Access Bank Plc, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and MicroSave Consulting have entered into a partnership to empower 50,000 female agents across Nigeria through a new financial inclusion initiative.

The initiative, titled Scaling Female Agent Networks in Nigeria, aims to increase women’s participation in the agency banking space by providing them with training, financial support, and digital tools to serve their communities. The programme will run for three years, with a focus on rural and underserved areas, especially in Northern and Central Nigeria.

Announcing the partnership during a press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday, stakeholders emphasised the role of female agents in deepening financial inclusion.

Speaking at the event, Associate Partner at MSC, Akshat Pathak, said, “Agent networks are critical to improving financial inclusion in any country. Female agents, in particular, play a vital role in empowering female consumers.

Research from Bangladesh, India and Ethiopia has shown that women feel more confident interacting with female representatives—not just for transactions, but also for financial advice.”

He explained that the programme will not only help train and empower female agents but also provide data on their operations, which will be used to improve policy and market solutions.

Also speaking, Access Bank’s Senior Retail Advisor, Robert Giles, noted the bank’s commitment to sustainable banking and long-term impact.

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

Giles added that the rise of agency banking has enabled many Nigerians, particularly women, to participate in financial services without relying on traditional bank branches. “People prefer to be supported by agents rather than visiting a bank branch, as it saves time and allows them to continue their business activities,” he added.

In her remarks, the Group Head of Agency Banking and Financial Inclusion at Access Bank, Chizoba Iheme, said the bank would be supporting the agents with loans and training: “We aim to impact 50,000 female agents by empowering them to perform more transactions and gathering gender-disaggregated data to understand their behaviour.”

According to her, Access Bank’s journey in supporting women through agency banking began as early as 2013, and the bank has maintained over 70 per cent female participation in its current agent network.

The project is designed to address barriers 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 remarked.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is funding the project, is expected to play an advisory and monitoring role to ensure the proper execution and long-term success of the initiative.

The PUNCH reported that Access Bank Plc has partnered with global consultancy firm Deloitte to roll out a nationwide SME Business Clinic in a move to strengthen Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises.