UPDATE: GTBank completes core banking upgrade, opens branches till 6 PM

Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank) has announced that it has completed the successful upgrade of its core banking application to Finacle today. According to an email announcement shared with customers this evening, the bank described the new application suite as robust and thanked the customers for their understanding.

“We thank you for your understanding during this transition; your continued trust means everything to us”, the statement said. The bank also disclosed that its branches will be open until 6 PM to serve its frustrated customers. “All our branches will be open till 6 PM today to serve you”, it added.

Recall that earlier today, the bank announced plans to reopen banking services today by noon due to its system transition operation which has taken longer than expected. According to an announcement sent to users this morning via email and on X, the scheduled 9 AM opening will no longer be possible.

“Following our recent notification on the transition to a new and robust suite of Finacle Core Banking Application Systems, we would like to update you that this transition has taken a little longer than planned”, the statement said.

This follows the bank’s announcement last week of a scheduled transition plan to a robust core banking application system, Finacle.

The upgrade was scheduled to take place over the weekend. Hence, the bank warned its customers to expect a shutdown of its processes. “Banking activities in GTBank nationwide are set to close by noon on Friday, October 11 and reopen by 9:00 am on Monday, October 14”, the statement said,

The bank added that although digital services will be made available during system upgrading, they will only be limited to transfers, bill payments, airtime and data purchases. Customers were advised to make alternative plans for their banking transactions during the system transition period. 

The statement released by the bank this morning however explained that the upgrade process took longer than expected thereby causing an extension of the temporal shutdown. “We would like to update you that this transition has taken a little longer than planned”, the statement indicated. “As a result,  all Banking Channels, including our Branches, originally scheduled to reopen at 9:00 am will now open at noon today“, it concluded.

Read also: Upgrade: GTBank extends opening time to 12 pm today

GTBank upgrade: More hurdles for bank customers

The delay has sparked a trend of protest among customers online. Many expressed frustrations with their inability to carry out banking transactions this morning. However, with the updated timeline, customers have no choice but to wait.

Nigerian bank customers are set to witness more service disruptions in the coming weeks and months as the financial institutions are embarking on system upgrades to improve their operational efficiency and enhance customer experience.

Recall that Zenith and Access Bank have announced temporary shutdowns to enable their team to migrate their digital banking system to new core banking applications. Sterling Bank made a similar announcement in September.

While a few of the banks have already made the switch with the attendant issues of customers not being able to transact or access their funds, sources from the banking industry said more banks are in the process of starting their core banking system migration as they all race to strengthen their technology infrastructure.