The Federal Government has officially begun executing its economic and financial inclusion plan aimed at improving financial access and opportunities for millions of Nigerians, especially those in vulnerable communities.
AFRIPOST gathered that a multi-agency task force has been formed to remove obstacles delaying the rollout of conditional cash transfers to 15 million households, a key initiative endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At the inaugural meeting of the Technical Committee under the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion held on Wednesday, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), stressed the importance of cohesive collaboration among stakeholders.
“We’re on the right path. Our progress so far has been driven by unity and inclusive engagement across the board. True financial inclusion goes beyond opening a bank account—it involves meaningful access to credit, services, and digital platforms,” he said.
Referencing lessons from the World Bank Spring Meetings, Senator Hadejia pointed to India’s remarkable success in combating poverty through comprehensive financial inclusion as a blueprint worth emulating.
Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, Secretary of the committee and Technical Advisor to the President on Financial Inclusion, revealed that the committee has approved the strategic framework and governance setup for PreCEFI.
He added that the inter-agency task force includes the CBN, NIMC, NASSCO, NCTO, and NIBSS, all working together to streamline disbursement.
Additionally, state governments will be engaged to tailor financial access data from EFInA’s biannual survey to local realities.
Zauro stated, “Our plan is to present the findings to the National Economic Council and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to promote local implementation.”
Aisha Isa-Olatinwo of the Central Bank’s Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion department called for practical steps that directly support the underserved, noting that inclusion is a core part of President Tinubu’s broader reforms.
Institutions present at the session included NITDA, NCC, BOI, FCCPC, Google, ABU Zaria, the Gates Foundation, and traditional councils, among others.