On the 2nd day of October 2023, a video circulated throughout social media showing Opay agents storming the financial institution’s office in Lagos. This was due to large sums being removed from Opay users’ accounts and transferred to unknown accounts. Other activities included purchasing airtime and receiving calls from loan companies, as the account holders’ phone numbers matched their account numbers. The trust level of customers of the Digital Finance company in Nigeria is depleted. The earlier controversy was used to make many fear the financial risk sensed through the enragement of the agents in the video. The customers’ confidence was shattered. This made them indict the Opay company as a scam. The incident was reported by TVC News, whose credibility raised suspicious concern among Opay users. Opay, as a Digital Finance company, had been a lifeline, especially during the strenuous cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the leadership of the then Governor, Godwin Emefiele. During this period, Nigerians began to trust Opay for transactions. This was because of their no transaction fees, swift, and fast services, as opposed to other commercial Banks which had network failure and were unable to meet customers’ expectations. The period of the cashless period controversy led to the discovery of this Fintech company by businesses, it was a renowned and vast payment method and with this Opay built customer confidence, security of funds due to their fast alerts, and safety from scams. It is in the nature of Nigeria to be paranoid, that is, at any hurdle, they label a digital finance company as a scam. This is because of their experience with companies like MMM and others, which made many Nigerians go bankrupt. So, to win customers’ confidence in the country is hard. Many Nigerians had to withdraw their funds from Opay to prevent potential bankruptcy immediately the video surfaced, and they advised their friends to do so. Nigerians are not to be blamed; the nature of Nigerians’ present situation has made them a little bit skeptical of Digital Finance companies. Coupled with the fact that their offices cannot be located easily, which makes them a little skeptical of their funds. Opay is a one-stop mobile-based platform for payments, transfers, loans, savings, and other essential services. Opay Digital Service Limited is a company founded by Opera Norway AS Group with emerging markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America in countries like Mexico, Nigeria, Egypt, and Pakistan. Opay is a digital finance company. A digital finance company, also known as a fintech (financial technology) company, is a business that leverages technology to provide financial services and solutions to individuals, businesses, or other organizations. As a company that operate primarily in the digital space, using online platforms, mobile apps, and advanced software to deliver a wide range of financial services. Opay offers services such as Digital Payments, Online Banking, Investment and Wealth Management, Lending (though through other services), and, Remittances. Other Digital Finance companies in Nigeria include: Interswitch, Paystack, Flutterwave, Carbon (formerly Paylater), Kuda Bank, Cowrywise, Renmoney, Paga, and Opay. These companies must adhere to regulatory requirements and data security standards to ensure the safety and protection of customer information and transactions The company (Opay) is keen on the security of its customers, they do so by continuously analyzing risks that could affect customers and mitigating them before something wrong could happen. They use risk assessment methodology, which is consistent with PCI-DSS standards. The company went further to build the Continuous Awareness Training Programme, which helps the company’s personnel or staff to gain and test their knowledge against possible security threats like phishing or stealing passwords. The company also got PCI-DSS Compliance Level 1 Certification, which is proof that its product is built and maintained in alignment with all security standards. Notably, Opay is insured by NDIC, which means Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation. They are a system the government set up to protect depositors against the loss of their insured deposits placed with member institutions in the event that a member institution is unable to meet its obligations to depositors. NDIC protects the Insurance Fund and saves customers from scams by keeping it with the CBN and investing the Fund in safe but liquid financial instruments such as Treasury Bills, Federal Government Bonds, and instruments of similar nature. Opay is licensed by the central bank to operate as a microfinance and NDIC, which provides sound risk management in the Nigerian banking system. In defense of its integrity, Opay issued a disclaimer over the allegations, assuring customers that the video was old and the allegations were resolved in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. The failure of the Nigerian banking sector made Opay rise to prominence, and the resurfacing of the video might have resulted from rivalry aiming to bring down the company’s reputation. Your favorite Opay bank is secure, and customers’ accounts and funds remain safe.
