By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Onitigbo of Tigbo Kingdom in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State, Oba Olabode Victor Fagbayi, has called on policymakers and financial institutions to design people-centred policies that will ease access to capital for entrepreneurs, particularly at the grassroots.

The monarch made the call during the official launch of Market Monie, in Tigbo Kingdom, describing the development as historic and a major milestone in his reign.

The initiative of Market Monie was powered by Digitvant Microfinance Bank.

Speaking on the challenges confronting entrepreneurs in the country, Oba Fagbayi noted that access to finance remains one of the biggest obstacles to starting and sustaining businesses, with many citizens discouraged by high interest rates charged by conventional banks.

“We are quick to blame government and political leaders,” he said, “but policies do not create themselves. There are policymakers behind them. When they truly have the interest of the people at heart, they will design policies that benefit the masses.”

He commended DigitVant Microfinance Bank for lowering barriers to entry into the financial system, particularly by allowing account opening with little or no initial deposit, a move he said promotes financial inclusion across social classes.

“Not everyone is in the same economic position. Fingers are not equal. Those who are privileged today should remember they were once at a lower level, and many citizens are still there,” he added.

The monarch described the establishment of the bank in Tigbo Kingdom as one of the greatest achievements of his reign, stressing that residents previously had to travel long distances to communities such as Ifo and Sango to access basic banking services.

“For the first time in our history, we now have a financial institution in our kingdom, where our people can save and access their money without stress. This is remarkable and historic,” he said.

Oba Fagbayi urged residents to make diligent and honest use of the new banking facilities, warning that his reign maintains a zero-tolerance stance against fraud and misconduct.

“While I am committed to protecting the interests of my kingdom and my subjects, I also have a responsibility to support and protect the bank. Its success is our success. It must be a win-win situation,” he stated.

Also speaking, Head of Corporate Communications and Branding at Market Monie, Petra Akinti Onyegule, said the initiative was introduced in partnership with DigitVant Microfinance Bank to provide microcredit and microsavings facilities to men, women and youth entrepreneurs in the community.

She explained that the choice of Tigbo Kingdom was deliberate, given the limited presence of financial institutions in the area.

“If you observed the condition of the roads and infrastructure while coming here, you would understand why we chose this location. There has been little or no financial service presence here. Even basic banking services are a challenge,” she said.

According to her, Market Monie operates on the philosophy that access to finance should be available to everyone, especially those who find it most difficult to obtain it.

She outlined the organisation’s products to include microcredit facilities such as Market Monie daily, weekly and monthly loans, structured according to repayment plans, as well as savings products like cooperative savings and daily savings targeted at market women.

“With our savings plans, you don’t need a large amount of money to start. We encourage consistent savings. Through financial literacy programmes, we teach entrepreneurs to separate business funds from personal funds and build financial discipline,” Onyegule said.

She added that consistent savings also improve beneficiaries’ eligibility for larger credit facilities over time.

In his remarks, Head of Business Development at DigitVant Microfinance Bank, Samuel Aladekoye, said the collaboration with Market Monie was aimed at deepening financial inclusion and empowering entrepreneurs in Tigbo Kingdom and surrounding communities.

“At DigitVant, we believe financial services and opportunities should be accessible to everyone—both rich and poor. Lack of finance should never be a barrier to a great business idea,” he said.

Aladekoye noted that many hardworking Nigerians possess strong entrepreneurial ideas, but lack access to structured financial support, adding that the partnership was designed to bridge that gap.

He commended the monarch, community leaders, chiefs, religious leaders and residents for the warm reception accorded the bank at the official launch.

“We are not just visiting; we are here to stay. We are fully committed to providing reliable, accessible and impactful financial services to meet the needs of the people,” he assured.

The launch marks a significant step toward grassroots economic development in Tigbo Kingdom, as stakeholders expressed optimism that improved access to finance would stimulate small business growth and enhance overall community prosperity.