FG begins financial literacy training for 10m Nigerians

The Federal Government has begun a nationwide free training on financial literacy for 10 million Nigerians to boost financial inclusion.

The training organised by the Office of the Vice-President through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima would equip Nigerians particularly the women and youths.

The programme aimed to impact essential financial skills, investment knowledge, and digital competencies for sustainable wealth creation.

Accordingly, the office of the vice-president, through the PreCEFI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with six professional bodies to jointly design the programme, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms.

The training became pertinent to strengthening Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.

The professional bodies included the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, and the National Institute of Credit Administration.

Others were the Chartered Risk Management Institute and the Nigerian Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The vice-president said that the signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and six of Nigeria’s foremost professional bodies was more than a formal agreement.

Shettima said Nigeria could reap bountifully from its demographic dividend only if young Nigerians and women are equipped with the skills and ethical grounding needed for a rapidly advancing digital economy.

“It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure, which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,” he stated

According to him, the nation cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.

Shettima said, “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.

“It establishes a structured mechanism for joint training programmes, policy dialogue, digital skills development, and professional standards that align market practice with national inclusion goals.”

Shettima continued,” Importantly, this collaboration prioritises women and youth inclusion and digital transformation, recognising that Nigeria’s demographic dividend will only materialise if young people are equipped with relevant skills and ethical grounding for a fast-evolving digital economy.”

Earlier, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Malam Haruna Yahaya, commended the Tinubu administration for its bold economic reforms.

According to him, the reforms have culminated in the inauguration of the financial inclusion free training programme for 10 million women and youths in Nigeria.