Lomé, 23 January 2017 - Microsoft, the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, parent company of pan-African banking group Ecobank today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to complement African governments’ efforts to modernise and raise the standards of the continent’s major cities through state of the art digital solutions.

The MOU will see the modernisation of sectors that will have the most immediate and significant impact for African countries. These sectors will include bursary disbursements and school fee collections in the education sector; market shop and small vendor municipality collections, vehicle and driving licensing as well as eVisa and ePassport fee collections. The agreement also supports the implementation of a comprehensive e-skills and a digital literacy programme. Other key areas such as land registration and fee collections in the municipal and hospital services are all expected to see some tremendous modernisation. The collaboration ensued from increasing pressure on African cities due to urbanisation and the need to provide services that will ensure a healthier and safer environment, delivered in a fair, open and sustainable manner. “At Microsoft, our aim is to help societies digitally transform, from the single consumer to entire government departments,” said Amr Kamel, General Manager, Microsoft. “Any nation properly supported by technology can transform into an intelligent ecosystem, capable of engaging with its citizens, empowering employees and optimizing operations to vastly improve lives.” As a means of ensuring the effective modernisation of key areas in government, Microsoft and Ecobank will collaborate in sharing best practice and technical guidance to government workers or citizens who will be using the applications regularly.

Ecobank Group CEO Ade Ayeyemi said: “Microsoft is a globally recognised brand. We are delighted to partner with Microsoft to move faster on our digital transformation strategy- the main focus of which is to increase financial inclusion in Africa.” -END-

About Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft)

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

About Ecobank

Incorporated in Lomé, Togo in 1988, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) parent company of the Ecobank Group, is the leading independent pan-African banking group. It currently has a presence in 36 African countries, namely: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire. Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Group employs over 17,500 people in 40 different countries in over 1,200 branches and offices. Ecobank is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organizations, medium, small and micro businesses and individuals. Additional information on Ecobank can be found at ecobank.com.

Media Contact

Microsoft Media Relations Lilian Nganda Communication Manager – WECA nganda@microsoft.com +254 722 362152

Ecobank Media Relations Richard Uku Group Head, Corporate Communications ruku@ecobank.com +22893264716 mobile