Leading financial sector development organisation, Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), has announced its annual Financial Inclusion Conference scheduled for the 9th of December 2019, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, from 8.30 am.
According to the company’s Board Chair, Mr Segun Akerele, the conference is an annual event which seeks to engage stakeholders in the financial sector in identifying opportunities to promote financial inclusion and the sector’s development by creating a platform to identify institutional bottlenecks, proffer solutions, and establish principles required to achieve the national financial inclusion objectives.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Unlocking the Potential in Every Nigerian: The Path to Inclusive Economic Growth”. It plans to examine the transformative power of financial inclusion and its potential to accelerate inclusive economic growth through poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation.
In partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), EFInA will also be launching the findings of the recently concluded research on “Assessment of Women’s Financial Inclusion in Nigeria”. This research was funded by the Gates Foundation in order to understand the factors driving the gender gap in accessing financial services in Nigeria and to identify solutions to address the gap.
The conference theme will be examined under three main topics which are: “The Role of Financial Inclusion in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Northern Nigeria – A Focus on Agriculture Finance”, “The Promise of Digital Financial Inclusion – Jobs, Jobs, and More Jobs!” and “Bridging the Gender Gap: Empowering Women, Building Economies”.
At the FIC, The Fintech Development and Advocacy Initiative (FSI), with the support of EFInA, the Omidyar Network and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS), will launch the first industry innovation sandbox in Nigeria. FSI has been conceived to stimulate industry collaboration, drive financial innovation and accelerate Fintech development towards widespread availability and uptake of financial services for a vibrant and inclusive financial ecosystem. The goal is making Nigeria a global leader in financial services innovation for emerging markets by 2050.
Some of the speakers expected at the event are Aisha Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Kyari Abba Bukar, Former Chairman NESG, Former CEO Central Securities Clearing System Plc, Saniya Ansar, Development Research Group of The World Bank, Ladi Balogun, Group Chief Executive – FCMB, Iyin Aboyeji, Chairman, Financial Services Innovators, Joseph Attah, Head Financial Inclusion Secretariat, Central Bank of Nigeria, Bunmi Lawson, MD EDFIN Microfinance Bank, Dr Tayo Aduloju, Tayo, Chief Operating Officer, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Honey Ogundeyi, Country Director, UK Government’s UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and Kola Masha the MD of Babban Gona.
Anyone interested in attending the event should visit efinafic.org.ng to register.