The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with six professional bodies to deliver free nationwide training on financial inclusion and literacy to 10 million Nigerians, in a major push to deepen economic participation among youths and women.
The programme, which was formally flagged off on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, is being implemented by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Speaking at the event on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria’s ability to harness its demographic dividend depends on equipping young people and women with relevant financial skills, ethical grounding, and digital competence needed for a rapidly evolving economy.
According to him, the initiative is designed to provide Nigerians with practical financial knowledge, investment awareness, and digital skills that support sustainable wealth creation and long-term economic stability.
Under the agreement, the Federal Government, through PreCEFI, will collaborate with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, National Institute of Credit Administration, Chartered Risk Management Institute, and the Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The partnership will focus on jointly developing training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms to strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.
Vice President Shettima described the MoU as more than a ceremonial agreement, calling it a strategic national investment in human and institutional capacity.
He noted that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which PreCEFI is mandated to implement, recognises that financial inclusion goes beyond access to services and must be anchored on competence, trust, and capability.
The Vice President warned that Nigeria cannot build a trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems, stressing that the collaboration would align professional practice with national inclusion goals.
He explained that the framework would support joint training programmes, policy engagement, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and the strengthening of small and medium-scale enterprises across the country.
Shettima emphasised that true financial inclusion requires professionals who understand MSME formalisation, responsible credit assessment, consumer protection, digital risk management, and enterprise development, noting that without these, inclusion would remain rhetorical rather than systemic.
Reaffirming the focus on women and youths, the Vice President said the success of Nigeria’s demographic advantage depends on targeted capacity building for young people who must compete in a fast-moving digital economy.
He urged PreCEFI and its partners to treat the MoU as a living framework for execution rather than a symbolic document.
On behalf of President Tinubu, the Vice President officially declared the commencement of the free training programme, with priority given to women and youths across the federation.
Earlier, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, commended the Tinubu administration for its economic reforms, describing the financial inclusion training programme as timely and impactful.
Yahaya said the initiative was driven by visible improvements in the economy resulting from ongoing policy reforms and assured the Federal Government of the professional bodies’ full support in achieving the programme’s objectives.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of WAWU Africa, the programme’s technical partner, Emmanuel Lennox, pledged the organisation’s readiness to deliver the digital platform and operational support required for the success of the initiative.
In his remarks, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, said financial exclusion in Nigeria is often driven by limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support.
He stressed that financial inclusion is achieved not just through infrastructure, but when individuals and institutions are equipped to use financial systems responsibly, productively, and sustainably.
The event concluded with the formal signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six professional bodies, marking the official launch of the nationwide capacity-building programme.
