Access Bank Plc has taken a major step toward seamless intra-African payments with the recent integration of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) into its flagship mobile application, AccessMore.
This strategic move underscores Access Bank’s commitment to enhancing cross-border payment experiences for its customers across the continent.
To mark the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of PAPSS, Mike Ogbalu III, paid a courtesy visit to the Bank’s head office in Lagos, where he held high-level discussions with Chizoma Okoli, Deputy Managing Director of Access Bank and Seyi Kumapayi, Executive Director for African Subsidiaries at Access Bank.
The discussions centered on deepening collaboration and optimizing the capabilities of PAPSS within the AccessMore ecosystem to deliver real-time, cost-effective, and secure cross-border transactions.
Speaking on the partnership, Chizoma Okoli, Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank said: “The integration of PAPSS into the AccessMore app is a significant milestone in our mission to unify Africa’s payment landscape. With Access Bank’s extensive footprint across the continent, this collaboration ensures that millions of our customers can now experience fast, efficient, and transparent cross-border payments like never before. Our goal is to leverage what we are building together to unlock innovations that seamlessly connect the continent, and we are delighted to partner with PAPSS in making this vision a reality”
Mike Ogbalu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), commenting on the collaboration said: “Our partnership with Access Bank is a game-changer for cross-border trade and payments across Africa. With the integration of PAPSS on AccessMore, we are enabling customers, individuals, SMEs, and corporates alike to transact effortlessly across borders, thereby supporting the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). We’ve created a rail, and Access Bank has the network and customers. Within that, our rail can be used for all sorts of innovations. Access Bank can create products that we can carry on our network for every customer to use.”
Also speaking on the broader strategy, Seyi Kumapayi, Executive Director, African Subsidiaries at Access Bank, commented, “Access Bank’s vision is to be the world’s most respected African bank, and collaborations like this are essential to achieving that. By embedding PAPSS into AccessMore, we’re unlocking a new era of financial connectivity for our customers across our subsidiaries in over a dozen African markets.
PAPSS is significantly cost effective for cross border transactions, which makes it a highly valuable opportunity. To fully harness its potential, we need greater communication, stronger engagement, and coordinated rollouts across multiple countries at the same time. With the right momentum, we can accelerate adoption and achiever the scale this innovation deserves.”
This partnership between Access Bank and PAPSS is a step forward in realizing a fully interconnected Africa, where payments and trade move without friction. Customers can now enjoy a simplified, reliable, and faster method to send and receive money across African borders—directly from their AccessMore app.
The Access Bank Payments and Remittances Group manages AccessAfrica — the Bank’s proprietary cross-border payments platform — and oversees all remittance activities between Access Bank’s subsidiaries and international money transfer partners. At the core of its operations, AccessAfrica simplifies global transactions with speed, affordability, and reliability.
Currently available in Nigeria and 11 Access Bank subsidiaries across Africa, AccessAfrica enables cross-border payments to over 140 destinations worldwide through multiple channels, including branches, AccessMore, USSD, and Internet Banking. Access Bank is a leading force in African cross-border and remittance solutions, we facilitate a broad spectrum of international transfers — P2P, P2B, B2P, and B2B — reaching over 140 countries, connecting with more than 20,000 banks, and operating in over 20 global currencies.
The Group also drives remittance services in partnership with licensed International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs), enabling customers worldwide to send funds to beneficiaries in Nigeria either as cash payouts or direct bank credits.
About Access Bank Plc
Access Bank Plc, a subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, is a leading full-service commercial bank operating through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents and over 20 countries. The Bank is focused on driving sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion across Africa.
About PAPSS
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is a centralized financial infrastructure that enables secure and instant cross-border payments in local African currencies. Developed by Afreximbank in collaboration with the African Union and AfCFTA Secretariat, PAPSS is set to revolutionize how money moves across Africa.
