The Nigerian government has disclosed that it has a plan in place to make sure financial services get across to all citizens irrespective of class, status or location.
The plan, according to the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Information, Communication and Technology [ICT], Lanre Osibona, is to bring affordable digital financial services closer to Nigerians who are unbanked or under-banked.
Osibona, while delivering a keynote address at the Lagos Fintech Week, also noted that the Federal Government mulled the plan because digital financial services are critical to building a robust digital economy, assuring that government is determined in using it to make financial services affordable to everyone irrespective of their status and gender.
Hence, the government has embarked on the rollout of digital identity to register all Nigerians and legal residents with a digital identity – the National Identity Number (NIN).
“For those who have registered, they can verify their NIN by typing *346# from their registered phone number. We have inherited the record of five million registered Nigerians when we assumed office and we have grown the number to over 37 million registered Nigerians,” he said.
Lagos Fintech Week is an invigorating week of distinct Fintech events that deliver exciting discussions, stimulating demos and insightful debates.