The Presidency has hinted at plans by the federal government to tackle poverty and insecurity head on in Nigeria through financial inclusion for all Nigerians.
Accordingly, it disclosed that there are high-level talks to unveil a roadmap for integrating the unbanked Nigerian population into the formal financial system, a priority it said is one of the primes in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday ahead of a National Stakeholders’ Workshop on Financial Inclusion, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, emphasised the administration’s commitment to an all-inclusive Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Economic and financial inclusion are essential components of President Tinubu’s agenda to assist in integrating the underserved and unbanked into the formal financial system. This will enable Nigerians to access a range of financial services at a reasonable cost,” Hadejia stated.
The two-day workshop, scheduled for Thursday/Friday, April 25 and 26, 2024, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, aims to sensitize stakeholders and chart a course for accelerating financial inclusion efforts nationwide.
“Such services include transaction accounts, savings, payments, transfers, credit, pension, e-commerce, and insurance (including health insurance) within proximity to their place of work or residence. Economic security underlies the principle of financial inclusion.
“His Excellency, the Vice President and the Chairman of the National Council on Nutrition, Senator Kashim Shettima, is passionately committed to supporting the successful implementation of the national financial inclusion strategy,” the Deputy Chief of Staff said.
On his part, the Director-General of Financial Inclusion Centres, Sola Bickersteth, stressed the important role of the private sector, saying, “We want to closely collaborate with this government to make financial inclusion a reality for everyone.”
The upcoming workshop is set to unveil a comprehensive roadmap aligning stakeholders towards the shared goal of financial inclusion, a critical pillar of the Tinubu administration’s economic agenda.
