E-Financial
Policy, Regulation Should Bolster Innovation To Ensure Financial Inclusion Is Achieved
By Daniel Monehin
Walk through bustling marketplaces in Africa and you will see a substantial amount of money changing hands, as merchants and consumers haggle over the goods and services. What stands out is just how many of these transactions are conducted using cash, and the reason for this is because most people don’t believe they have any other pragmatic option.
There is a large number of unbanked or underbanked people on the continent, and so many individuals that don’t save or have a financial history with a formal financial institution and are therefore found on the fringes of financial services – where most transactions are carried out with cash. What this typically creates is a vicious cycle that serves to prevent most of these individuals from accessing critical financial services to better manage their finances, grow their businesses or protect themselves against eventualities.
Financial inclusion remains a challenge, particularly in developing countries. Only just over 30 percent of Sub-Saharan Africans, for instance, have any formal account. There is a collective focus by both the private and public sector on the need to find ways to bring greater numbers of people into the financial mainstream and improve their livelihoods.
One of the areas that has the greatest potential to narrow the margin of exclusion is policy and regulations. Policy surrounding financial inclusion has garnered considerable attention in the last few years, as the importance of inclusion has been aligned with financial integrity, stability and literacy.
Policy makers face the ultimate juggling act as regulatory frameworks and policies need to find the balance between providing the necessary support that will bring citizens into the formal financial fold while simultaneously ensuring that these requirements do not discourage access to critical financial services by stifling individuals’ abilities to transact.
What is clear is that it is simply impossible to make tangible progress by working in isolation. It takes collaboration between players in both the public and private sectors to bring their specific area of expertise to the table with the view to develop holistic strategies and policies that will enable inclusion.
The good news is that industry stakeholders across the board have largely realised this and joined forces through organisations like the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) to share knowledge and engage to formulate and implement these policies. AFI is led by its members, comprising mainly financial regulatory institutions such as Central Banks, superintendence’s and Ministries of Finance from developing countries. The network currently includes members from 94 countries working together to accelerate the adoption of proven and innovative financial inclusion policy solutions with the ultimate aim of making financial services more accessible to the world’s unbanked. Mastercard is a proud member of AFI and continues to collaborate to ensure open dialogue with focus on building a strong network where solutions can be found.
What has made these platforms so impactful is that the regulators and policy makers understand the unique African context and have been formulating policy solutions that speak to this. Advancing financial inclusion through digital financial services, for example, has been a top priority and continues to dominate the agenda because of the role that mobile money, new tech and innovation are playing in allowing Africans to pay for goods and services safely and easily.
Although mobile money is a global disruptor, its impact has been especially noticeable in Africa, where mobile penetration continues to grow and where it has already proven to be a game changer in terms of providing affordable financial services.
Using a tool that people already hold in their hands means that more people can be connected to an interoperable financial ecosystem at a fraction of the cost – backing this up is the fact that there are nearly 280 million registered mobile money accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa, compared to 178 million bank accounts.
As such, driving policy that supports mobile-based payments as a critical enabler will remain a core focus going forward. But even with mobile and digital finance recognised as an answer of sorts to facilitating financial inclusion, that is only half the battle. There needs to be continuous innovation and advancement in this space to ensure that all Africans have the opportunity to be financially included – and the answer lies in collaboration across the public and private sectors to leverage each other’s strengths.
Polaris Bank has joined the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day 2026, reaffirming its commitment to promoting gender equality, empowering women, and supporting initiatives that foster inclusive growth across society.
Polaris Bank
International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, provides an opportunity to recognize the achievements of women across all sectors while highlighting the need to accelerate action towards gender equality. At Polaris Bank, the day serves as a reminder of the vital role women play in driving economic growth, innovation, and community development.
Speaking in commemoration of the day, the Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank, Kayode Lawal, emphasized the Bank’s commitment to creating an enabling environment where women can thrive professionally and financially.
