The Federal Government of Nigeria on Monday flagged off a nationwide free training programme aimed at equipping 10 million Nigerians with essential financial and digital skills.
Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, speaking on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the initiative is critical for harnessing Nigeria’s demographic dividend. He noted that the country can only benefit fully if young people and women are equipped with the skills and ethical grounding necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
The training, spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), seeks to strengthen the financial competence, investment knowledge, and digital capacity of Nigerians, particularly women and youths, for sustainable wealth creation.
As part of the initiative, PreCEFI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six professional bodies—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) to jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms.
Shettima described the MoU as “more than a formal agreement. It is a strategic national investment in human, institutional, and ethical capacity, which forms the foundation for inclusive growth.”
He added that financial inclusion “is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability,” emphasizing that a one-trillion-dollar economy cannot be built on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.
The Vice President stressed the importance of professional expertise in driving inclusion. “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.
Prioritizing women and youth, Shettima charged PreCEFI and its partners to treat the MoU as a living platform for execution, not just a document. “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,” he declared.
Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, President of ICAN, lauded the Tinubu administration’s bold economic reforms and pledged the institute’s support for the programme. Similarly, Mr. Emmanuel Lennox, CEO of WAWU Africa, technical partner for the initiative, assured full readiness to deliver the digital platform and enabling environment for its success.
Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, highlighted the need for the programme, noting that financial exclusion stems not only from lack of access but also from limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support.
The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies, formally launching the capacity-building programme.
