NEWS
FG Launches Historic Free Training for 10 Million Nigerians, Seals Strategic Pact with Six Professional Bodies to Drive Nationwide Financial Inclusion, Digital Skills, and Youth-Women Empowerment
The Federal Government of Nigeria has formally launched a landmark free nationwide initiative to train 10 million Nigerians in financial inclusion and literacy, marking a major step toward building a financially knowledgeable, digitally skilled, and economically empowered population.
The initiative was flagged off on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. It is being implemented through the Office of the Vice President under the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), which the Vice President chairs.
Beyond the training rollout, the Federal Government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six leading professional bodies in Nigeria to jointly develop structured training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms that will support the long-term sustainability of the project.
The programme is strategically designed to prioritise young Nigerians and women, equipping them with essential financial management skills, investment knowledge, and digital competencies needed for sustainable wealth creation, entrepreneurship, and meaningful participation in Nigeria’s evolving economy.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice President Shettima described the partnership as a transformational national investment in human capital rather than a routine agreement.
“The signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six of Nigeria’s foremost professional bodies was more than a formal agreement. It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,” the Vice President said.
The six professional bodies participating in the initiative are 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).
Senator Shettima explained that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which PreCEFI is implementing, recognises that genuine financial inclusion goes beyond opening accounts or providing access to financial services.
According to him, inclusion must be anchored on competence, trust, and capability, ensuring that citizens possess the knowledge and confidence to use financial services effectively and responsibly.
“This MoU 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,” he said.
He further emphasised that the programme places special focus on women and young people, noting that Nigeria’s demographic advantage can only translate into economic prosperity if the youth are equipped with relevant, future-ready skills and strong ethical values to thrive in a fast-evolving digital economy.
“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.
In his remarks, the President of ICAN, Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, commended the Federal Government for undertaking bold economic reforms that made the initiative possible. He assured the Vice President of ICAN’s full commitment to the programme, describing the institute’s involvement as both a responsibility and an institutional honour.
Also speaking, Emmanuel Lennox, Chief Executive Officer of WAWU Africa, the programme’s technical partner, pledged to deliver a robust digital platform and a supportive learning environment that would ensure seamless access, engagement, and effective delivery of the training nationwide.
Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, underscored the deeper meaning of inclusion, stressing that access alone is insufficient without skills and institutional support.
“Exclusion is not only by lack of access, but by limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support. 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,” he said.
The event concluded with the formal signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies, officially setting in motion one of the most ambitious nationwide capacity-building and financial empowerment programmes in Nigeria’s history.