After 15 Months eNaira Merchant Wallet Removed From Google Play Store

After 15 months of launch of the much touted eNaira Merchant Wallet application by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the app has been removed from Google Play Store, QUICK LOAN ARENA checks have revealed.

The eNaira Merchant Wallet application designed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and launched on Monday, October 25, 2021, in Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari has been yanked off from Google Play Store 15 months after its initial unveiling.

This is the link to the eNaira Merchant Wallet on Google Play Store and see below what it is returning.

However the first application of the digital currency, the eNaira speed wallet is still hosted on the Google Play Store, Quick Loan Arena can exclusively report.

The digital currency has two applications, which are eNaira speed wallet and eNaira merchant wallet.

The two apps were rolled out on the Google play store and the Apple store on Monday October 25th, 2021. The eNaira was developed by the fintech company, Bitt, which was also responsible for the creation of CBDC in some East Caribbean countries.

When the two applications were first launched, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, boasted that 500 million eNaira ($1.21 million) has already been minted.

The apex bank had put a  notice on the eNaira website back then explaining how the currency and the wallet would work. It read: “Get Ready With Your Accurate BVN Data For Your Hitch-Free Enrolment.

“To sign-up on the eNaira speed wallet, you would be required to input the following details exactly as captured during your BVN enrollment.

“First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, State of Origin, and Email.

“Your banks are waiting to assist you in validating and updating your BVN details to ensure seamless enrolment to the eNaira platform.”

However recall the eNaira speed wallet application was first pulled down from the Google Play store 3 days after its initial launch which according to the CBN then, was removed to fix technical glitches and upgrade the app.

Since the release, the two apps have been getting negative reviews from Nigerians, who were disappointed with the tedious registration process as required by the CBN. Many users encountered problems after downloading the apps from the play store.

The main issue experienced was registering to create a wallet to enable them to enjoy the services. According to Google Play, an app [loan app or otherwise], can be removed from its store for violating policies. One of the policy content is minimum functionality.

“At a minimum, apps should provide users with a basic degree of functionality and a respectful user experience,” the Google Play policy reads.

“Apps that crash, exhibit other behaviours that are not consistent with a functional user experience are not allowed on Google Play.”

Oseni Tobi, an app developer, told TheCable that it is possible reviews on eNaira speed wallet dropped to 1 star — which often leads to removal by Google.

“Google can remove the app if the reviews on that particular app dropped to one — a typical example was the Crowwe app by Garba Adamu,” he said.

It is not quite clear yet why exactly Google removed the eNaira Merchant Wallet application from its Play Store. It may however have been due to policy violation related to minimum functionality requirements of apps hosted on the giant platform. This is a break news report and QUICK LOAN ARENA will bring you updates as it unfolds.