Nigeria Apex Bank Commences ‘CBN Fair’ in Jos

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The Nigeria apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria today, Monday commenced an enlightenment programme tagged ‘CBN Fair’ in Jos, the Plateau state capital.

The two-day programme is an enlightenment campaign to sensitise the public in Plateau state on CBN’s various initiatives in Real Sector Financing, Payment Systems, Consumer Protection, Bank Verigication Number (BVN), Financial Inclusion, Consumer Rights, and Interventions among others.

The theme of the programme is “Promoting Sustainable Economic Development” and had five paper presentations on the first day. The presentations were on Currency Operations; Comsumer Protection; Payments System Management; Financial Inclusion; and Development Finance.

There was a question and answer session after the presentations where participants had the opportunity to ask different questions on the papers and operations of the apex bank generally.

Participants were urged to be careful in handling the Naira notes saying that it is a criminal offence to deface the notes.

Goodwill messages were taken from the Guest of Honour of the day, the General Officer Commanding, 3rd Amour Division, Jos, Major General Nuhu Nagbazo, representative of the Plateau State Government, First Bank of Nigeria, Society for Women and AIDS in Africa, Polaris Bank, Fadama Farmers Microfinance Bank and NIRSAL Microfinance Bank among others.

The CBN Fair will help the apex bank in the mobilisation of the low income but economically active people towards increased productivity, creation of employment, wealth and engender sustainable growth in Nigeria and help to engage women, youths, entrepreneurs, farmers, and financial service providers to interact on ways of actualizing their dreams.

Earlier, the CBN Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okorafor speaking at the programme said the CBN attaches great importance and commitment to this sensitisation programme with the main objective of coming together to create awareness about the CBN activities as it concerns economic development initiatives of the Bank with a view of explaining to customers the opportunities available and how every citizen can take advantage of them.

He was represented by the Director of Corporate Communications, Jos Branch, Mrs Veronica Aqua. Okorafor said that CBN has various initiatives based on monetary policy, modernisation of the payment system, development financing programme, and financial literacy adding that they are designed to revamp, reposition and re-engineer vital sectors of the economy.

He said, “Some of these initiatives include Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSME), Micro Finance Policy, Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS), electronic payment system (alternative payment channels), mobile banking, Rights of consumers of financial services, financial inclusion, Biometric Verification Number (BVN) and pursuit of sound and stable financial system.

“These good initiatives no doubt, are quite capable of repositioning the economy if well understood and the opportunities are adequately tapped into.

“This fair is therefore, planned to mobilise the low income but economically active people, especially, women, youths, entrepreneurs, farmers and financial service providers to come together, interact and synenergise towards enhancing access to finance, increase productivity, generate employment, create wealth and engender sustainable growth.

“At the end of this two-day event, it is hoped that our participants would be in a good position to evaluate and take basic financial decisions that can enrich your entrepreneurial skills. I, therefore, urge you to actively participate in all the sessions including the break-out sessions where sector specific issues are expected to be raised and explained.

“At the juncture, let me use this medium to urge Nigerians to fully embrace and key into policies and programmes of the Central Bank which are geared towards’ entrenching both micro and macro-economic stability. Our goal is to stimulate economic development for our people to live a better and more fulfilled.

He thanked the Branch Controller, and the entire staff of CBN, Jos Branch especially the Local Organizing Committee for efforts committed into organising the fair.

While delivering his welcoming remarks, the Branch Controller, Central Bank of Nigeria, Jos Branch, Mr Yusuf Dunia appreciated the participants for attending the programme.

He urged participants to fully participate in all the activities lined up for the two-day programme adding that it was organised to better serve the people.

There were several dignitaries at the event and exhibition of products and services from various organisations in both the private and public sectors.