Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that Nigeria’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 will remain an illusion except the private sector and development partners are fully engaged.
Shettima, who handed down the warning on Wednesday at the inaugural Development Partners Roundtable on Economic and Financial Inclusion at the State House, Abuja, warned that Nigeria’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 will remain an illusion except the private sector and development partners are fully engaged.
He said: “We have come this far because we are continually assessing the extent of economic and financial inclusion in Nigeria.
“However, the results of this assessment reveal some disturbing gaps that demand our urgent attention. One such gap is the low penetration of digital financial services among women—only 23% compared to 43% for men.
“This, as we have learned, is driven by socio-economic barriers such as low income, limited education, and restricted access to financial tools like credit and insurance. Women in the northwest and northeast are particularly disadvantaged.
“The task before us, then, is clear: to bridge these systemic inequalities and foster an inclusive, equitable financial system that benefits all Nigerians, regardless of gender or geography.”