“Polaris Bank remains dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion, opportunity, and empowerment for women. From supporting female entrepreneurs to ensuring equal opportunities within our workforce, we believe empowering women is not only the right thing to do but also a key driver of sustainable development,” the CEO stated.
Over the years, Polaris Bank has implemented several initiatives aimed at supporting women-led businesses, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening leadership opportunities for women within the organization. These efforts align with the Bank’s broader commitment to sustainable development and inclusive economic growth.
As part of this year’s celebration, the Bank will spotlight inspiring stories of hope from women across the community, within its workforce and customer base, while encouraging meaningful conversations around leadership, financial empowerment, and gender equity.
Polaris Bank continues to champion initiatives that create opportunities for women to succeed, recognizing that empowering women ultimately leads to stronger families, thriving communities, and a more resilient economy.
Benedict Ikechukwu Anekwe, an Enugu-based lawyer, and C.K.C. Idu, a magistrate, have been accused of allegedly conspiring to fraudulently withdraw ₦3.5million from the corporate account of Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited through what the bank described as a manipulated garnishee court process.
Ohha Microfinance Bank is a financial institution based in Enugu, Nigeria, committed to providing accessible and reliable banking services to individuals and small businesses
Ohha Microfinance Bank in a petition dated March 6, 2026 and submitted to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, demanded disciplinary action against the lawyer and the magistrate.
In the petition signed by Philip Onwukwe, managing director of the bank, the institution accused Anekwe of “using the instrumentality of the court to steal” from its corporate account.
“We write to you… seeking your urgent intervention and action in respect of this complaint which borders on fraud, stealing and unprofessional conduct of Benedict Ikechukwu Anekwe Esq.,” the petition read.
According to the petition, the controversy began with a judgment delivered on July 11, 2025 by Chief Magistrate O.P. Okoro in Enugu in Suit No. CME/1087/2023, involving Okoye Sunday and Ifesinachi Nnam.
The court reportedly awarded ₦2.5 million in favour of Okoye Sunday.
To enforce the judgment, Anekwe filed garnishee proceedings against 14 banks, including Ohha Microfinance Bank, seeking to attach funds belonging to the judgment debtor, Ifesinachi Nnam.
On July 29, 2025, the court issued an Order Nisi directing banks to attach any money belonging to the debtor.
The order stated that: “All monies in possession of the Garnishees belonging to Ifesinachi Nnam… be attached to satisfy the judgment sum of ₦2,500,000 together with the cost of this garnishee proceedings.”
However, the bank said the order applied strictly to the account of the judgment debtor and not to the corporate account of the bank itself, moreover, the judgement debtor has no financial account with the bank.
“It is crystal clear from the wordings of the Order that the Order Absolute made by His Worship Okoro was made against the account of Ifesinachi Nnam… but not against the corporate account of Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited,” the bank said.
The bank alleged that instead of serving the order on the bank to verify whether the judgment debtor had an account with it, Anekwe allegedly initiated another garnishee action directly against the bank before a different magistrate.
The fresh suit, CME/1554M/2025, Okoye Sunday v. Ohha Microfinance Bank Ltd, was filed before Magistrate C.K.C. Idu, his close associate, after the judgement debtor had filed notice of appeal and got a stay of execution in the previous court.
The petitioner explained that despite the pending appeal and stay of execution, on October 10, 2025, Magistrate Idu granted another Order Nisi attaching ₦3.5 million from the bank’s corporate account held with Ecobank Plc.
The bank said neither the plaintiff nor the judgment debtor had any account relationship with the microfinance institution, wondering how a Magistrate could issue such an order.
“Ohha Microfinance Bank has no business relationship with the judgment creditor and the judgment debtor in the suit,” the petition stated.
It added that both Okoye Sunday and Ifesinachi Nnam “are not customers of Ohha Microfinance Bank Ltd.”
