Access Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and MicroSave Consulting have partnered to empower 50,000 female agents across Nigeria over three years, boosting financial inclusion in rural areas through training, financial support, and digital tools

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a significant boost for financial inclusion, Access Bank Plc, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and MicroSave Consulting (MSC) have formed a strategic partnership to empower 50,000 female agents across Nigeria.

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This new initiative, titled “Scaling Female Agent Networks in Nigeria,” aims to dramatically increase women’s participation in the agency banking space over the next three years.

The program will focus specifically on rural and underserved areas, with a particular emphasis on Northern and Central Nigeria, by providing female agents with comprehensive training, vital financial support, and essential digital tools to serve their communities.

The partnership was officially announced during a press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday, May 29, 2025, where stakeholders emphasized the critical role of female agents in deepening financial inclusion across the nation.

Akshat Pathak, Associate Partner at MSC, highlighted the global impact of agent networks. “Agent networks are critical to improving financial inclusion in any country. Female agents, in particular, play a vital role in empowering female consumers,” he stated.

Pathak referenced research from Bangladesh, India, and Ethiopia, which has consistently shown that women feel more confident interacting with female representatives—not just for transactions, but also for receiving financial advice.

He further explained that the program will not only train and empower female agents but also generate valuable data on their operations, which will be utilized to improve policy and market solutions.

Agent networks are critical to improving financial inclusion in any country. Female agents, in particular, play a vital role in empowering female consumers.

Robert Giles, Access Bank’s Senior Retail Advisor, underscored the bank’s deep commitment to sustainable banking principles and achieving long-term impact.

“All of the projects that we do are here for the long term,” he said, adding, “We practice sustainable banking principles, and our intention is to deliver better outcomes for our agents, who are our customers.”

Giles also noted that the rise of agency banking has enabled many Nigerians, especially women, to access financial services without needing to visit traditional bank branches, emphasizing its time-saving and convenience benefits.

Chizoba Iheme, Group Head of Agency Banking and Financial Inclusion at Access Bank, elaborated on the bank’s direct support for the agents.

“We aim to impact 50,000 female agents by empowering them to perform more transactions and gathering gender-disaggregated data to understand their behaviour,” Iheme explained.

She proudly stated that Access Bank’s journey in supporting women through agency banking dates back to 2013, with the bank maintaining over 70 per cent female participation in its current agent network.

The project is specifically designed to address common barriers faced by agents, such as electricity constraints in rural areas.

“While Nigeria is working towards nationwide electrification, we are considering solar solutions in the interim to support agents in off-grid communities,” Pathak revealed.

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, serving as the project’s primary funder, is also expected to play crucial advisory and monitoring roles to ensure the proper execution and long-term success of this ambitious financial inclusion initiative.