Remitly resolves delayed N300,000 transfer

Remitly, a global payment platform has successfully processed a N300,000 transfer from a US-based Nigerian to his younger brother’s Access Bank account in Lagos after weeks of delays.

This resolution follows extensive media coverage by Topnaija and social media advocacy.

Nigeria’s top youth platform, Topnaija previously reported that the Lagos-based lawyer’s Access Bank account remained uncredited weeks after the money was sent. Read more here.

Despite multiple contacts with both Remitly and Access Bank, the brothers were initially unable to resolve the issue. They had provided all necessary information, including account statements, but neither financial institution could account for the missing funds.

The situation changed when the elder brother posted about the issue on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, revealing that Remitly contacted him on June 30, just a day after FIJ’s publication.

He noted that the institutions had ignored him until his post gained significant traction and prominent journalist Fisayo Soyombo, founder and editor-in-chief of FIJ, reached out.

Remitly acknowledged an issue with the transfer and asked the elder brother to log into the app to edit the transfer details. He then redirected the funds to an alternative account at GTBank, where the money was successfully credited.

“Over three weeks after @remitly and @myaccessbank insisted the N300,000 was transferred, I received a note from Remitly acknowledging a problem,” the elder brother tweeted. “I edited the transfer details and rerouted the funds to another bank account with @gtbank. The money was just delivered to that account.”

He expressed gratitude for the support received from the online community and emphasized the importance of holding institutions accountable. “It’s interesting, Remitly and Access Bank had been ignoring me until the issue went viral on social media and journalists started asking questions. I am touched by the concern. Holding institutions accountable is the way to go,” he added.

The elder brother also thanked everyone who rallied to his aid, including those who threatened to stage a protest at the bank. “Dear @fisayosoyombo, thank you!” he concluded.

Update. Yesterday, over THREE weeks after @remitly and @myaccessbank have been insisting that money (N300,000) was successfully transferred to my brother’s account, I received this note from Remitly acknowledging that indeed there was a problem with the transfer. I was told to… pic.twitter.com/XgjB0pcmjz

— Ikhide R. Ikheloa (@ikhide) July 1, 2024