Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Monday reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to economic reforms geared towards inclusive growth and bridging financial gaps across the country.
Shettima gave the assurance while inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), at the presidential villa, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the move was part of the federal government’s commitment to achieving a trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
At the event, an investment agreement was signed by private sector stakeholders to provide the foundational infrastructure needed for the full operationalisation of the Aso Accord initiative.
The accord signed on April 25, 2024, is a core pillar of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to transform the nation’s economy.
The Vice-President called on all stakeholders to support the government’s effort at bridging financial gaps for millions of unbanked citizens.
According to him, Nigeria’s economic aspirations require more than optimism but “deliberate ideas and strategies, inspired by our desire to win.
“Our road to 1 trillion dollars economy by 2030 shall remain a mere wish unless we lay a foundation strong enough to carry our dreams.
“Dreams are not built on hope alone. They are the sum of deliberate ideas and strategies, inspired by our desire to win.”
He further noted that youths, women, MSMEs, rural populations, and certain regions continued to face systemic barriers that denied them the opportunity to reach their full economic potential.
He explained that the new Presidential Committee would operate through the Governance Committee (GovCo) and a Technical Committee (TechCo) and be supported by an Implementation Secretariat.
“This framework ensures that our approach is not only robust but also adaptable to evolving challenges and opportunities in financial and economic inclusion,” he said.
On his part, Dr Nurudeen Zauro, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, said the inauguration of the committee was significant to Nigeria’s journey towards inclusive growth and the attainment of one trillion-dollar economy.
Zauro noted that collaboration would be critical to the actualisation of all set objectives.
Also, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu, said economic and financial inclusion had been instrumental to the state’s astronomical increase in internally generated revenues.
The governor noted that growing the economy with the interest of the weak and vulnerable at heart was at the core of what the state government was doing.
In the same vein, Gov. Uba Sani of Kanu, said financial inclusion for Nigeria was long overdue, just as he welcomed the visionary leadership of Vice President Shettima.
He noted that beyond the issues of poverty, financial inclusion would help to address a lot of issues in the northern part of the country where digital infrastructure and network connectivity were inadequate.
Mr Emmanuel Itapson, the President of IQS Africa was excited to play a role in the great national renewal challenge.
Mr Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, said the ministry remained committed to the tasks assigned to the Presidential Committee.
He said the ministry would take responsibility for translating the vision of the Aso Accord into actionable and impactful reforms and programmes. (NAN)
