Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access, wey dem dey call EFInA, don finish dia consumer protection sensitisation dialogues for Mani and Malumfashi Local Government Areas for Katsina State. Di programme, wey be part of dia Inclusion for All (I4All) initiative, reach over 1,000 residents. Di aim na to deepen trust for financial services and improve financial literacy.
Di engagements happun on April 25 and 26. Dem bring together community members, local officials, traditional and religious leaders, financial service providers, and regulators. Dem discuss consumer rights, fraud prevention, complaint resolution, and safe use of financial services.
Di initiative follow findings from earlier community engagements and a baseline survey. Di survey show low awareness of consumer rights, limited knowledge of complaint channels, and declining trust for financial institutions among rural populations.
Hajiya Bilkisu Suleiman Ibrahim, Special Adviser to Katsina State Governor on Banking and Finance, tok about di importance of financial inclusion. She say, “Access to affordable and reliable financial services na important, especially for women, youth, vulnerable groups, and people wey dey underserved communities.” She add say financial inclusion helps communities improve livelihoods and supports economic development. She urge small businesses for Mani to take advantage of available financing opportunities.
Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo, Head of Inclusion for All, talk say di sessions go beyond awareness campaigns. “When communities fit sit across from di institutions wey regulate dia financial lives, ask hard questions, and get straight answers, something shifts. Dat shift na exactly wetin I4All exist to create,” she add.
Key discussions for di forums focus on agency banking, ATM transaction disputes, fraud awareness, BVN protection, and di role of POS agents for expanding access to financial services.
EFInA say post-event assessments for Malumfashi show significant improvement for awareness and trust. Participants wey rate dia understanding of consumer rights as “very clear” rise from 80 before di event to 331 afterwards. Meanwhile, 349 out of 354 respondents say dia trust for regulators don improve.
Di sessions also reveal persistent concerns, including fraudulent credit empowerment schemes, identity-based loan fraud, and unresolved transaction disputes.
Uchenna Enyioha, I4All Manager, talk say di findings show say access to financial services alone no sufficient. “Di deeper question na whether those services dey trusted, safe, understandable, and responsive when things go wrong,” e say. E add say these realities dey influence whether rural users embrace formal financial services.
EFInA say insights from di engagements go shape future policy discussions with regulators and industry stakeholders.
