Nigeria's Financial Inclusion Crossroads: Telco Regrets, Fintech Data, and the Smartphone Cost Crisis

Nigeria's financial inclusion journey hit an inflection point this week as former CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi admitted delaying telecoms' entry into financial services was a mistake—arguing telco infrastructure is now the key to bridging the last-mile gap that traditional banks cannot reach.

Evidence For

• Sanusi revealed he deliberately blocked telcos from entering financial services during his tenure, citing post-banking-crisis concerns about depositors' funds—but now...