Nigeria and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen collaboration aimed at improving financial inclusion and financial health among Nigerians, particularly women and vulnerable groups.

The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in New York, United States.

Shettima welcomed the Netherlands’ offer to support Nigeria’s financial inclusion efforts through the sharing of expertise and experience in areas including insurance, credit guarantees and data generation.

The Vice President said financial inclusion was closely linked to education, security and poverty reduction, noting that government initiatives such as conditional cash transfers and agricultural schemes were already yielding results.

He also highlighted the role of fintech companies in expanding access to financial services for Nigerians who remain excluded from the formal financial system.

Queen Maxima, who serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, commended efforts to strengthen financial inclusion in Nigeria and pledged continued support from the Netherlands.

She said improving financial health would help Nigerians build resilience, protect investments and gain better access to insurance and other financial services.The collaboration is expected to strengthen efforts to expand access to financial services and improve the financial wellbeing of Nigerians.