Network International signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GIM-UEMOA to accelerate financial inclusion in West Africa
Network International (Network) (www.Network.ae), a leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GIM-UEMOA, the regional payment scheme which promotes electronic payments across the banking, financial and public administration sectors in West Africa. This collaboration will drive innovation and enhance financial inclusion across the eight member countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
The partnership will help deliver innovative digital payment solutions under the GIM-Pay framework, leveraging the two organisations' collective strengths. This initiative aims to benefit the population of the UEMOA region by providing secure, seamless, and accessible payment systems that meet the growing demands of businesses and consumers alike.
In addition to supporting the financial needs of users within UEMOA, the collaboration will enhance the value proposition of GIM-UEMOA's affiliated member banks, enabling them to better serve their end customers with cutting-edge digital payment solutions. This offering aligns with the region's commitment to fostering economic growth and financial inclusion.
'Partnering with GIM-UEMOA represents a significant milestone for Network International. Together, we aim to harness our combined expertise to empower the UEMOA region with state-of-the-art payment solutions that drive economic inclusion and prosperity,' said Dr. Reda Helal, Managing Director&Co-Head of Processing, Africa at Network International.'
'This collaboration with Network International allows for the pooling of infrastructure and solutions to bring cutting-edge digital payment solutions to the West African banking sector. We look forward to the benefits that will be realised for financial services entities throughout the region,' said Minayegnan Coulibaly, Managing Director of GIM-UEMOA.
Under this partnership, Network International and GIM-UEMOA have reaffirmed their shared commitment to innovation and collaboration in West Africa's financial technology space. This partnership also underscores the importance of alliances in addressing the diverse financial and economic needs of the UEMOA region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Network International.
About Network International:
Network International is the Middle East and Africa's largest and leading digital payments company. Our purpose is to help businesses and economies grow by simplifying payments and commerce. We operate in 50+ countries serving governments, banks, fintechs, merchants and public sector companies. We have 2,000+ employees based in our markets serving over 250 financial institutions and 130,000+ merchants.
For more information, visit
www.Network.global
About GIM-UEMOA:
The WAEMU Interbank Electronic Payment Group (GIM-UEMOA) is a regional payment scheme, switch and processor which brings together 150 affiliated members that are banks, financial institutions&postal offices, microfinance structures and electronic payment institutions. Our main mission is to promote electronic payments&systems across the banking&financial sector, public administration and population of the WAEMU region.
Constituted of eight countries – Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger&Togo – the UEMOA region counts 141 million inhabitants.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Broadcast Pro
5 days ago
- Broadcast Pro
Milo Productions and Italia Film partner to bring ‘Time Hoppers: The Silk Road' to MENA
Through this agreement, Italia Film will handle the exclusive theatrical distribution rights of the film across MENA. Canadian animation studio Milo Productions Inc. has announced a new distribution partnership with Italia Film, the independent film distributor in the Middle East and North Africa, to bring its upcoming animated feature Time Hoppers: The Silk Road to theaters across the MENA region, expanding the reach and the presence of the universe in key markets.. Time Hoppers: The Silk Road is a 3D animated adventure aimed at children and families, taking audiences on an educational journey through history. The film follows four children who travel back in time to discover the scientific breakthroughs that shaped the modern world, all through the lens of the Silk Road. Along the way, they encounter legendary figures such as Ibn Al-Haytham, pioneer of optics; Al-Khawarizmi, father of algorithms; Maryam Astrolabi, a trailblazing woman in astronomical instrumentation; and Mansa Musa, the famed West African emperor known for his immense wealth and support of science and culture. Italia Film, which holds exclusive distribution rights for major Hollywood studios including Disney, Marvel, LucasFilm, and 20th Century Studios in the region, will handle the theatrical rollout of Time Hoppers across MENA. The company's extensive expertise in the family entertainment market is expected to ensure a strong reception for the film when it debuts in October 2025. Milo Productions Inc. CEO Michael Milo said: 'We are incredibly happy that our team has been able to bring a children's feature to screens around the world. It is a great testament to the diversity of voices in Canada and what they can accomplish.' Flordeliza Dayrit Chief Creative Officer at the company and the movie's writer and director added: 'Our goal was to make a time travel action adventure that is super fun and funny while still having a positive message that shows children all civilizations have played a role in advancing modern science.' The production was made possible with support from several Canadian funding bodies, including the Shaw Rocket Fund, Canada Media Fund, Creative Export Canada and the Alberta Media Fund. Italia Film General Manager Nasser Modad stated: 'By working with a trusted leader like Italia Film, Milo Productions aims to ensure that Time Hoppers reaches as many MENA-based families as possible, inspiring them to explore the past, celebrate their rich and diverse histories, and imagine what the future could hold for them. Time Hoppers: The Silk Road is slated for release in major theaters across the MENA region this October, 2025, marking the beginning of an exciting journey for the Time Hoppers Universe in new markets.'


