Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to economic reforms that prioritise inclusive growth and bridge financial gaps across the country.
He spoke while inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI) as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving a trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
The event also witnessed the signing of an investment agreement by private sector stakeholders to provide the foundational infrastructure needed for the full operationalisation of the Aso Accord initiative.
The accord, signed on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at the State House Banquet Hall, is a core pillar of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to transform the nation’s economy.
Speaking during the inauguration and sign-off of the investment commitments at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Vice President called on all stakeholders to support the government’s effort at bridging financial gaps for millions of unbanked citizens.
According to him, Nigeria’s economic aspirations require more than optimism, but “deliberate ideas and strategies, inspired by our desire to win.
“Our road to a $1 trillion economy by 2030 shall remain a mere wish unless we lay a foundation strong enough to carry our dreams. Dreams are not built on hope alone. They are the sum of deliberate ideas and strategies, inspired by our desire to win,” he added.
The Vice President noted the progress made since the launch of the Financial Inclusion Strategy in 2012, explaining that inclusion rates had improved from 60.3 per cent to 74 per cent as of 202,3 but added that beneath these figures lay untold stories of millions still locked out of the financial system.
He explained that the new Presidential Committee would operate through the Governance Committee (GovCo) and a Technical Committee (TechCo) and be supported by an Implementation Secretariat.
Meanwhile, IQS Africa is leading a consortium of core investors committed to providing the essential infrastructure for the Aso Accord’s implementation.
Earlier in his opening address, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the composition of the Presidential Committee with membership drawn from the sub-nationals, key ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and the private sector underscored the commitment of President Tinubu to attaining his administration’s trillion-dollar target for the economy.
In his remarks, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, said the Ministry of Finance remained committed to the tasks assigned to the Presidential Committee, noting that it would take responsibility for translating the vision of the Aso Accord into actionable and impactful reforms and programmes.
