WhatsApp business solution provider Clickatell has announced that United Bank for Africa (UBA) will be going live with their Chat Banking solution (Leo) on WhatsApp in Nigeria.

According to a statement issued by Clickatell, customers will be able to conduct banking via a verified WhatsApp chat as a result of the integration of Clickatell's .Control platform with WhatsApp Business API.

According to Clickatell, the .Control platform for Chat Banking allows banks to roll out commonly used banking activities like checking balances, money transfer and purchasing digital products and services across popular communication channels like USSD and now WhatsApp.

"The platform offers flexibility, reliability, fraud and risk management for banks and a convenient on demand banking capability for consumers wherever they are," reads the company's statement.

Clickatell said Nigeria is recognised as ground zero for global financial inclusion with a rapid accelerating move from the informal economy to the formal sector.

A Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) survey  EFInA Access to Financial Services 2016 Survey assessed that 48.6%, or 46.9 million Nigerians, of the adult population are now formally served by banks or similar.

Consumers will be able to conduct their banking activities on WhatsApp and USSD with additional channels slated for 2019.

Group Head of UBA's Online Banking, Austine Abolusoro, stated: "United Bank for Africa is a technology-driven institution with vast knowledge in the business that we do and Leo, being a tested dependable and intelligent personality, will replicate on WhatsApp, the success it has experienced on the Facebook Messenger platform. It is a solution that is from the customer's standpoint, easy to use by anyone regardless of your demography."

Jeppe Dorff, Managing Director & Executive Vice President of Clickatell's Transact division, said, "We are building on the exceptional momentum we have seen in Africa and have an exciting roster of banks going live with the Transact platform across Africa in the coming quarters"