Abuja, July 9, 2025 — The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to affordable financial services for all Nigerians, as it hosted the 34th meeting of the National Financial Inclusion Technical Committee at its headquarters in Abuja.
The session, held on July 8, 2025, was chaired by Mr. Philip Ikeazor, Deputy Governor in charge of Financial System Stability. The meeting brought together key stakeholders from regulatory agencies, financial service providers, and development partners to assess progress and chart new strategies toward achieving Nigeria’s financial inclusion targets.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Ikeazor emphasized the importance of deepening access to financial services, particularly for underserved groups such as women, rural dwellers, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He stressed that improved inclusion is essential not only for poverty reduction but also for driving inclusive economic growth and financial system stability.
The committee reviewed current national targets and deliberated on implementation gaps in areas such as agent banking, digital financial literacy, access to credit, and mobile money penetration. Participants also discussed the need to harmonize efforts across sectors to better serve the financially excluded population.
Other attendees at the meeting included top officials from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), fintech operators, commercial banks, and representatives from international development agencies.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to scale up financial inclusion initiatives nationwide, enhance regulatory frameworks, and leverage technology to bring millions of unbanked Nigerians into the formal financial system.
