Nigeria and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen collaboration on financial inclusion, with the Dutch government offering to provide expertise and experience in financial health to support programmes being implemented in Nigeria.
The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in New York, according to a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
Shettima welcomed the Netherlands’ support, particularly efforts targeting women and vulnerable Nigerians. He said financial health and inclusion were important to Nigeria’s development priorities, with direct links to education, security and poverty reduction. He cited the conditional cash transfer programme and agricultural schemes among initiatives being implemented to expand financial inclusion.
Queen Máxima, who serves as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, pledged the Netherlands’ support through the sharing of expertise and experience in areas including insurance, credit guarantees and data generation. She said the financial health agenda seeks to strengthen citizens’ resilience, protect their investments and improve access to insurance.
The Vice President also defended the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying they were necessary given the state of the economy when the administration took office in 2023. Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele, who also featured in the discussions, said recent Central Bank of Nigeria measures were expected to improve access to and reduce the cost of credit.
Daily Times
