Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has outlined plans to improve financial inclusion and lift millions of citizens out of poverty, aiming to open three million new bank accounts by the end of 2025.
Speaking at the Kaduna Economic and Financial Inclusion Summit (KEFIS 2025), themed “Expanding Financial Access for Sustainable Development,” Governor Sani emphasized the importance of financial inclusion in helping individuals and communities escape poverty.
“True financial inclusion is about granting individuals and communities the means to participate meaningfully in the economy, break the cycle of poverty, and elevate their quality of life,” he said to the summit’s attendees, which included representatives of the Vice President and development partners.
Sani reported that over 2.5 million new accounts have already been opened in the state, and nearly seven million residents have registered for National Identification Numbers (NIN), a key step toward enhancing financial access. He further pointed out that rural communities—representing about 70 to 75 percent of the unbanked population—are at the core of the state’s financial inclusion strategy.
The governor revealed that, in 2023, approximately 3.5 million people in Kaduna were excluded from the financial system, which, he noted, hindered economic growth and left many vulnerable groups without access to financial services.
He shared insights from his time as chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions, where he sponsored the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020. This legislation, he said, helped bring fintech companies under Central Bank regulation, expanding access to digital financial services in previously underserved areas.
