Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), one of Nigeria’s largest banks, is currently facing widespread service disruption following a scheduled transition to a new core banking system. The bank had announced the planned outage ahead of time, but customers are now voicing their frustrations on social media as they experience difficulties in accessing essential banking services.
GTBank had previously informed its customers that its digital services would be unavailable from 10 PM on Sunday, October 13th, until 9 AM on Monday, October 14th. The bank cited its ongoing “Transition to a New and Robust Core Banking Application System” as the reason for the temporary disruption.
However, by Monday afternoon, many customers were still unable to access their accounts, make transfers, or withdraw money. This unexpected extension of the downtime has led to widespread dissatisfaction.
In an official statement, GTBank apologized for the prolonged outage, stating, “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 bank further explained that all its banking channels, including branches, originally scheduled to reopen by 9 AM, would now open by 12 PM. Despite the assurances, customers continued to express frustration, with many complaining about being left stranded.
As the disruption persisted, many GTBank customers turned to social media to voice their grievances. One customer, in a tweet to GTBank, expressed embarrassment and frustration after being unable to pay for a meal at a restaurant due to the banking failure. “I’ve finished eating already, please. I cannot face this embarrassment. This waiter has come here thrice, and I said I’m not done. I can’t transfer nor withdraw. Why are Nigeria banks this irresponsible?” she lamented.
Another user, Stan Buike Obiamalu, tweeted, “@gtbank @gtbank_help What is actually going on? You’ve left people stranded. Businesses have to be conducted, and your Anthony branch is yet to open at 12:20 PM. Please fix your servers.”
Others, like user AGỤ, had taken precautions after receiving GTBank’s prior notice of the disruption. He tweeted on October 9th, “If you’re using GTB or GTCO, move your money elsewhere. Do it before Friday to avoid a ‘had I known’ situation.”
Despite the early warnings, many customers either missed the notifications or expected the outage to be resolved much sooner, adding to their frustration when services were not restored as scheduled.
The GTBank outage has had a significant impact on businesses and individuals across the country. Many have reported being unable to conduct important financial transactions, including paying for goods and services or transferring money to other accounts.
For business owners, the disruption has been particularly painful. Lasisi, another customer, shared his frustration, “You’ve left people stranded. Businesses have to be conducted. It’s now 12:20 PM, and your branch is yet to open to solve all these complaints.”
With branches closed and digital services unavailable, the delays have made it difficult for many Nigerians to access their funds, leading to a sense of helplessness for those relying on GTBank for critical financial needs.
GTBank has acknowledged the situation and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the disruption. In their official statement, they said, “We understand that you rely on our services to carry out important financial transactions, and we apologize for every inconvenience this disruption to our banking services might cause you. We ask for your continued support as we complete this transition.”
The bank reassured customers that their teams were working diligently to resolve the issues and restore normalcy as soon as possible.
Despite the apology, customers have continued to demand faster resolution, with many pointing out that such large-scale system upgrades should have been carried out in a more seamless manner. Biodun, a Twitter user, expressed his frustration, stating, “This is an act of stupidity and carelessness. Whatever upgrade you intend to do, it ought to have been done seamlessly. WTF.”
It appears that many of GTBank’s customers either did not receive or ignored the bank’s prior warnings about the planned outage. Alma Oputa, another customer, had tweeted on October 10th, warning fellow customers to prepare for the downtime: “GTB customers, prepare for a possible downtime starting from tomorrow. Withdraw cash, transfer to your other banks as alternatives.”
However, not everyone took these precautions, and the disruption has caught many off guard. This has led to calls for better communication from the bank to ensure that customers are adequately prepared for such outages in the future.
GTBank’s service outage is just one of several that have plagued Nigerian banks in recent times. Customers across different banks have increasingly complained about failed transactions, system crashes, and unreliable online banking services.
In light of the ongoing situation at GTBank, many Nigerians have voiced concerns about the reliability of the country’s banking infrastructure. Some customers fear that as banks upgrade their systems to handle the growing demand for digital banking services, these types of disruptions may become more frequent unless handled with more care and foresight.