Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to economic reforms that prioritize inclusive growth and bridge financial gaps across the country. Accordingly, he inaugurated 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 operationalization of the Aso Accord initiative. The accord signed on Thursday, 25th April 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 ceremony 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.

The Vice President noted the progress made since the launch of the Financial Inclusion Strategy in 2012, explaining that inclusion rates have improved from 60.3% to 74% as of 2023 but added that beneath these figures lie untold stories of millions still locked out of the financial system. The Vice President added that this framework "ensures that our approach is not only robust but also adaptable to evolving challenges and opportunities in financial and economic inclusion. 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 (Office of the Vice President), Sen. 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 in attaining his administration’s trillion-dollar target for the economy. On his part, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Zauro, said the inauguration of the Presidential Committee is significant to Nigeria’s journey towards inclusive growth and the attainment of one trillion-dollar economy, noting that collaboration will be critical to the actualization of all set objectives.

In a goodwill message, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, said economic and financial inclusion has been instrumental to the state’s astronomical increase in internally generated revenues, noting that growing the economy with the interest of the weak and vulnerable at heart is at the core of what the state government is doing. In the same vein, Kaduna State Governor, Sen. Uba Sani, said financial inclusion for Nigeria was long overdue, just as he welcomed the visionary leadership of Vice President Shettima. He noted that beyond the issues of poverty, financial inclusion will help to address a lot of issues in the northern part of the country where digital infrastructure and network connectivity is inadequate. Delivering his remarks, the President/CEO of IQS, Mr Emmanuel Itapson said “the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration is at a moment when visionary leadership, carefully thought-out policies and moments in history meet at a confluence.