Is Financial Exclusion a Reality in Somaliland? |
At the Inclusive FinTech Forum in Kigali, one figure stood out: Rwanda has surpassed 92% financial inclusion. It is a milestone built on years of deliberate policy, digital innovation, and coordinated ecosystem development, (IFF 2026).
But the real insight lies not just in the number, it lies in how inclusion is defined and measured.
Rwanda’s approach goes beyond traditional banking. It captures mobile money, digital wallets, and non-bank financial services, aligned with frameworks such as the World Bank’s Global Findex, (World Bank, 2021).
More importantly, Rwanda is not standing still.
In 2026, the country launched its National Financial Inclusion Roadmap (2026–2030), a strategy led by the National Bank of Rwanda and government partners, designed to deepen digital financial services, strengthen resilience, and expand inclusion across households, farmers, and MSMEs, (NFIR 2026 – 2030 ).
At its core, the roadmap carries a powerful commitment:
No one will be left behind because they lack access to financial tools.
This raises a critical question for Somaliland:
Are we measuring financial inclusion the right way?
The Somaliland Paradox
On........