Shettima Flags Off Free Financial Literacy Training For 10 Million Nigerians

The Federal Government has launched a free nationwide financial inclusion and literacy training programme targeted at 10 million Nigerians, with priority for women and youths.

The programme, organised by the Office of the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, is aimed at equipping Nigerians with essential financial skills, investment knowledge and digital competencies needed for sustainable wealth creation.

Naija News reports that the committee is chaired by Shettima.

As part of efforts to ensure effective implementation, the Office of the Vice-President, through the committee, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with six professional bodies to jointly design the training modules, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives and mentorship platforms.

The partnership is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.

The professional bodies include 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 are the Chartered Risk Management Institute and the Nigerian Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the event, Shettima said the signing of the MoU went beyond a formal agreement, describing it as a strategic national investment in Nigeria’s human capital.

He said Nigeria could only reap the benefits of its demographic dividend if young people and women were equipped with the right skills and ethical grounding to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.

“This is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure, which is the human, institutional and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,” the Vice-President stated.

Shettima added that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which the committee was mandated to implement, recognises that financial inclusion goes beyond access to financial services.

“Financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust and capability,” he said.

The Vice-President warned that Nigeria could not build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards or disconnected professional ecosystems.

According to him, the MoU establishes a framework to harness the collective expertise of the six professional bodies to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment and support for small and medium practitioners.

“This MoU 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 said.

Shettima stressed that capacity building was central to financial inclusion, warning that inclusion would remain a slogan without professionals who understand the realities of the economy.

“Without accountants who understand MSME formalisation, credit administrators who can assess risk beyond collateral, bankers who embed consumer protection, risk professionals who anticipate digital threats, and innovators who translate ideas into enterprises, inclusion remains a slogan rather than a system,” he said.

The Vice-President reiterated that the programme would prioritise women and youths, noting that Nigeria’s demographic advantage could only be realised if young people were adequately prepared for the digital economy.

“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,” he added.

He urged the committee and the partner institutions to treat the MoU as a living document meant for execution, not paperwork.

“Accordingly, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians with priority for women and youth across the country,” Shettima declared.

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

According to him, the reforms had contributed to visible improvements in the economy and culminated in the launch of the financial inclusion training programme.

He said, “The decision to embark on this project was prompted by the gains of the Federal Government’s policy reforms.”

Yahaya assured the Vice-President of the institute’s professional support, describing ICAN’s involvement as an institutional honour.

The Chief Executive Officer of WAWU Africa, the programme’s technical partners, Mr Emmanuel Lennox, assured of the organisation’s readiness to deliver on the project.

He said the firm would provide the digital platform and enabling environment required for the programme’s success.

Similarly, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Zauro, said exclusion was driven not only by lack of access but also by limited skills and weak institutional capacity.

“Financial inclusion is not achieved by infrastructure alone; it is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use that infrastructure responsibly, productively and sustainably,” he said.

Naija News reports that the high point of the event was the signing of the MoU for the capacity building programme between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies.