To deepen financial inclusion and promote economic development in Kebbi State, an international NGO, Oxfam, in partnership with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has trained 20 Village Saving and Loans Associations (VSLA) members as community agents on agency banking.
The exercise is aimed at promoting access to affordable financial services as well as facilitating the onboarding of rural populace who represent the major financially excluded population in Nigeria on to mainstream financial sector.
The agents who were drawn from eight local government areas in Kebbi were trained on how to facilitate bank account, opening services for community members with bank verification numbers as well as how to provide other financial service such as cash deposit, withdrawal and funds transfer.
OSAID project programme coordinator in Kebbi, Mr Enock Bamaiyi, said at the training held yesterday at FCMB’s Conference Hall in Birnin Kebbi, that the beneficiaries of the training which included male and female were drawn from Birnin Kebbi, Kalgo, Suru, Sakaba, Gwandu, Danko-Wasagu, Jega and Dandi local government areas of the state.
He expressed gratitude to state government for providing enabling environment for development partners to make their contributions in the development of the state.
He however stressed the need for efficient and effective public-private partnership in deepening financial inclusion system which will promote inclusive economic development in the state.
Bamaiyi called on the trainees to take the training as an opportunity to improve their livelihood while providing needed service in the communities.
The zonal coordinator of FCMB, Mr Anule Joseph Avalumun, charged the trainees to work towards the armpit of bank’s laid down rules and regulations noting that anybody caught operating out of such rules and regulations would be sanctioned accordingly.
The trainees were provided with working materials for the smooth running of agency banking services at their respective communities under the supervision of both Oxfam and FCMB.
