Mobile operator Etisalat Nigeria has entered into a partnership with four local banks to introduce a mobile money payments and transfers in the country.

The mobile money system, called Easywallet, is planned by the company to give Etisalat subscribers easy access to cash transfers and payments.

The four banks involved in the partnership include First Bank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Zenith Bank.

Furthermore, the application supports English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba and is compatible with all makes and models of phones, smartphones and tablet devices.

Etisalat Nigeria chief executive officer, Steven Evans, said the company’s strategy is to be ahead of its competitors in providing its customer with cutting edge and secure channels for mobile financial services.

"By enabling people to use their mobile phones as mobile wallets, we hope to deliver lasting benefits not just for our customers, but also for the Nigerian economy,” Evans said.

"Mobile phones have already improved the African way of life in so many ways and it is exciting to think it now has the potential to replace notes and coins and give all of our customer’s access to world-class banking services," Evans added.