First Bank of Nig. Plc on Friday launched a WhatsApp application to make banking more convenient for its 12.5 million customers.

The FirstBank Chat Banking on WhatsApp was launched at the bank’s Digital Lab, Yaba, Lagos.

The bank’s Managing Director, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, said at the launch that, as a leading banking services provider, First bank was determined to offer satisfactory financial services to customers by devising ways of effectively meeting their needs.

He said that the bank had optimised digital banking for convenience.

“Since we have 12.5 million customers with 20 billion worth of transactions monthly, it has become necessary for us to create new technology innovations to meet their needs.

“Our FirstMobile app, Firstonline, FirstMonie and USSD banking are some of the channels we have put in place to make this happen.

“FirstBank Chat Banking on Whatsapp is our latest addition. We have gone live with this product, and we are pleased to formally introduce this product to our media partners today,’’ he said.

The managing director said that the app was another significant milestone in the bank’s mission to provide convenient and fast payment solutions to its customers.

“It is a new channel for access to our services; a convenient way to make payment and an easy-to-use banking application.

“Banking with FirstBank on WhatsApp is secure, accessible and convenient.

“You can now carry out basic banking transactions such as inter and intra bank fund transfer, pay bills, buy airtime, buy data and check your account balance on your WhatsApp,” he said.

Adeduntan said that customers would be able to generate a WhatsApp banking PIN to be able to carry out the transactions.

He added that transaction authentication would be done using a safe link, thereby ensuring the security of banking details.

The Head of First Bank Digital Lab, Lola Ekugo, said that it would be easy for customers to operate the WhatsApp banking application since whatsApp was widely used in conversations.

She said that the app was launched to give customers variety of banking channels to choose from for their day-to-day transactions.

Ekugo said that the bank would continue to create awareness and introduce new banking channels nationwide for easy transactions.

“From time to time, we will continue to unveil new services and products for the benefit of our customers.” (NAN)