Nigerians who have urgent need for money sent to them from abroad through Western Union and Moneygram can now cash such money even during Saturdays and public holidays. This is opposed to what obtained in the past, when they could only do so on conventional working days.

Seeing a large window of opportunity in this area, the management of Access Bank Plc late last month broke away from the norm to open their doors for Western Union and Moneygram transactions on Saturdays and public holidays.

A July 30 e-mail statement from the bank informed its customers that “our banking halls will be opened for Western Union and Moneygram transactions on Saturdays and Public Holidays from 21^st July, 2012.

The statement specified 21 different braches spread across Lagos, Edo, Imo, Kwara, Anambra, Oyo and Rivers states for the take-off of the scheme.

It said that transactions on Saturdays and public holidays would take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. but from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays when the environmental sanitation exercise holds.

Transport & Business Express recalls that Nigerians abroad sent home $11 billion last year, doing so mainly through Western Union and Moneygram.

*Photo shows Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, MD of Access Bank, which now offers Western Union and Moneygram services on Saturdays and public holidays.