The House of Representatives has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to “stop the implementation” of its directive that banks should add customers’ social media handles as means of identification.

The House in a resolution, was worried that if the directive takes effect, Nigerians, who are not on social media with large turnovers from their businesses and trades, would be systematically excluded from formal banking systems.

The House was also concerned about the untold hardship the directive would cause millions of Nigerians, especially the illiterates, or semi-literate business owners, living in the villages and rural areas who do not have social media handles.