Thanks to a strong national financial inclusion strategy and the spread of mobile money, Côte d’Ivoire has the potential to be at the forefront of financial inclusion in West Africa. According to the World Bank Global Findex, in 2021 51% of adults have access to an account, compared with 34% in 2014 and 41% in 2017.
Country Visits
Fintech, Financial Health and MSMEs Drive Senegal’s Financial Inclusion Agenda
Senegal has experienced extraordinary gains in financial inclusion in less than a decade. The proportion of adults with access to formal financial services has shot up from 15% in 2014 to 56% last year (Global Findex, 2021). Much of this growth is being driven by digital payments and has been… Read more
July 5, 2022
Underserved Groups, Fintech in Focus to Bolster Financial and Digital Inclusion in Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire has demonstrated a commitment toward financial inclusion, including an aim to reach a 60% inclusion rate by 2024, as well as to gradually digitize 80% of the government’s financial flows. To offer support and seek out opportunities to collaborate, the UNSGSA and her partners recently… Read more
June 30, 2021
With Aims to Boost Digital Financial Inclusion, Senegal Could be an Example for BCEAO Member States
Senegal, with its geographic and economic position significant to West Africa, possesses enormous potential as a financial inclusion leader in the region. The important role of digital financial inclusion for Senegal has been heightened since the coronavirus pandemic hit. Read more
February 19, 2021
UNSGSA Holds Meetings in Jakarta to Discuss Indonesia’s Progress toward Full Financial Inclusion
In March 2020, the UNSGSA held meetings in Jakarta with leaders from the public and private sectors to discuss Indonesia’s progress toward full financial inclusion. She has visited the country three times before, in 2012, 2016 and 2018, and provided guidance as it has developed and implemented its… Read more
March 31, 2020
UNSGSA Visits Pakistan to Support Country's Ongoing Financial Inclusion Efforts
The Special Advocate, along with her partners, conducted a country visit to Pakistan in November 2019 to support the country’s ongoing work to increase financial inclusion. The UNSGSA previously visited the country in 2016, shortly after Pakistan launched its first national financial inclusion… Read more
November 30, 2019
UN Special Advocate Queen Máxima Promotes Financial Inclusion on Visit to Ethiopia
Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), visited Ethiopia on 14-15 May to discuss how the nation could embrace financial inclusion as a priority and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development… Read more
May 15, 2019
UNSGSA to Visit Jordan to Discuss Access to Financial Services
Her Majesty Queen Máxima will be visiting the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from the evening of Sunday 10 to Tuesday 12 February in her capacity as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. At the end of 2017, under the leadership of the Central Bank of Jordan… Read more
February 11, 2019
In India, Building on Progress and Providing a Model for Inclusion
India has made tremendous strides in expanding access to financial services, thanks in large part to its robust digital infrastructure. The proportion of adults with a formal account more than doubled between 2011 and 2017, from 35 to 80 percent. Read more
May 30, 2018
Next Steps for Indonesia on Financial Inclusion
Indonesia has reached a critical junction in its efforts to advance financial inclusion. Since the launch of its national financial inclusion strategy in 2016, the network of agents has expanded rapidly and the government has made significant progress in implementing digital government-to-person… Read more
February 13, 2018
Queen Máxima Returns to Indonesia to Support Further Advances on Financial Inclusion
Queen Máxima speaking at the UN during her previous visit to Indonesia in 2016.Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), will visit Indonesia to explore progress and opportunities to… Read more
February 7, 2018
Accelerating Progress toward Financial Inclusion in Nigeria
The last time the Special Advocate visited Nigeria, in 2012, the country had just launched its national financial inclusion strategy, which laid out a goal of achieving 80 percent financial inclusion by 2020. Since then, Nigeria has made significant progress in a number of areas. Nearly half the… Read more
November 2, 2017
In Mexico, Eliminating Obstacles to Full Financial Inclusion
Maria Teresa Gaytan Lopez, who met the Special Advocate while opening her first bank account at an OXXO convenience store in Mexico City, with Oscar Osorio Martinez, a regular customer.Over the past several years, Mexico has taken steps to modernize its financial… Read more
September 7, 2017
