Date: 2021-07-02

Advans La Fayette Microfinance Bank has launched two new cashless centres in Offa, Kwara State, and Iseyin, Oyo State.

It said in a statement on Wednesday that this was to create more efficient and agile branches that would be closer to the financially excluded members of the society.

The two branches brought the number of Advans cashless centres serving hundreds of financially undeserved in Nigeria to three, with a total of 17 branches, the statement said.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Gaetan Debuchy, said, "The expansion is one of the company's innovative approaches to providing seamless, affordable and transparent financial services to micro, small and medium scale enterprises in the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

"It will help us as a bank to make more impact with less resources so as not to increase the cost of service to clients."

According to him, Advans is a model microfinance institution that has continued to promote private sector-led economic and social development in Nigeria, and nine other countries.

The Chief of Business and Strategy, Elvis Oheneba, said factors such as proximity to small businesses and convenience for individuals and business owners were put into consideration in choosing the location of the cashless branches.

"We intend to increase the number of cashless branches from three to six by the end of the year 2021," he said.

Jean-Luc Nzoubou, who also oversees the business activities for the bank network across Nigeria, explained that a cashless centre could do everything a full branch could do.

He said customers could apply for loans, open savings and current accounts, get access to business advisory, and carry out other transactions without having to travel long distances.