The Central Bank of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to stimulating productivity, deepening financial inclusion, and ensuring monetary and price stability as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s economy.
The CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, gave the assurance while declaring open the 2025 CBN Fair at the Mineet Event Centre in Kano on Tuesday.
Represented by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Ali, noted that the fair was designed as a platform for direct engagement with the public on the bank’s policies for sustainable economic growth and national development.
“The core objective of this engagement, therefore, is to sensitise members of the public on how the Bank’s policies enhance their lives and livelihood and contribute to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy,” Cardoso said.
He noted that within the last two years, the bank has introduced several key policies to strengthen the financial system, including Exchange rate unification to minimise arbitrage opportunities and reduce volatility in the foreign exchange market.
The CBN governor said other policies include bank recapitalisation to strengthen the resilience and global competitiveness of the banking sector, positioning it to support the $1 trillion economy, in addition to launching the non-resident BVN to connect Nigerians abroad with home banking.
“The bank has also unveiled the Nigeria Payments System Vision 2028 (PSV 2028) to accelerate digital transformation, deepen financial inclusion, and position Nigeria more strongly in global payments.
“To further protect banks’ customers and strengthen consumer confidence, the CBN launched the Unified Complaints Tracking System
“The theme of the fair, ‘Driving Alternative Payment Channels as Tools for Financial Inclusion, Growth and Accelerated Economic Development, ‘ was carefully chosen to address the links that catalyse SMEs and other critical activities for the much-needed price stability,” he said.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Acting Branch Controller of CBN Kano, Hajiya Saudatu Muhammad, emphasised that the fair provides a unique opportunity for members of the public to interact directly with the CBN.
She described the theme of this year’s fair as timely, urging participants to apply the knowledge gained to strengthen financial institutions and contribute to the development of the Nigerian economy.
The event featured paper presentations on various topics, followed by a question-and-answer session aimed at enlightening the public on specific policies of the apex bank.
The 2025 edition of the fair witnessed a large turnout of participants, including representatives from the Association of Mobile Money Operators, National Orientation Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the academia, the Nigerian Army, commercial banks, business community, NYSC and the media, among others.
