Kaduna State has raised financial inclusion to 66 percent of its population, outpacing Nigeria’s national gains as a government-led enrollment drive pulled more than 800,000 adults into the formal banking system over three years.
Account ownership in the northwestern state expanded at an average of 6.7 percent a year between 2021 and 2024, more than double the national growth rate of about 2.7 percent, according to a new state report, ‘The Last Mile: Kaduna’s Financial Inclusion Journey’.
More than 2.5 million bank accounts were opened during the period, while women’s inclusion climbed to 47 percent from 38 percent. Agent banking networks now number more than 2,800 outlets statewide.
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The progress was driven by a hands-on strategy that relied less on market forces and more on state intervention. Kaduna’s Financial Inclusion and Literacy Committee led mass enrollment campaigns and developed proprietary software linking 7.9 million National Identification Numbers with Bank Verification Numbers, the highest per-capita NIN registration rate among Nigeria’s 36 states, to accelerate account setup.
“We are proud of how far Kaduna has come — millions now have access to formal financial services for the first time,” Finance Commissioner Ibrahim Tanko said in a statement.
“The next phase is turning that access into real empowerment, ensuring these tools strengthen livelihoods, resilience and links to government services.”
The policy push accelerated after the Covid-19 pandemic exposed gaps in the welfare payment system. State officials found that more than half of residents lacked bank accounts needed to receive emergency support.
Fragmented identity databases, slow manual verification and the distance to brick-and-mortar bank branches hampered enrollment.
Kaduna responded by digitising government payments including pensions, subsidies for farmers and cash transfers to stimulate account demand; deploying urban and rural agents guided by public mapping tools to close last-mile service gaps; and acting as an intermediary between banks and federal agencies to integrate identity verification platforms.
Despite the gains, officials say access has not yet translated into widespread usage. Only 38 percent of the newly opened accounts record more than three transactions per month, while just 11 percent of account holders use credit, insurance or investment products.
A wide gender gap also persists. Financial inclusion among women stands at 53 percent, compared with 71 percent for men, an 18-percentage-point disparity driven by lower phone ownership, limited digital literacy, safety concerns and products ill-suited to informal traders.
The state’s 2025–2026 financial inclusion roadmap targets five priorities: expanding financial literacy programs through schools and community groups; widening access to affordable savings, credit and insurance for households, women and small businesses.
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It also seeks further integrating identity systems to simplify account opening; improving digital connectivity across state service points; and embedding financial inclusion goals into development policies across ministries and local governments.
For Kaduna, the challenge now is less about getting people into the banking system than ensuring that accounts become tools for income growth and economic security.
