Enhancing Financial Inclusion and Advancement (EFInA), in partnership with Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Financial Services (SIDFS), an initiative of Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, has equipped 147 professionals with skills to use financial inclusion data in policymaking.
The seven-week Leveraging Financial Inclusion Data for Policymaking course was designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to translate research evidence into policies and interventions that address challenges within Nigeria’s financial inclusion ecosystem.
The initiative comes as stakeholders seek to translate findings from EFInA’s 2026 Access to Financial Services (A2F) Survey into practical measures to improve access to financial services, particularly among underserved populations.
Participants completed seven modules combining online learning with live virtual sessions, covering the application of financial inclusion data, including insights from the Global Findex and A2F Surveys, to identify gaps, understand underserved communities and establish policy priorities.
The programme recorded improvements in participants’ knowledge and confidence. Knowledge accuracy increased from 72.5 per cent before the training to 88.5 per cent afterwards, while confidence in applying the acquired skills rose by 21.5 percentage points.
Participants also demonstrated their understanding through capstone assignments proposing policy recommendations on agent banking geo-tagging, inclusive electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC), consumer protection, open finance, Takaful, pension literacy and rural youth credit.
The proposals are expected to contribute to discussions on improving financial access, strengthening consumer safeguards and developing products that respond to the needs of underserved groups.
EFInA’s Research Lead, Dr Oluwatomi Eromosele, said the programme had improved participants’ ability to interpret evidence and develop practical policy recommendations.
She said, “We are encouraged by the progress participants have made, from improved knowledge and confidence to developing policy briefs that address real financial inclusion challenges.
“These results show that when professionals are equipped to interpret and apply financial inclusion evidence, they are better positioned to identify gaps, assess policy needs and recommend responses that reflect the realities of underserved communities.”
Participants also reported changes in how they approach financial inclusion research and policy development.
One participant said the training had encouraged a more deliberate use of data, not merely to understand trends but also to identify gaps and develop targeted interventions.
Another said the course had strengthened their evidence-based approach to policy decisions and improved their ability to determine where interventions were most needed.
The partnership between EFInA and SIDFS focuses on strengthening capacity, research and stakeholder engagement to promote inclusive digital financial services.
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