The CBN on Friday inaugurated the Financial Inclusion State Steering Committee for implementation of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) in Anambra.
The committee was inaugurated at the Awka Branch office of the CBN on Friday.
At the inauguration, Prof. Solomon Chukwulobelu, the Secretary to the Anambra government urged members of the committee to adopt policies and programmes that would ensure that the less privileged had access to financial services.
Chukwulobelu was represented by the Anambra State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development Partners, Mr Mark Okoye.
He described the committee as a veritable platform to enable stakeholders to contribute ideas toward addressing issues about effective implementation of NFIS.
He said that if well implemented, the economically active population in Anambra would have greater access to finance for their businesses.
Chukwulobelu expressed hope that the committee would fashion out strategies to help to achieve the 2018 target of achieving 328,000 new savings customers and 299,000 new credit customers.
Mr Chuks Sokari, the Branch Controller of CBN, Awka branch recalled that NFIS was launched in October 2012 with the aim of reducing the percentage of adult Nigerians with low access to financial services from 46.3 per cent in 2010 to 20 per cent in 2020.
Sokari said that the broader aim was to ensure that more than 80 per cent of economically active Nigerian population had access to and make use of financial services with at least 70 per cent of that number in the formal sector.
He also highlighted initiatives that the apex bank had undertaken to improve the situation in most vulnerable zones of the country.
Sokari urged the FISC State Steering Committee headed by him to come up with action plans that would accelerate financial inclusion drive at the local level.
Membership of the committee was drawn from relevant ministries, including education, information, women affairs, financial service providers, and small and medium entrepreneurs.
The inaugural meeting also featured interactive session and paper presentations.
Members of the committee were further grouped into two committees including the Financial Inclusion Outreach Working Group and Financial Inclusion Vulnerable Working Group, chaired by representatives of the Ministry of Information. (NAN)
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