Of the 17 local government areas in Yobe State, only four have banks operating in their council areas.
As a result, most residents who are mainly either farmers or pastoralists hold cash instead of engaging in bank transactions.
Disturbed with the development, Governor Mai Mala Buni has called on commercial banks to establish more branches across the state to ease business transactions.
Buni made the plea in Damaturu while inaugurating 50 Point Of Sale (POS) machines donated to the state by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to enhance revenue generation.
He said the establishment of more branches across the state would encourage bank transactions among rural dwellers.
“In Yobe, only four out of the 17 local government areas have banks. Many of our people are either farmers or pastoralists who believe in holding cash instead of engaging in bank transactions.
“It is high time you expanded your operations to cover the remaining local government areas,” the governor said.
Buni noted that if banks had more branches, mopping up of old currency in line with the Central Bank’s Naira Redesign policy would have been more successful.
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“I urge banks to conduct more sensitization on the policy and devise a means by which people can change their old notes to new once conveniently before the January 31, 2023, deadline,” he said.
The governor commended UBA for the donation which, he said, would ease revenue payment and collection.
Buni appreciated commercial banks and other development partners for supporting the state in implementing policies and programmes that have direct bearing on the lives of the people.
In his remarks, Alhaji Abatcha Geidam, Executive Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, assured of the judicious use of the machines.
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