15 trillion dollars, and employ 2.2 million workers.
