By Alex C
In a move aimed at deepening financial literacy spread among Nigeria’s rapidly growing young population of mobile phone users, Visa Incorporated, global leader in payment systems, in collaboration with Co-Creation Hub Nigeria(CcHub), a social innovation centre, has supported the launch of three locally-developed mobile applications.
The three apps, ‘Money Talks’, ‘More Than Money’ and ‘Street Tinz’, are available on several mobile platforms like Android, iOS and Java enabled phones. They were designed to help Nigerians, especially the young generation of mobile phone users who are also active on social media, make better decisions by educating them on issues like saving, budgeting, investing and financial management.
Ade Ashaye, general manager for Visa West Africa, said the initiative was part of Visa’s “strategy to help Nigerians become better financially aware,” adding that “what makes it unique is that it encourages Nigerians to develop locally-relevant solution, tailored for their specific environment and needs.
According to Ashaye “We are always looking to support innovative programmes that can better equip individuals to manage their money more effectively, – and these apps achieve that.”
In a press release by Visa, “The winning app, ‘Money Talks’, is an audio tutorial solution that provides financial information using SMS, voice interactive system and the Web. It supports Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and Pidgin English.
”’More Than Money’, a game developed to reinforce students’ money management skills, is an adaptation of the community game used by Junior Achievement Nigeria in Primary schools across Nigeria. The third app, ‘Money Trader Street
Tinz’, is a mobile, Web-based game that teaches children how to make smart financial decisions in a fun and engaging way.”
Bosun Tijani, CEO of Co-Creation Hub Nigeria hinted that CcHub is pleased to have worked with Visa, through the Financial Literacy Challenge, to develop these three mobile apps that will go a long way in helping Nigerians make better use of their income.