The Federal Government has officially rolled out a free nationwide financial inclusion and literacy training programme aimed at reaching 10 million Nigerians, with special focus on women and young people across the country.
The initiative is being implemented by the Office of the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which is chaired by the Vice-President.
According to Gossip News Now , the programme is designed to equip participants with critical financial management skills, investment awareness, and digital competencies required for long-term wealth creation and economic sustainability.
To support effective execution, the Office of the Vice-President, through the committee, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six professional institutions. The partnership will focus on developing training curricula, certification frameworks, digital skills programmes, and mentorship platforms.
The collaboration is expected to significantly strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.
The participating professional bodies are the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), and the National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA). Others include the Chartered Risk Management Institute and the Nigerian Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vice-President Shettima described the MoU as more than a formal agreement, saying it represents a strategic national investment in human capital development.
He stressed that Nigeria could only fully benefit from its demographic advantage if women and young people were empowered with the right skills and ethical foundation to succeed in an increasingly digital economy.
According to him, the initiative reflects an understanding that human capacity is as critical as physical infrastructure in achieving inclusive economic growth.
Shettima further explained that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which the committee is tasked with implementing, recognises that access to financial services alone is not enough.
“Financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability,” the Vice-President stated.
He warned that Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy could not be realised on the back of weak skills, fragmented professional standards, or poorly connected institutions.
The Vice-President noted that the MoU provides a structured framework for leveraging the combined expertise of the six professional bodies to promote inclusion through capacity development, digital transformation, youth empowerment, advocacy, and support for small and medium-scale practitioners.
He added that the agreement creates a platform for joint training programmes, policy engagement, digital skills advancement, and professional standards that align market practices with national inclusion objectives.
Shettima emphasised that capacity building remains central to financial inclusion, cautioning that inclusion would remain a slogan without professionals who understand Nigeria’s economic realities.
He highlighted the importance of accountants who understand MSME formalisation, credit administrators capable of assessing risk beyond collateral, bankers committed to consumer protection, risk managers who anticipate digital threats, and innovators who can turn ideas into viable enterprises.
Reiterating the programme’s focus, Shettima said women and youths would remain at the centre of the initiative, noting that Nigeria’s demographic dividend would only be realised if young people were adequately prepared for the digital economy.
He urged the committee and partner institutions to treat the MoU as a practical, action-oriented document rather than a symbolic agreement.
“On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, I hereby formally flag off the free financial literacy training of 10 million Nigerians, with priority for women and youth nationwide,” the Vice-President declared.
Earlier, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Malam Haruna Yahaya, praised the Tinubu administration for what he described as bold economic reforms, noting that the reforms had contributed to measurable improvements in the economy.
He said the gains from these reforms informed the decision to launch the nationwide financial inclusion training initiative and assured the Vice-President of ICAN’s full professional support.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of WAWU Africa, the programme’s technical partner, Mr Emmanuel Lennox, pledged the organisation’s readiness to deliver on the project, stating that WAWU Africa would provide the digital platform and enabling environment required for its success.
Similarly, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Zauro, observed that financial exclusion is driven not only by lack of access but also by insufficient skills and weak institutional capacity.
He stressed that true financial inclusion is achieved when individuals and institutions are properly equipped to use available infrastructure responsibly, productively, and sustainably.
Gossip News Now reports that the highlight of the event was the formal signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies for the nationwide capacity-building programme.
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