– “Nah‑nah‑nah” Transfers to Link Banks, Mobile Money and Government in Real Time
MONROVIA, Liberia | Liberia will join a growing list of African countries with real‑time digital payments this month when the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) formally launches its Inclusive Instant Payment System (IIPS) on December 16.
The platform—described by CBL officials as a game‑changer for salaries, government payments, and everyday transfers—will connect banks, mobile‑money operators, microfinance institutions, village savings groups and fintechs on a single national switch, allowing money to move “fast, quick—nah-nah‑nah,” in the words of CBL’s Director of Payment Systems, Mrs. Miatta O. Kuteh.
Kuteh and a representative of Orange Money appeared Wednesday on the Liberia Broadcasting System’s “Money Matters” program to explain the system and invite the public to the upcoming launch.
What Is the Inclusive Instant Payment System?
“Inclusive means all of us, regardless of who you are, where you have your account—whether with a bank, a fintech, or a mobile‑money operator,” Kuteh told listeners. “Instant means fast, quick, ‘nah‑nah‑nah’ like how the Liberian people can say it.”
She said the IIPS is being rolled out in phases to bring every formal financial‑service provider onto the same real‑time platform:
- Commercial banks
- Mobile‑money operators (currently Orange Money and Lonestar Cell MTN) Mobile Money
- Microfinance institutions
- Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)
- Other fintechs and payment providers
“This is a system that’s going to include everyone… whether in Monrovia or any part of the country,” Kuteh emphasized.
Civil Servants’ Salaries in Seconds, Not Weeks
One of the first practical uses of the new system is already live: instant salary payments for civil servants and pensioners.
Kuteh illustrated the old problem with the story of “Peter Flomo,” a police officer assigned in Voinjama, Lofa County.
“Peter Flomo is supposed to take pay on the 25th of November,” she explained. “Because there was no system, the Ministry of Finance would issue a check. That check has to go all the way to where he’s assigned… he pays transport to cash it. Or the ministry issues a check to a mobile‑money company, they deposit it, wait three days for it to clear, and only then credit his account.”
“That story,” she said, “is to say how difficult it has been—causing delay in civil servants getting their salary.”
Over the last three months, the CBL and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning have quietly piloted a new approach using the IIPS:
- Once the payroll is approved, staff in the Office of the Comptroller and Accountant General upload the data directly into the instant‑payment system.
- With one click, funds move from the Treasury, through the CBL, straight to civil servants’ bank accounts or mobile wallets across the country.
“We reduce the time it takes to pay civil servants from one week or two weeks where the processes are manual, to just a single day or even seconds,” Kuteh said. “Teachers, health workers, law‑enforcement officers in the rural areas now access their salary on their mobile or bank accounts without moving up and down with cash.”
She said the feedback from rural civil servants during the pilot has been “overwhelmingly positive,” with many calling to confirm that the instant payments were real.
Orange Money: Seamless Transfers Across Networks
The first phase of the IIPS focuses on mobile‑money interoperability, allowing customers of Orange Money and Lonestar Cell MTN Mobile Money to send money across networks in real time.
An Orange Money representative on the program said the integration will “make life easier for our customers,” removing the need to hold multiple SIMs or choose a provider based on what network relatives use.
Once fully operational, a customer with Orange Money will be able to:
- Transfer instantly to a Lonestar Cell MTN wallet, and vice versa;
- Receive government payments—salaries, pensions, or vendor payments—directly into their mobile wallet;
- Use their wallet as a gateway to bank accounts and other digital services as more providers join the platform.
“We Are Not Late—We Are Just in Time”
Kuteh dismissed concerns that Liberia is behind neighbors like Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria, which already have instant‑payment systems.
“Liberia is not isolated,” she said. “More than 25 countries in Africa have implemented this system. But I can tell you Liberia has done tremendously well in payment systems.”
She pointed to earlier reforms:
- A large‑value payment system for high‑value bank transfers;
- Automation of check processing;
- Integration into the Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which lets Liberians send money abroad in Liberian dollars.
“The good thing is once your implementation is last, you can leverage the experiences of other countries,” she added. “We are not late; we are just in time—and this is to the benefit of the entire country.”
Next Steps: LRA, Revenue Payments and Full Inclusion
Beyond salaries, the CBL is now working with the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) to bring government receipts—taxes, duties and fees—onto the instant‑payment platform.
“Once we’ve completed the LRA’s integration, whoever you are, whether you have a bank account or a mobile wallet, you will be able to pay,” Kuteh said, noting that this will reduce queues, leakages and delays in government revenue collection.
The ultimate vision, she stressed, is for any Liberian, anywhere, to be able to move money safely, instantly and at low cost.
December 16 Launch: Who’s Invited
The CBL says the official launch of the Inclusive Instant Payment System will take place on Monday, December 16 in Monrovia.
Invitations have been extended to:
- President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. and senior officials of the Executive;
- The Minister of Finance and Development Planning and leadership of the LRA;
- Members of the Legislature’s Banking and Finance Committees;
- Commercial bank CEOs and heads of microfinance institutions;
- Representatives of Orange Money, Lonestar Cell MTN Mobile Money and other fintechs;
- Development partners supporting digital financial inclusion;
- Civil‑society and consumer‑protection groups.
The event will feature live demonstrations of real‑time salary payments and cross‑network mobile transfers, along with testimonies from early pilot users.
“A Catalyst for Financial Inclusion”
For the Central Bank, the IIPS is more than a technology project; it is a cornerstone of Liberia’s broader financial‑inclusion agenda.
“Instant‑payment systems are a catalyst for driving financial inclusion and inclusive growth,” Kuteh told listeners. “Most countries around the world, especially in Africa, are using this platform to make sure their citizens are financially included. Liberia is actually behind, and that’s why I’m really excited to give this news to our people.”
With the December 16 launch now in sight, the Central Bank and its partners are betting that a system built to move money “nah‑nah‑nah” will help move Liberia itself a little faster—toward a more connected, cash‑light and inclusive economy.