Gulf Today
28-05-2025
- Gulf Today
Congo's budget goes mainly for arms spending
The Congo government is in an economic tight spot. Its eastern provinces which have lucrative mineral resources like gold, tin and coltan reserves are in the eastern provinces now controlled by the rebel M23 soldiers, supported by the Rwandans. The main challenge for the Congo government is to feed the war machine, and the budget exercise is to equip the army and pay the soldiers' salaries. This is turning out to be a financial burden because the rich provinces under rebel control also reduce the tax potential of the government. It has been calculated that the tax revenue is expected to fall from 15.1 per cent to 12.5 per cent. And the military expenditure has gone up because of the war. The government had promised to double the salaries of soldiers and the police, costing $500 million in the year. The army counts 268,602 personnel, among whom 74,000 are in combat zone. More than 36,000 are considered non-active, and 3,618 are retried soldiers waiting for $145 million unpaid benefits. Unnamed sources told Reuters that the salaries have not been paid. It is also reckoned that defence and security-related spending that was incurred in the first four months of the year was $1 billion. According to an unnamed military source, 'The bulk of these funds are handled outside the formal budget framework. We don't have full visibility either.' This pertains to just rise in the defence expenditure. It is estimated that the budget deficit would increase from 0.8 per cent to 1.2 per cent. The economics of war is negative, to put in simple terms. Valuable money is spent in destructive armaments and precious lives of human beings as soldiers and as non-combatants is lost. There just does not seem to be an iota of regret and penitence in the minds and hearts of politicians and generals about the countless lives of people lost in meaningless wars. The only people who seem to be thriving are the arms merchants and the countries that are hubs of arms manufacture. Ironically, Western lending agencies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) end up lending money for supporting these local conflicts. It does not mean that if the IMF and WB do not give money, the wars would end. They would not. Politicians of countries at war with each other are going to fight them anyway, and they will buy the arms and create an underworld market of arms smugglers. What is happening in Congo is indeed the fate of many countries in Africa, especially in West African countries like Burkina Faso, Male, where military governments are fighting armed rebels. It is the civilians, young and old, and women who are caught in the crossfire. As normal life in cities, towns and villages is disturbed, people are forced to migrate to the neighbouring countries, where they are not welcome. Almost all countries in Africa are facing economic stress, and they cannot bear the burden of refugees. There is also the new element of private armies for hire. In many of the western African countries, the presence of private armies like Wagner from Russia, for example, has become quite prominent. Earlier, the French had stationed their troops in some of these countries. But due to political fluctuations, the military rulers have asked French troops to leave, and they have been replaced by mercenaries of the Wagner type. Wars have become anarchic. It is not always the armies of one state fighting the armed forces of another. So, when the peace terms were worked out, there was the guarantee that the nation-states would keep the promise. But with the presence of militants and their nexus with the arms dealers, ending wars has become a big problem.


Al Etihad
26-05-2025
- Al Etihad
Over 1.4 million motorists in Abu Dhabi benefit from traffic fine discounts in 2024
27 May 2025 00:30 YOUSUF SAIFUDDIN KAPADIA, AYSHA SHAAYA (ABU DHABI)Traffic fine discount schemes have provided much respite to millions of motorists across the UAE over the years, including Abu Dhabi's ongoing 'Pay Early, Gain Surely' to a recent report by Abu Dhabi Police, around 1.4 million motorists benefitted from the emirate's campaign in 2024 alone - a 20.77% rise compared to schemes are part of the UAE leadership's broader approach aimed at easing financial pressures faced by citizens and residents through practical, humanitarian measures. While most emirates announce fine discounts - up to 50% - around major national occasions and for limited periods, Abu Dhabi's campaign has been consistently active for several years. How the Scheme WorksThe 'Pay Early, Gain Surely' initiative offers motorists a 35% discount on traffic fines if they are paid within 60 days of the violation date. If the payment is made after 60 days but within one year, a 25% discount applies. However, the discount does not extend to severe violations, Abu Dhabi Police said. In addition to the discount, the campaign enables traffic fines to be paid in interest-free instalments over a 12-month period through participating banks. The scheme applies to both vehicle and driver Dhabi Police regularly issues reminders to motorists to take advantage of the scheme, reminding the public of its benefits and deadlines through a series of General Mahmoud Yousef Al Balushi, Director of the Traffic and Security Patrols Directorate in the Central Operations Sector, said that the campaign seeks to promote happiness and positivity among users. He added that the Directorate has made sustained efforts to deliver services via channels equipped with advanced features that streamline user experience and enhance customer campaign also includes a broad awareness component. In collaboration with the Community Police Department, the Directorate hosts workshops and community councils, alongside awareness films that are shared via social pages, print, and broadcast media. Officers also regularly distribute informative booklets among Musallam Mohammed Al Junaibi, Director of the Traffic Violations Collection and Follow-up Department, explained that the awareness campaigns seek to encourage vehicle owners to pay traffic fines by informing them of the benefits of early payment and the potential consequences of delays. Easy Payment ServiceIn January 2024, the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), under the Department of Municipalities and Transport, launched an 'easy payment' instalment option for settling fines issued by the ITC. Currently, the service is available to credit card holders from First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), and Mashreq Bank, provided they contact the bank within two weeks of payment to request an instalment plan. Fines can be paid via Abu Dhabi Government's digital platforms, including Tamm Smart App, or through in-person transactions at customer service and happiness counters. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi