The Federal Government has flagged off a free nationwide training programme aimed at equipping 10 million Nigerians with financial literacy and inclusion skills.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, said in a statement that the training programme prioritises women and youth, focusing on essential financial skills, digital competencies, and investment knowledge to support sustainable wealth creation in Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
According to the statement, the initiative is being implemented by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The professional bodies involved are the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA), Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI), and Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NIIE).
Vice President Kashim Shettima said the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and six professional bodies is “a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest.”
“Financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability. This MoU therefore establishes a working framework to harness the collective expertise of ICAN, CIBN, CIS, CRMI, NICA, and NIIE to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and support for small and medium practitioners,” he added.
Shettima emphasised that the programme prioritises women and youth, highlighting that Nigeria’s demographic dividend will only be realised if young people are equipped with relevant skills and ethical grounding for a rapidly evolving digital economy.
ICAN President, Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, applauded the government’s economic reforms and pledged the institute’s professional support for the programme. Mr Emmanuel Lennox, CEO of WAWU Africa, the programme’s technical partner, assured readiness to provide the digital platform and enabling environment for successful training delivery.
Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, explained the need for the initiative, noting that financial inclusion is achieved not only through access but also by equipping people and institutions with the skills to use infrastructure responsibly and sustainably.
