September 19, (THEWILL) – The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the 2021 Annual Conference of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), which also features activities marking the 30th anniversary of the group.
The Managing Director, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr Uche Orji, will be the guest speaker at the conference, while the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, is expected to give opening remarks.
A statement from the association said the conference, which is scheduled to hold on September 25 and 26, 2021 at Ikeja, Lagos is themed: ‘Financing Infrastructure and SMEs for Inclusive Growth in Post-COVID-19 Economy.’
The event will bring together stakeholders in the banking, technology and SMEs fields, including regulators and government agencies as they explore areas where Nigeria can mobilise patient funds for infrastructure development and upgrade.
Infrastructure is critical to Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth as it is the pivot on which the wheel of other economic activities rotate. But, over the years, its financing has been a challenge. Incidentally, financing the SMEs sector is also a challenge, thereby highlighting the fact that almost every sector of the Nigerian economy is in dire need of adequate infrastructure.
The statement further revealed that seasoned experts and leaders in the financial services sector will serve as panelists in the media interactive session with sub-themes: ‘Synergising monetary and fiscal policy for economic sustainability’;
‘Filling infrastructure gap in face of rising debts’; ‘Financing SMEs in the new normal’; ‘Mobilising funds from the capital market’ and ‘Financing Nigeria health sector in post Covid-19 economy.’
Panelists will include Managing Director, Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo; Managing Director FMDQ, Mr Bola Onadele-Koko; Director General, Debt Management Office, Ms Patience Oniha; Managing Director, Fidelity Bank, Mrs Nneka Onyeali- Ikpe; officials of the CBN; Managing Director, NSIA, Mr Uche Orji; the CEO, CSCS, Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Chairman of the Foundation for Economic Research and Training (FERT), Lagos, Prof Akpan Ekpo.
The event will also feature award presentation to corporate bodies and individuals who have supported the association over the years. Recognition will be made to past national chairmen of FICAN for their unique service and dynamism in sustaining the vision of the association.
FICAN is the umbrella body of finance journalists and business editors covering money market, capital market and the Insurance industry from the print, online and electronic media.
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
