The Federal Government on Monday flagged off a free nationwide training programme targeting 10 million Nigerians on financial inclusion and financial literacy, as it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six major professional bodies to drive capacity building across the country.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who spoke on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, said Nigeria can only reap its demographic dividend if young people and women are deliberately equipped with relevant skills and strong ethical grounding for a rapidly evolving digital economy.
The training programme is being implemented by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), which is chaired by the Vice President.
Under the MoU, the Federal Government will collaborate with six professional bodies — **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) — to jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives and mentorship platforms.
Speaking at the official flag-off of the programme, Shettima described the MoU as more than a formal agreement.
“It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure — the human, institutional and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,” he said.
He explained that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which PreCEFI is mandated to implement, recognises that access alone does not translate to inclusion.
“Financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust and capability. We cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards or disconnected professional ecosystems,” the Vice President stated.
According to him, the collaboration establishes a framework to harness professional expertise for inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment and support for small and medium-scale practitioners.
“This MoU establishes structured mechanisms for joint training programmes, policy dialogue, digital skills development and professional standards that align market practice with national inclusion goals,” Shettima said.
He stressed that prioritising women and youths is critical to Nigeria’s economic future.
“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,” he added.
Formally flagging off the programme, Shettima declared: “On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians, with priority for women and youth across the country.”
Earlier, President of ICAN, Haruna Yahaya, commended the Tinubu administration for its economic reforms, noting that the training initiative was timely and critical to sustaining recent economic gains.
He assured the Federal Government of ICAN’s full professional support, describing the programme as an institutional honour.
Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of WAWU Africa, the technical partner for the programme, Emmanuel Lennox, pledged readiness to provide the digital platform and enabling environment required for the programme’s success.
In his remarks, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, said exclusion is often driven by limited skills and weak institutional capacity, not just lack of access.
“Financial inclusion is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use infrastructure responsibly, productively and sustainably,” he said.
The highlight of the event was the formal signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies.
By Deji Elumoye, Abuja
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