OPay opens Kano office in inclusion push.

##OPay Kano Office: Why Fintech in Kano Matters for Financial Inclusion in Nigeria.

Proudly called the Centre of commerce, Kano State continues to live up to its reputation, with potential investors coming in droves to tap into the state's abundant business and investment opportunities.
Strategically located in the western region of northern Nigeria, Kano State is home to many companies, both foreign and local. Kano State is to the north what Lagos State is to the west.
The OPay Kano office is evidence that the fintech giant is committed to taking its services to Kano people, businesses that operate in the state, and communities that surround the state. It also supports the wider goal of financial inclusion Nigeria has been pursuing for years.

Fintech Kano—Reasons Kano State matters for fintech growth
- Commercial and trading center: Kano State is densely populated with many traditional markets such as Yankaba Market. Traders in this market carry out many transactions that run into hundreds of millions daily. OPay's presence in such a place will encourage customers to consider fintech over traditional commercial banking systems.
- Trust building: Fintech payments are mostly app-driven, and many people may not be willing to entrust their money to them. A major player like OPay with a physical office, such as the OPay Kano office, will encourage more usage, especially among customers who prioritize one-on-one engagements with a customer representative in case of enquiries or complaints.

Services that may grow from the Fintech Kano move
Once trust is established, all the services that OPay and other fintech platform offer will come into full play. Here are a few of them.
- Micro lending: One of the many features OPay renders on its application is an instant loan to its customers. With the physical barrier addressed, traders who have pressing financial needs can walk in and have them addressed.
- Digital Esusu: Another key feature of OPay is wealth management and digital savings. With a physical office in place, more traders will onboard to use the digital savings option.
Islamic financing: This is another wealth management feature, specifically tailored for customers who are sharia-compliant. Northern traders are predominantly Muslims who may be interested in ethical-financing. The physical office will enable these customers learn more about Islamic financing.

What the Opay Kano Office means for users and agents
(For everyday users)
- The OPay Kano office will deepen their trust in fintech.
- It bridges the language barrier, as there will always be a customer representative to address most challenges they may be having.
- It fosters digital literacy: With the office in place, customers learn more about the various services OPay renders, and they learn how to avoid mobile and online fraud.

(For Mobile Agents)
- Technical support: POS agents will no longer have to suffer business downtime often caused by damaged terminals or software updates. The physical office will provide all the necessary support they need for a smooth conduct of their business.
- Easier dispute resolution: POS agents handle a large number of transactions daily. Dispense error is a common transaction dispute that often takes long to resolve. The turnaround time of some dispense errors lingers for 2-3 business days, causing avoidable conflict between customers and agents. The physical office will handle resolutions more efficiently.

Established in 2018, OPay is a digital financial service in Nigeria with a mission to make financial services more accessible through modern technology. It is reliable and efficient, and it bridges the gap in Nigeria's financial ecosystem, bringing the unbanked and under-banked into the system. The Opay Kano office is committed to seeing that this mission of financial inclusion becomes a reality among Kano’s traders and households.