– Customers at various GTBank branches in Lagos expressed frustration over difficulties in accessing their accounts and completing transactions amid a system upgrade.
– A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent observed ongoing banking activities at branches such as Victoria Island, Costain, Bode Thomas, and Allen Avenue, with some ATMs dispensing cash.
– GTBank announced a transition to a new enhanced version of the Finacle Core Banking Application, prompting early closure of all branches at 12:00 pm on Friday, October 11, with a planned reopening at 9:00 am on Monday, October 14.
– The bank also communicated potential service disruptions across its digital banking platforms for 11 hours, from 10:00 pm on Sunday, October 13, until 9:00 am on Monday, October 14.
– Despite assurances that essential services like transfers, bill payments, and airtime and data purchases would remain available, many customers still encountered difficulties.
– Miss Tolulope Ogundeji, a GTBank customer, reported being unable to perform transactions for four days due to the upgrade but received reassurance from the bank on Tuesday, stating, “I just left the GTBank branch at VI near Eko Hotel, and they told me the system is gradually coming back online.”- Basira Lawal, a foodstuffs trader in Dopemu, expressed her frustration, revealing that she had been selling on credit because her customers with GTBank accounts were unable to make payments through any digital platforms,
– Civil servant Ayodele Emmanuel highlighted his difficulties in transferring money, citing the instability of the bank’s app, saying, “The app has been inconsistent. It’s a bit stressful trying to transfer money right now, but I’m hopeful that things will soon return to normal. I know they are working on the system upgrade.”- Another civil servant, Olawaiye Gabriel, shared similar concerns, noting that while his initial transfer attempt on Saturday was successful, he had since been unable to make additional transfers.
– At the Bode Thomas branch in Surulere, a customer reported failed ATM transfers but successfully completed the transaction over the counter with customer service assistance.
– An ATM user at the Costain branch expressed relief after finally being able to withdraw cash following days of unsuccessful attempts, stating, “I’ve been trying since Thursday, and finally this morning I was able to withdraw some money. The weekend was tough because nothing worked.”
– At another branch in Abule Egba, a 70-year-old woman, Oluwunmi Adesegun, shared her experience of going to the bank for cash after being unable to use her debit card and access the USSD code for days. She mentioned, “On getting to the bank, I met a crowd and the security personnel told us to queue in turns. After waiting for hours, I was told I could only withdraw just ₦10,000 over the counter.”
– Beside the bank, a PoS operator was busy as bank customers rushed to get more cash.- On Monday night, GTBank announced the successful completion of the system transition, informing customers that all branches would remain open until 6:00 pm that day.
– The message stated, “We are pleased to inform you that we have successfully transitioned to a new and robust suite of Finacle Core Banking Application Systems, and all our branches will be open till 6 pm today to serve you.”
– The bank also expressed gratitude to customers for their patience during the upgrade process and provided a list of available channels for inquiries.
