CBN restates commitment to supporting businesses.
CBN Officials and some guests at the FAIR
By Abubakar Baba Ahmad.
The Central Bank of Nigeria CBN has restated commitment to support businesses and promote diversification through its array of interventions in agriculture, health, manufacturing and other key sectors of the economy.
The Director Corporate Communications of the Apex Bank Dr Isa Abdulmumin gave the indication at the opening of the CBN FAIR 2023 on Promoting Alternative Payment Channels as Tools for Financial Inclusion held in Bauchi.
Dr Isa Abdulmumin represented by the Assistant Director of the department Mr Esu Imo the objectives of the engagement was to sensitize the public on how the Bank’s interventions can grow their businesses and contribute to the Nigerian economy.
While urging the participants to pay attention towards learning the various modern payment infrastructures for ease of business transactions, the Director Corporate Communications said the Bank will continually roll out proactive and innovative policies to ensure that all economic sub-sectors receive the desired support.
“While soliciting the support and co-operation of everyone to partake in our mission to return Nigeria to the path of greatness, I wish to crave your indulgence to be attentive as we sensitize you on the various modern payment infrastructures for ease of business transactions; your rights and responsibilities as it relates to your relationship with your banks; among others”, he notes.
“We, however, urge you to see Naira as our critical symbol of national identity. Respect and keep it clean. Do not spray, hawk, mutilate or counterfeit the Naira”, Dr Isa Pleads.
In a remark, the Branch Controller CBN Bauchi Haladu Andaza represented by the Acting Branch Controller Mr Sallahu Bello commended the management of the bank for hosting the Fair in Bauchi for a second consecutive year, noting that the essence was to ensure that Nigerians are educated about Bank’s policies and programmes especially the e-Naira, payments system, consumer protection, currency operations among others.
“I implore you all to pay keen attention to all presentations and other activities throughout the programme, as they are targeted towards addressing issues, challenges, and prospects in the Nigerian Financial System”, Andaza remarks.
In a goodwill message, the National President Cooperative Financing Agency of Nigeria CFA Ibrahim Abubakar Sadiq who appreciated the apex Bank for its effort in bringing its products and services to the consumers, called for the scaling down of the policies and programmes to the grassroots to ensure wider financial inclusion.
“Financial inclusion has just started because there are still a huge number of people in the grassroots that are excluded and so I for the stepping down if the initiative to the rural dwellers”, Ibrahim Sadiq advises.
In their various presentations, some officials of the CBN highlighted the successes recorded to include refund of over 115 billion Naira to bank customers, introduction of the e-Naira wallet application, swip card payment system and Afrigo National domestic card among others.
Contributing, some beneficiaries of the CBN interventions scheme, a Poultry Farmer Mrs Rosemary Adamu, an Optician Alhaji Yakubu Muhammad, Agric Engineer Saleh Yakmut and a Fashion Designer Chinonso Francis narrated how the Aegmis facility upscaled their businesses from a three staffed based to over twenty.
They called on the Apex Bank to roll out more interventions towards supporting more small scale businesses to reduce poverty and unemployment in the country.
