In its efforts to deliver affordable financial services to all Nigerians, especially the disadvantaged and low-income segments, the federal government has signed, what it tagged the Aso Accord for Economic and Financial Inclusion with state governments and private sector stakeholders.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Yemi Cardoso, signed the accord on behalf of the federal government, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, signed for the states, while Sterling Bank PLC’s MD/CEO, Abubakar Suleiman, represented the private sector.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, the workshop was organised by the Office of the Technical Advisor to the President on Financial Inclusion (Office of the Vice President).
Declaring the workshop open, Vice President Shettima demanded a renewed commitment from state governors and other key players in the nation’s economic and financial inclusion space to forge a more inclusive and prosperous future for all Nigerians.
According to him, while President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive economic growth for sustainable development had been unmistakable, “at the core of Mr. President’s economic recovery strategy lies a multifaceted approach aimed at rescuing the economy through various means.”
The VP who listed the means to include “job creation, ensuring food security, eradicating extreme poverty, and, notably, facilitating access to capital,” pointed out that these “form the foundation upon which our nation’s prosperity rests.
“They also demonstrate our resolve to reinvent a system where economic empowerment is not just a dream but a tangible reality for all,” he added.