Ten million Nigerians will receive free nationwide training on financial inclusion and literacy on Monday, according to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Nigeria can only benefit greatly from its demographic dividend if women and young Nigerians have the skills and moral foundation needed for a rapidly developing digital economy, according to Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima. The goal of the training being conducted by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), which is presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, is to provide Nigerians, especially women and young people, with the necessary digital competencies, investment knowledge, and financial skills for long-term wealth creation.
In order to strengthen Nigeria's financial and enterprise workforce, the Office of the Vice President, through the PreCEFI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with six professional bodies to collaboratively design training programs, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms.
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) are some of the professional associations.
The Vice President stated that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the six leading professional organizations in Nigeria was more than just a formal agreement when he formally launched the free nationwide training of 10 million Nigerians on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure, which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundation upon which inclusive growth must rest,” he stated.
According to Senator Shettima, the PreCEFI is required to implement the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which acknowledges that "financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability."
According to him, the nation “cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.”
He explained, “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.”
He urged the PreCEFI and the professional associations to view the Memorandum of Understanding as a live platform for action rather than just a document. “Accordingly, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians with priority for women and youth across the country,” VP Shettima declared.
Earlier, Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration for its audacious economic reforms, which resulted in the launch of a free financial inclusion training program for 10 million Nigerian women and young people.
He claimed that the decision to start the project was spurred by the economy's apparent improvements as a result of the Federal Government's policy adjustments. Yahaya described their participation in the initiative as an institutional honor and reassured the vice president of their professional help in achieving the goals.
Mr. Emmanuel Lennox, the CEO of WAWU Africa, one of the program's technical partners, gave his word that the organization is prepared to complete the project, especially in terms of supplying the digital platform and general enabling environment for its success.
Additionally, Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, explained why it was necessary to train 10 million Nigerians in financial inclusion, saying that "exclusion is not only by lack of access, but by limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support."
“Consequently, 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.”
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies for the capacity-building initiative was the event's high point.
