By Francesca Hangeior

Customers of Zenith Bank have taken to social media platforms to express their frustration over difficulties with online banking transactions.

They reported challenges in making payments and using various payment features on X on Tuesday, following a notification from the bank on Saturday that it would undergo maintenance from September 29 to October 1.

In a statement shared by Zenith Bank on X on Saturday, it said the routine maintenance would commence on September 29 and end on October 1, from 12:01 AM to 5:00 AM.

The statement titled “Notice of Routine Maintenance” read, “Please be informed that we are currently undertaking routine maintenance of our Information Technology Infrastructure to enable us to significantly improve the quality of service rendered to you.

“On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, our Mobile Banking App, USSD Service, Internet Banking, and Corporate Internet Banking platforms will be unavailable between the hours of 12:01 AM and 2:30 PM WAT.

“We solicit your understanding and offer our assurances that measures are in place to minimise any service interruptions during the exercise.”

However, customers noted that despite the prior notification, the bank did not begin the announced maintenance until Tuesday.

Speaking with our correspondent, Olaniyi Oludare expressed disappointment that he expected the maintenance to commence on Monday, which did not happen.

Oludare lamented that he was unable to withdraw money for food and transportation to his workplace, forcing him to borrow money from colleagues.

“It is frustrating. I haven’t eaten all day because I wasn’t able to withdraw money today (Tuesday). Zenith said they would be undergoing maintenance on Saturday through a pop-up message on the bank app, but they didn’t start until this morning,” he said.

Also, another Zenith customer on X, Adeleye A. P., tweeting as #deji4ever, criticised the bank for not scheduling maintenance during the night, particularly at the end of the month when employees are expecting their salaries.

#deji4ever wrote, “The worst bank award should be given to Zenith. Why deny customers transfer privileges to other banks on the last day of the month? It’s a bad business strategy to ensure money doesn’t leave its coffers.”

Another user, Dave Oriss, tweeting as #orissonline, added, “#ZenithBank, you people should keep frustrating your customers. Some have emergencies, and you are busy shifting the time for maintenance.”

In response to the outcry on Tuesday, Zenith Bank released another notification on X, stating that it was undergoing routine maintenance of its information technology infrastructure.

It stated that the maintenance was scheduled to take place from 12:01 AM to 2:30 PM on Tuesday.

The statement reads, “Please be informed that we are currently undertaking routine maintenance of our Information Technology Infrastructure to significantly improve the quality of service rendered to you.

“On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, our Mobile Banking App, USSD Service, Internet Banking, and Corporate Internet Banking platforms will be unavailable between the hours of 12:01 AM and 2:30 PM WAT.

“We solicit your understanding and assure you that measures are in place to minimise any service interruptions during this exercise.”

Reacting to the statement, X users reiterated that bank maintenance should ideally occur during the night rather than during daytime hours when customers are actively using banking services.

A user, Dave, tweeting as #orissonline, stated, “You people should keep frustrating your customers. Some have emergencies, and you are busy shifting the time for maintenance.”

Another user, Ken, tweeting as #KennethNnamdiA2, added, “#ZenithBank, since morning, I haven’t been able to access my account through your app. Please do something about your network ASAP. I have an emergency to attend to. Thank you.”