The United Bank of Africa (UBA) has in-ground breaking move has unveiled the UBA Braille account opening form. According to UBA, the Braille form would be the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa and serve Nigerians with special needs who have long been at a disadvantage in the country's banking sector for a long time. Special needs can range from blindness to deafness and other physical disabilities, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 29 million Nigerians are living with disabilities. Despite their large number, the financial inclusion drive has not prioritized people with special needs. However, UBA is seeking to change this narrative.
The new special form will tackle the hurdles people with special needs face when trying open accounts and access other important banking services. UBA's Braille account opening form allows visually impaired Nigerians to open accounts independently without needing an external reader or help, as they can be vulnerable to exploitation. Access to banking services will improve the living standards of people with special needs and promote financial literacy among them. The Braille account opening form will reduce the country's financial exclusion rate.
UBA seeks to empower its visually impaired customers; hopefully, banks and other financial institutions across Nigeria and Africa will look to emulate UBA's move and make reasonable adjustments to ensure the banking industry and its services are easy for people with special needs to access and interact with.
Focus Box
Company Name: UBA
Industry: Banking, Financial Services
Founded: 1948
CEO: Oliver Alawuba
Funding raised: N/A
Revenue: N/A
Customer base: 27,000,000
Key countries: Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Angola, France
