Interswitch, EFinA, Jaiz Bank Win Financial Inclusion Awards

Ten financial institutions have come out with awards at the just concluded 2022 International Financial Inclusion Conference organised by the Financial Inclusion Governing Committee in Nigeria.

They were awarded in different categories during the Financial Inclusion Awards Dinner which held on  November 24, 2022 at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

The awards dinner followed a rigorous and transparent nomination and selection process superintended by Price WaterHouse Cooper (PWC). The winners at the award ceremony include Access Bank for National Women’s Financial Inclusion Award, Jaiz Bank in the category of Financially Inclusive Bank of the Year.

Others are Lepo MFB for the Financially Inclusive MFB of the year, Remita and Interswitch for the Financially Inclusive Fintech of the Year.

Winners in other categories include Liberty Assured Ltd, Ms Modupe Ladipo for leadership, Etranzact, TeamApt Ltd and Remita Payment Service Ltd.

Themed Celebrating Champions of Inclusion, the dinner was well attended by conference delegates, financial system regulators, award nominees and other stakeholders in the Nigeria financial inclusion ecosystem.

Speaking on behalf of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, the deputy governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Mrs Aishah Ahmad, noted that the maiden financial inclusion awards were conceived to acknowledge and celebrate individuals and institutions who played a key role in advancing financial inclusion in Nigeria since the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) was launched a decade ago. She thanked the special guest of honour, Mr Boss Mustapha and the  minister of women affairs, Dame Paulen Tallen for their support, stating that their presence was a strong signal of collaboration by regulators and government on financial inclusion.

In her keynote remarks, Mrs. Uju Ifejika highlighted the strategic importance of financial literacy and practical investment knowledge as a tool to achieving financial Inclusion. The Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for hosting the conference and spotlighting financial inclusion given its positive impact on the welfare of Nigerians.