The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in collaboration with key stakeholders, has emphasized the need for increased efforts to ensure people with disabilities, PWDs, have full access to financial services.
This call was made during a one-day workshop organized by the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation, CADEF in partnership with Consumers International.
The workshop, themed “Digital Financial Literacy for PWDs,” explored strategies to enhance financial inclusion for PWDs. Senior Manager of the Development Finance Office at the CBN, Adeniyi Bunmi, stressed the importance of alignment and coordination among disability groups and financial institutions.
“Financial services should be accessible to everyone, but PWDs still face significant exclusion,” Bunmi said. “While progress has been made since 2012, more needs to be done to meet our 95 percent financial inclusion target.”
The CBN’s commitment to financial inclusion for PWDs was further highlighted by Bunmi, who noted that the Financial Inclusion Steering Committee is chaired by the CBN Governor.
“PWDs remain a priority segment, and we must move faster by working together to address their unique challenges,” she added.
Key financial institutions, such as Zenith Bank, also participated in the workshop. Chinonso Umeh, who represented the Head of Retail Services at Zenith Bank, reiterated the bank’s commitment to PWDs.
“At Zenith Bank, we pride ourselves on people, technology, and service. We are committed to working with stakeholders to improve the financial experience for PWDs and ensure they are fully included,” Umeh stated.
The Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, LASODA, also called for increased public-private collaboration to address the financial barriers faced by PWDs.
General Manager of LASODA, Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, emphasized the need for tailored financial products and accessible services.
Oyetunde-Lawal, who was represented by Mr. Safiu Babatunde, Head of the Legal Department, urged the banking sector to be more responsive to the needs of PWDs.
Earlier in her speech, the Executive Director of CADEF, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, highlighted the need for greater inclusivity in the financial sector. She shared her personal experiences witnessing the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing banking services, which sparked her commitment to finding solutions.
Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor stated: “CADEF has been empowering individuals with financial literacy, including those with disabilities.”Our goal is to create inclusive financial systems that meet the needs of all Nigerians.”
The workshop focused on enhancing security and privacy features for PWDs, ensuring accessibility to financial platforms, and developing an action plan to address identified barriers. “We need to ensure that persons with disabilities can protect their financial information online and have easy access to their data through inclusive digital platforms,” Prof. Ndukwe-Okafor explained.
The event underscored the importance of partnerships between the government, financial institutions, and disability organizations in creating inclusive financial solutions.
Stakeholders agreed on the need for tailored financial literacy programs, improved accessibility of banking platforms, and better coordination across sectors to drive meaningful progress.
