Customers of Nigeria’s Zenith Bank have in recent days been left frustrated due to service disruptions that have made banking transactions nearly impossible. Many of these customers have taken to social media to express their frustration.
The Bank has come out to explain the reasons behind the disruptions.
According to Zenith Bank, the recent online banking disruptions stem from an ongoing upgrade of its Information Technology Infrastructure, aimed at improving overall service quality.
The bank initially scheduled maintenance from September 29 to October 1, but delays in the process extended into October 1, frustrating customers.
A statement released on the 2nd of October says
“We have made significant progress with the upgrade and you can now perform transactions conveniently with the following Zenith Bank channels:
Your Zenith Debit Card
The Zenith Bank Mobile App
The Zenith Bank Internet Banking Platform
Zenith Agents Nationwide ( Agent Banking)”.
You can also visit any of our branches nationwide to perform your transactions.
The upgrade affects the bank’s Mobile Banking, USSD, Internet Banking, and Corporate platforms.
Zenith Bank stated that the upgrade is crucial to improving the performance and reliability of these services. However, customers expressed dissatisfaction as the downtime occurred at the end of the month when many relied on banking services for salary payments and transactions.
Businesses and MSMEs operators have been particularly hard hit by this disruption. Many small and medium-sized enterprises depend on Zenith Bank for daily transactions, including salary disbursements and supplier payments. The inability to access funds or complete transactions has caused delays in business operations, resulting in cash flow challenges for several companies.
For instance, Olaniyi Oludare, a small business owner, reported struggling to withdraw cash for essential expenses. “I had to borrow money from colleagues just to get by,” he said. Other MSME owners shared similar frustrations, noting that the timing of the maintenance, coinciding with the month-end, exacerbated their financial strains.
Zenith Bank reassured users that once completed, the upgrade will significantly enhance the customer experience and overall service reliability. However, they acknowledged the inconvenience caused and stated that measures are being taken to minimize future service interruptions. The bank aims to restore normal service as soon as the maintenance is concluded, emphasizing the importance of this upgrade for long-term operational improvements.
