Utilizing Data To Accelerate Financial And Ecomonic Inclusion In Nigeria

Formal Exclusion Threat To Vulnerable Nigerians: The NIN-BVN Tier-1KYC Lens

What we know: 29% of adult Nigerians do not have a NIN (National Identity Number) and 51% do not have a Bank Verification Number (BVN) . More than half of those without NIN or BVN fall in in the poor to poorest bracket living predominantly in the North. On Episode 14 of Inclusion for all radio, Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo - podcast host and the Inclusion for all Advocacy Lead at EFInA, is joined by Mr. Sarafadeen Fasasi - the national president of the Association of Mobile Money Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN). Listen to the full conversation to learn more about the challenges being encountered to ensure adult banked Nigerians comply; and the risk of further exclusion posed, should the regulatory directive not be implemented with the poorest populations in mind.

Formal exclusion threat to the most vulnerable Nigerians: The NIN-SIM ban lens

What we know: 47.7% of unbanked Nigerians, predominantly marginalised groups do not have a National Identity Number (NIN), which is now one of the key requirements for opening even a tier-1 (easy access) bank account. On Episode 13 of Inclusion for all radio, Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo - podcast host and the Inclusion for all Advocacy Lead at EFInA, is joined by Isa Aliyushata, the Vice Chairman of the Association of Licensed Mobile Payment Operators (ALMPO). ALMPO is the umbrella body for all mobile money operators licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Listen to the full conversation and learn more about the implications of the NIN-SIM Ban on the marginalized populations and what it means for financial inclusion.

Utilizing Data To Accelerate Financial And Ecomonic Inclusion In Nigeria

What we know: Formal inclusion has increased from 56% to 64%, and this is something to celebrate, however, expanding formal access to 64% is only the beginning. We need the ecosystem to do more to give the last mile access, and we need to focus on deepening inclusion for those with access - Savings, pensions, and insurance adoption remain much lower than required to achieve resilience. On Episode 12 of Inclusion for All Radio, Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo - podcast host and the Inclusion for All Advocacy Lead at EFInA, is joined by Oluwatomi Eromosele (PhD.), who is the Access to Finance (A2F) Research Lead and General Manager at EFInA. Oluwatomi shares key highlights from the 2023 A2F Survey and how various actors in the ecosystem can leverage the demand-side data for meaningful and impactful outcomes in Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

Conversations Across State Lines - Kaduna State’s Digital ID Journey

What we know: A foundational identity system that encourages inclusiveness and aligns with best practices is critical to participating in the formal economy. Formal ID confers recognition by government and service providers and enables access to a host of services - financial, health, education, and social safety nets. On Episode 11 of Inclusion for All Radio, Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo - podcast host and Head of Inclusion for all Initiative, is joined by Zayyad Tsiga, Ph.D. - the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Residents Identity Management Agency (KADRIMA). Zayyad shares the Kaduna State Digital ID journey highlighting the success factors and their approach of a sustainable path to a secure and cost-effective data management system by collaborating with NIMC (National Identity Management Commission). Listen to this episode, the first in a series of curated conversations and lessons across states in Nigeria on their digital ID journeys.

USSD Dilemma and the Threat to Financial Inclusion in Nigeria

A significant proportion of the banked populations in underserved communities are more likely to have access to or own basic and feature phones and thus rely on the use of the USSD services for basic banking services. On Episode 10 of Inclusion for all radio - Henry Chukwu, a Digital Financial Services expert with over a decade of experience in digital finance, policy advocacy and program management in the financial inclusion ecosystem; joins podcast host Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo in this conversation. Henry sheds light on the dynamics of the ongoing disagreement between the Telcos and the Banks and what a USSD service cut-off could spell for Nigeria’s financial inclusion objectives