The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has organized Financial Literacy Sensitization and Awareness Workshop. The workshop was held on Wednesday 30th Oct. 2013 at the Abundant Life Ministry Hall, Port Harcourt.
In the keynote address by the Central Bank of Nigeria, it Representative said the Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi with his team has introduced what is call reformation programme since 2009, as a resumed office which has saved the Nigerian financial system.
According to CBN, it is this reformation programme that brought about the consumer protection where Nigerians including companies will do business with the bank for their betterment.
The statement further stated that the consumer protection sensitization workshop would encourage businessmen and women to have an account with banks and understand the different products and services operated by the banks.
The CBN said the aim of this sensitization is to reduce the number of people that did not have bank account as the CBN have also introduced the National Financial Inclusion Strategy where President Goodluck launched on October 23id 2012, as this program will teach customers how to handle their business transaction and money, so that there will be financial stability.
The Bank also introduced what is known as the Financial Literacy Framework where customers will understand all the financial products and services within the banking system.
In an interview with journalists, the Director, Consumer Protection (CBN) Hajia Uma Amiu-dusi represented by Hajia Kadija Kasim posited that the CBN want the grassroots people on board as they develop their financial and development strategy.
The Director stated that there are lot of stakeholders, which include the educated, the traders, farmers, uneducated and the media that will be contacted to spread the message.
On the cashless society “the representative of CBN said cashless does not mean total cashless but the purpose is to reduce the volume of cash in the society as it is done in the developed countries for safety purposes.
Hajia Kasim maintained that there are lots of opportunities in the financial system where the people can access the financial benefits for their transaction. She said the issue of financial literacy is very important to all because of it benefit.
Earlier in a Press Briefing, the Director Consumer Protection Department, (CBN) said to mark the sensitization Awareness Campaign, the Central Bank of Nigeria has introduced reforms to sanitize and stabilize the financial system which led to the creation of the consumer protection office in 2010.
The Director remarked that the Department is saddled with the responsibility of regulating the conduct of financial service providers to build confidence and trust.
The CBN is putting a lot of structures in place to ensure that the consumers get maximum benefits from the different financial services, which will help in making people take charge of their financial wellbeing. This will also increase the trust the customers have in the bank in other to deal with the financial service which is the ultimate in any banking transaction.
Those who attended the program hailed the efforts of the CBN but appealed to them to help them get soft loan from the banks. ###
Pius Dukor
