The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision today published a report that considers the implications of the ongoing digitalisation of finance on banks and supervision.

The report builds on the Sound Practices: implications of fintech developments for banks and bank supervisors published in 2018, and takes stock of recent developments in the digitalisation of finance.

The report reviews the use of key innovative technologies across various aspects of the banking value chain, including application programming interfaces, artificial intelligence and machine learning, distributed ledger technology and cloud computing. It also considers the role of new technologically enabled suppliers (eg big techs, fintechs and third-party service providers) and business models.

While digitalisation can benefit both banks and their customers, it can also create new vulnerabilities and amplify existing risks. These can include greater strategic and reputational risks, a larger scope of factors that could test banks’ operational risk and resilience, and potential system-wide risks due to increased interconnections. Banks are implementing various strategies and practices to mitigate these risks, but effective governance and risk management processes remain fundamental.

The Bank of Namibia has called in NPCI International Payments to help the southern African country develop an instant payments system based on India’s hugely successful UPI. Namibia will tap into the technology and expertise behind India’s UPI to develop real-time P2P and merchant payments. NIPL says it will help Namibia modernise its financial ecosystem, boosting the accessibility, affordability and connectivity for both domestic and international payment networks.

Launched in 2016, the UPI has been central to India’s efforts to use digital payments to boost financial inclusion and has now handled well over 100 billion transactions.

The NPCI international subsidiary was set up in 2020 to push the UPI, as well as the RuPay card network, outside of India. Earlier this year, the unit struck a deal with Nepal’s largest payment network and it has also joined forces with Google Pay to accelerate global expansion.

Johannes Gawaxab, governor, Bank of Namibia, says: “Our objective is to enhance accessibility and affordability for underserved populations, achieve full interoperability of payment instruments by 2025, modernize the financial sector, and ensure a secure and efficient National Payment System.

Global e-commerce based direct selling company, QNET is working to increase financial inclusion in youth communities through its signature educational programme called FinGreen.

FinGreen aims to boost financial inclusion in underserved communities by empowering individuals with the skills required to be financially confident, aware, and savvy through its three pillars: assessing target communities, training them, and transforming participants into financial literacy advocates.

One of the programme’s first ambassadors, Anuoluwapo Ayoola, is sharing her newly gained financial skills and knowledge with 70 university students at a workshop she organised in Abuja about educating other young people about the importance of financial literacy as an essential life skill.

She said, “I am thrilled to have organised a financial literacy workshop at the University of Abuja, with the generous support of QNET. Financial literacy is not just about managing money. It’s about creating a better future for ourselves and future generations. As an ambassador of FinGreen, I’m excited for more opportunities to educate my peers on why financial education and literacy are so important!”

Ayoola based her financial literacy workshop on campus at the University of Abuja on the insights and understanding she gained as part of the pilot cohort to complete the first phase of FinGreen trainings, which kicked off in Nigeria in June of 2022. She designed the first module of her workshop to challenge the assumptions on financial literacy, educating the 70 participants on how they can adjust their mindset to utilise financial knowledge for their benefit.

The second module drew on Ayoola’s experience as a student, where she shared practical strategies and tips on how participants can manage their finances as students and as working adults. This will be crucial to help participants manage their financial sustainability and investment, seeing as many Nigerian students bear significant debt due to the increasing cost of tertiary education.

Mr. Biram Fall, the regional general Manager of QNET Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “We are honoured to support Anu Ayoola and the University of Abuja’s Financial Literacy Workshop. With the constantly shifting financial landscape and the digitisation of financial services, young people need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their money. Not just that, we want to continue helping young people, like Anu Ayoola, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and foster a sense of responsibility and leadership through FinGreen.”