Global payments firm Western Union has finally launched in Nigeria, allowing consumers in Nigeria to use www.WesternUnion.ng to direct funds Into bank accounts.According to Khalid Fellahi, senior vice president and general manager, Western Union Digital, “Western Union is growing its network and increasing consumer access to our services worldwide. The launch supports our global retail Agent network, and is part of Western Union’s multi-channel consumer experience, which is a differentiator in today’s money transfer marketplace.”
Now available in over 200 countries and territories and over 100,000 ATMs globally and network of over 500,000 agent locations, Western Union has served over 242 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $82 billion of principal between consumers, and 459 million business payments.
Western Union money transfer services allow the consumer to send funds to more than 500,000 retail Agent locations, into a mobile wallet, or opt to direct the transfer into a recipient’s bank account.
The firm said that in Nigeria, consumers can receive funds from 200 countries and territories at nearly 5,000 Western Union retail Agent locations in the country, or use www.WesternUnion.ng to direct the funds into a bank account with Guaranty Trust Bank, Skye Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Wema Bank.
The service was launched in cooperation with Interswitch Limited.
Western Union’s launch in Nigeria is likely to encourage PayPal to follow suit.