Acting CBN Governor Meets Bill Gates, Speaks On Financial Inclusion

The details of the strategic meeting between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Acting Governor, Folashodun Shonubi, and the Co-Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, have emerged.

Naija News reports that the CBN’s Acting Governor met with the American billionaire at the headquarters of the apex bank over the weekend in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

In a statement released after the meeting, the CBN said it has finalized the plan to drive financial inclusion in the country in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The statement said Shonubi reiterated the commitment of the apex bank to continually partner with the foundation and other development partners to explore innovative solutions for driving access to finance.

Shonubi remarked that the move for financial inclusion in Nigeria faced a number of challenges even though much progress had been made in various aspects.

The acting CBN boss was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Aishah Ahmad, to the strategic meeting.

The statement read in part, “Mr Shonubi, who was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Mrs Aishah Ahmad, disclosed that though much progress had been made in various aspects of financial inclusion, some challenges still remained in attaining the desired level of financial inclusion in Nigeria. He, therefore, called for greater partnership between the Bank and the BMGF.”

In his remarks, Gates said his foundation has supported financial inclusion in Nigeria since 2012 and has been a strategic partner of the CBN in driving innovation to reach the masses with financial products and services.

He expressed optimism that Nigeria would witness better outcomes given the new economic and monetary policies currently in place by the Bola Tinubu administration.

The statement added, “Mr Gates expressed satisfaction that support from his organisation was catalysing developmental action in Nigeria. While nothing that there were still challenges and gaps, he expressed optimism that the country would witness better outcomes given the new economic and monetary policies currently in place in Nigeria.

“The BMGF has supported financial inclusion in Nigeria since 2012 and has been a strategic partner of the CBN in driving innovation to reach excluded segments of Nigeria’s population with financial products and services.

“The partnership has brought about strategic initiatives such as the Nigeria financial services maps, a gateway for geospatial mapping of access points, the development of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy in 2012 and a revision in 2018, research into financial exclusion, scoping of digital financial services in Nigeria, and many more activities that help accelerate access to financial services.”