Upon discovering the court order, the bank’s lawyer filed a motion asking the court to set aside the garnishee order, arguing that it was obtained through misrepresentation.
The motion stated that the order wrongly targeted the corporate funds of the bank rather than the account of the judgment debtor.
However, according to the petition, Magistrate Idu refused to vacate the order.
Instead, on February 27, 2026, the magistrate reportedly made the order absolute and authorised the withdrawal of ₦3.5 million from the bank’s account.
The bank further alleged that after securing the court order, Anekwe personally served it on Ecobank and instructed the bank to transfer the funds to his personal account.
“That same day, the learned Chief Magistrate signed the Order Absolute and handed it over to Benedict Anekwe Esq., who rushed to Ecobank Plc and served the order,” the petition stated.
The lawyer allegedly followed up with a written instruction directing the bank to pay the money into his personal account at First Bank of Nigeria instead of a client account.
Ohha Microfinance Bank alleged that the magistrate and the lawyer acted in concert to perpetrate the alleged fraud.
“This is daylight stealing perpetrated by Benedict Ikechukwu Anekwe Esq.,” the petition stated.
The bank further alleged that Magistrate Idu ignored the clear wording of the earlier judgment issued by Magistrate O.P. Okoro, which targeted only the debtor’s account.
It also claimed that both men had previously worked together before the magistrate’s appointment to the bench.
“Our findings reveal that the learned magistrate C.K.C. Idu before his appointment worked together at CIDJAP Legal Department with Benedict Anekwe Esq., hence the reason he connived with him to perpetrate this fraud,” the bank alleged.
The bank has asked the National Judicial Council to investigate the matter and sanction both the lawyer and the magistrate.
It also demanded that the matter be referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
“We demand that this matter be referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for immediate and necessary action,” the petition stated.
The bank further demanded an immediate refund of the ₦3.5 million allegedly withdrawn from its corporate account.
“We further demand that Benedict Anekwe Esq. refund immediately the sum of ₦3.5million he stole from our corporate account,” the petition added.
Efforts to reach the lawyer and the magistrate were unsuccessful, as both failed to answer multiple calls.
They also did not respond to text messages sent to their verified telephone numbers seeking their reactions.
Credit: SaharaReporters
Quest Merchant Bank Limited has successfully met the ₦50 billion minimum capital requirement mandated for merchant banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) strengthening the Bank’s capital base and reinforcing its capacity to support Nigeria’s economic transformation.
This milestone reflects investors’ continued confidence in the Bank’s long-term strategy, strong governance, and sustainable growth outlook. It also marks an important step in the Bank’s post-divestment evolution under its new ownership, positioning Quest Merchant Bank with the balance-sheet strength needed to execute its next phase of growth.
With a significantly enhanced capital base, Quest Merchant Bank is now better positioned to underwrite larger transactions and expand its advisory, capital markets, and structured financing capabilities across priority sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The CBN’s recapitalisation directive, which sets ₦50 billion as the minimum capital threshold for merchant banks, is designed to reinforce the resilience, stability, and lending capacity of Nigeria’s financial system.
By meeting this benchmark, Quest Merchant Bank reinforces its standing as a trusted financial partner in infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, and corporate growth initiatives nationwide.
Afolabi Olorode, Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Quest Merchant Bank, described the achievement as a defining moment in the Bank’s evolution: “This milestone marks a significant step forward for Quest Merchant Bank. Meeting the ₦50 billion capital requirement underscores investors’ confidence in our strategy and reflects the strength of our governance and franchise.
“With this strengthened capital position, we are equipped to play an even greater role in financing key sectors of the Nigerian economy, enabling private enterprise, and supporting sustainable economic expansion.
“Our focus remains clear. We will continue to continue to help our clients succeed, while serving as a trusted long-term partner in delivering sustainable growth.”
Quest Merchant Bank remains committed to responsible growth, innovation, and delivering strategic financial solutions that empower businesses and institutions across Nigeria.
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