Agent Network Accelerator Survey: Nigeria Country Report 2014

This paper presents the research findings of a study that focuses on operational determinants of success in agent network management in Nigeria. The research is based on interviews with the management teams of ten providers and 43 agents in the country. The paper suggests that the market in Nigeria is still experiencing some regulatory impediments and providers need improved strategic approaches to anchor their products, core operations, and expansion strategies. It analyzes the characteristics of different categories of agents in Nigeria and discusses a structured approach to agent selection. The paper also provides growth strategies for the future and discusses opportunities for improvement. Key findings of the study include:

• Regulatory uncertainty is discouraging serious, long-term business deals, and strict limits on Tier 1 transaction levels is increasing the cost of popular use cases;
• Banks and third party operators are taking the lead, but most of these providers have not developed strategies, or management processes;
• Core agent operations like agent selection, liquidity management, and monitoring and support are still very nascent;
• Growth has focused on product proliferation and sheer growth numbers of customers and agents, which is leading to low understanding of the value proposition and low quality of services.