UNSGSA Queen Máxima to Provide Virtual Keynote Speech at Nigeria National Financial Inclusion Conference

Nigeria Country Visit UNSGSA 2017
In Abuja, Nigeria, customer can open a bank account, raise or distribute money and make transfers at the Diamond Yellow Agency (pictured), a branch office of the Diamond Bank of Nigeria. UNSGSA Queen Máxima visited this branch during a client visit in 2017. Photo: Robin Utrecht

H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will deliver a virtual speech on 24 November 2022 at the International Financial Inclusion Conference (IFIC22) held in a hybrid format from Abuja, Nigeria. Queen Máxima will participate in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA).

The conference is organized by Nigeria’s National Financial Inclusion Governance Committee. In addition to the UNSGSA, other notable speakers include Minister of Federal Capital Territory Alhaji Mohammed Musa Bello, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and CBN Deputy Governor Aishah Ahmad.

Attendees are anticipated to include members from the Nigerian government, financial services providers, fintech leaders, along with invited regulators and market actors from other countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, and Tanzania. Key development partners will also be present, including the Alliance for Financial Inclusion and the Financial Alliance for Women.

Nigeria will launch its updated National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) at the event, in addition to its national fintech strategy and strategy for leveraging agent networks to drive women’s financial inclusion. The new NFIS aims to achieve a 95% financial inclusion target with a particular emphasis on digital financial services and last mile service delivery. According to the World Bank Global Findex (2021), 45% of the adult population in Nigeria is currently financially included.

In her remarks, the Special Advocate is expected to stress the importance of significantly increasing access to digital identification, which is critical for service delivery, from finance to health and education. She will also highlight how it is key for financial services and businesses to be able to sustainably reach regions that continue to be unserved, and emphasize closing the 20% financial inclusion gender gap in Nigeria

The UNSGSA previously traveled to Nigeria in 2012 for a country visit, where she supported the launch of the country’s first NFIS. She also conducted a country visit to Nigeria in 2017, and participated in a roundtable discussion with the CBN, Ministry of Finance, and the financial sector in 2018 at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

The session with the UNSGSA will start at 3:30am EST / 9:30am CET. For more information, visit: https://ific2022.com/

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