Economy
THE Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has renewed its commitment to promoting financial literacy among young Nigerians, taking the campaign to secondary school students in Oyo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for the 2026 edition is: “Smart Money Talks”.
The campaign is designed to equip students with sound financial knowledge, which remains critical to building a responsible society and safeguarding depositors’ funds.
The event was part of activities to commemorate the 2026 Financial Literacy Day, a major activity under Global Money Week.
Speaking at the event held at Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, on Thursday, the NDIC Managing Director, Mr Sunday Oludare, noted that the Bankers’ Committee in Nigeria adopted the day as a platform to mentor youths on the habit of saving and graduating to investment.
Oludare was represented by the Assistant Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Mr Adegbenga Fagbuyi.
He further stated that the initiative aligned with the financial inclusion drive of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According to him, financial inclusion means bringing everybody into the financial safety net by getting them involved in banking, insurance, pensions, and the capital market.
“Government wants everybody to be a participant in that sector. And how can they be participants if they are not financially literate. If they don’t know how to save or graduate their savings into investment?” he said.
The MD emphasised that youths are a major target of government’s financial inclusion drive.
He said that government does not want young people to grow into adulthood without knowledge of savings, safe banking habits, insurance, and the capital market.
“This informed NDIC’s decision to go to schools to sensitise students on basic financial matters, with particular emphasis on savings,” he said.
He, however, said that the objective of the initiative was not to cover all schools, but to set a standard for state governments and schools to replicate.
He urged the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to expand and replicate the programme across schools in the state to deepen financial inclusion among youths.
Earlier in the event, the Principal of Lagelu Grammar School, Mr Adeyanju Gbolagade, noted that the programme had opened the students’ eyes to realise that they were not too young to start saving or investing.
Mr Olusegun Olayiwola, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, while reacting to the initiative, commended the efforts of the Bankers’ Committee, the NDIC, and the Central Bank aimed at promoting a savings and investment culture in young students.
Olayiwola, who was represented by Mr Kareem Lukuman, Permanent Secretary of the Education Inspectorate, Ibadan North, urged the NDIC to expand the programme to other schools.
He noted that students could not gain all necessary financial knowledge in accounting or business studies classes alone.
Consequently, he charged teachers to step down the knowledge gained in the programme to other students, who were not captured in the sensitisation session.
NAN reports that the programme featured lectures on how to save and the right place to save, legitimate investments, the mandate of NDIC, and a question and answer session. (NAN)
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Tags: Financial literacy NDIC Students in Oyo