NIGERIA: Electronic payment of utility bills rises by N576bn

Spending on electronic bills such as power, PayTV, and other utilities rose by N576.41bn year-on-year, according to data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System.

The data disclosed that N2.63tn was spent on e-bills from January 2022 to November 2022, a 28.14 per cent increase from the N2.05tn that was spent in the corresponding period of 2021. While the value of e-bills pay rose significantly in 2022, volume fell by 31.99 per cent from 841,796 in the 11 months of last year to 1,111,087.

According to the NIBSS, e-bills are daily bill transactions that are accessible and seamless. It said, “E-BillsPay is an electronic bill payment platform that facilitates the payment of bills, fees, levies, premiums, and subscriptions, etc. by the banking public through electronic payment channels provided and managed by banks.”

It added that the touch points for these payments include bank branches, Internet banking, mobile banking, USSD, and agent networks.

A recent survey by Mastercard disclosed that 91 per cent of respondents in Nigeria said they used digital platforms to make financial transactions. The report titled ‘Financial Inclusion – Connecting People to Finance, Health, and Education’ revealed that 46 per cent of total respondents in all the countries in the survey was carried out chose utility bill payments and receiving salary as the most used digital financial transactions, followed by buying goods and services.

It said, “There is now a greater awareness of mobile money, combined with a broader diversification in its uses. Consumers are now more open to using mobile money for more than just transactions.

“They are using credit, savings, and insurance products; in many cases, mobile money is being used to receive payments for services or products. Consumers are also paying bills and buying products using mobile money.”

The Mastercard MEA Inclusion Survey 2021 indicated that 46 per cent of respondents picked utility bill payments and receiving salary and other payments as the most used digital financial transactions, followed by buying goods and services.

“Money transfers to and from family and friends come in as the fifth most used digital transaction, followed by saving and investment payments.”

In an earlier interview with The PUNCH, a telecom industry expert, who did not want his name in print, disclosed that mobile adoption is driving the growth of e-bills payments. The expert explained that convenience and speed were factors contributing to the growth of the payment channel.

The expert said, “When people make payments, they don’t have to wait for a long while before it reflects. People can pay on the go and get the service immediately.

“Convenience and speed are the two key drivers for it. Now that we are talking about financial inclusion with PSBs and other mobile money in areas without access to banks, people can use phones to carry out financial transactions.”

According to the expert, convenience and speed are what are driving the rise in mobile transactions. “Mobile is driving this adoption fast. As I have said, mobile enables on-the-go payment. It is not location-based. Mobile is the way to go; mobile is what is driving adoption.”

It is expected that the growth of e-bills pay would continue, especially with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new policy on cashless transactions.