The First day of the International Financial Inclusion Conference organized by the Financial Inclusion Governing Committee in Nigeria culminated in a Dinner and Award night- ceremony at the Transcorp Hilton Congress Hall, on the 24th November 2021. The Dinner was an excellent end to a very engaging, insightful day and was aimed at celebrating committed and dedicated stakeholders and innovators in the Financial Inclusion Ecosystem in Nigeria. The event was graced by several dignitaries in the country including the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Femi Lijadu, the Chief Executive Officer of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, Mr. Uju Ifejika, Deputy Governors, Board Members of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other critical stakeholders in the Financial Inclusion space in the country. The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability noted that the dinner was organized for all partners and stakeholders to relax and enjoy an evening of good food, great conversation and most importantly an evening to celebrate the excellence of partners who remained committed to the inclusive growth of the Nigerian Economy.
Mrs. Uju Ifejika delivered the keynote remarks and provided insightful discourse on the critical importance of financial literacy as a tool to achieving Financial Inclusion. Other guest speakers includingthe Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, the Honorable Minister of Women affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, and the Chairman of the Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Femi Lijadu, all lent their voices to the importance of collaborative efforts to ensure all Nigerians were given the opportunity to be active participants in the Nigerian economy through financial inclusion. Amidst live entertainment, amazing performances like poetry and dance showcasing Nigeria’s rich culture to the world, the business of the evening, the very first Financial Inclusion award in the country was as exciting as it was inspiring. Ten (10) well deserving institutions were provided with awards in different categories during the dinner following a rigorous nomination and selection process supported by Price WaterHouse Cooper (PWC). The Following winners emerged during the award ceremony;
- Financial Inclusion Innovation Award – Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access
- National Women’s Financial Inclusion Award – Access Bank
- Financially Inclusive Bank of the Year – Jaiz Bank
- Financially Inclusive MFB of the year – Lapo MFB Ltd
- Financially Inclusive Fintech of the Year – Remita and Interswitch
- Inclusive Financial Product Award – Liberty Assured Ltd
- Financial Inclusion Leadership Award – Ms. Modupe Ladipo
- Financially Inclusive Agent of the Year – Etranzact
- National Inclusive Payment Initiative Award – TeamApt Ltd
- 10.Financial Services Infrastructure Innovation Award – Remita Payment Service Ltd
- 11.Special Award for Country Partnerships – Central Bank of Egypt
The two day conference is currently ongoing with a second day dedicated to technical sessions on Gender Inclusive Finance and Women’s Financial Inclusion, leveraging gender data for evidence -based policy, digital infrastructure, consumer protection, deepening Digital Financial Services adoption and winning strategies for reaching the youth and rural areas.
