The Federal Government has launched a free nationwide training programme aimed at equipping 10 million Nigerians with financial literacy and digital skills, a move officials say is crucial for harnessing the country’s demographic dividend. The initiative was officially flagged off on Monday following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six professional bodies.

The programme, spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), is designed to empower especially youths and women with essential financial knowledge, investment skills, and digital competencies needed to thrive in a fast-evolving economy.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking at the flag-off ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said the initiative is part of a strategic national investment in human capacity and ethical foundations that would support inclusive growth. He emphasized that Nigeria can only fully benefit from its young population if they are deliberately equipped with relevant skills and strong ethical grounding.

Describing the MoU as more than a formal agreement, Shettima said financial inclusion should not be limited to mere access to financial services. “Financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust and capability,” he said, stressing that the country cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.

Under the MoU, the Federal Government will partner with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, the National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA), the Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI), and the Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NIIE). These bodies will jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms.

Shettima also highlighted that the framework will leverage the collective expertise of the professional bodies to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. He warned that inclusion would remain only a slogan without professionals capable of understanding MSME formalisation, credit risk beyond collateral, consumer protection, digital risk management, and innovation-driven enterprise development.

Mr Emanuel Lennox CEO, WAWU Africa; Mrs Fiona Ahimie,1st Vice President,Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers;Mrs Queensley Sofuratu Seghosime , 1st Vice President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN);Mr. Oluropo Dada,President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Prof. Pius Deji Olanrewaju FCIB, President, Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya,President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Vice President Kashim Shettima; Dr Makie Idowu, President, National Institute of Credit Administration; Sen Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; Mr. Kevin Ugwuoke, President, Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria; Alh Lawal Kankia Ibrahim, President, Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion and Dr Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters during the signing of MOUs with 6 professional bodies to jointly train and strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce at the presidential villa, Abuja on Monday 02-02-2026



He urged PreCEFI and partner institutions to treat the MoU as a “living platform for execution” rather than a ceremonial document, and officially declared the start of the training programme with priority for women and youth across the country.

Dr Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, added that exclusion is often driven by limited skills and weak institutional capacity, rather than lack of access alone. “Financial inclusion is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use infrastructure responsibly, productively and sustainably,” he said.

Representatives of the professional bodies also pledged their commitment to the programme. Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, President of ICAN, commended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and described the bodies’ participation as an institutional honour. Emmanuel Lennox, CEO of WAWU Africa, the programme’s technical partner, said the organisation was ready to deliver the digital platform and enabling environment required for the initiative.

The event culminated in the formal signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies, marking the official start of the nationwide capacity-building drive.