The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched the digital financial inclusion drive in Kaiama town, the headquarters of the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government council of Bayelsa state in order to cut down the high numbers of financially excluded women and youths in the state.
According to the CBN, the drive is expected to, among other things, improve financial literacy and build awareness on the benefits of the use of digital financial services and contribute to increase in access to payments, savings, micro pension and credit enhancement opportunities for rural women and youth across the country leveraging digital platforms.
The Director, Development Finances, CBN, Yusuf YIla pointed out that the launch of the digital inclusion policy in Kaima town and other parts of Bayelsa State will resolve issues of the lack of access to Agric loans by farmers in the state due to non-availability of Bank Verification Number (BVN).
Jonathan, represented by Mrs. Augustina Osuya, said the financial inclusion policy will assist those without access to gainful policies offered by financial institution to have access with ease, “it will give opportunity to those without BVN to bank and assist farmers to access loans. It will allow all financial institutions in the state to bring in those secluded in the state.â€
Also speaking, the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was represented by the representative of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Anthony Howells, urged the women and youths in the state to participate in the ongoing CBN financial inclusion policy in order to benefit from numerous empowerment programmes of the state government.
Howells, who is the Permanent Secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Bayelsa Government, said the policy is a deliberate one initiated by the CBN to encourage the participation of rural dwellers, market women and youths in digital banking and empowerment programmes at the state and federal levels.
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