Business
L-R: Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mr Akin Morakinyo; CIBN President, Dr Dele Alabi; Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Abayomi Oluyomi and President, Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks, Mr Jide Sipe during CIBN’s Generation Next 4.0 programme on Wednesday in Lagos.
LAGOS State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged Nigerian youths the lead efforts to build a digital, inclusive and sustainable economy.
Sanwo-Olu represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Abayomi Oluyomi made the call on Wednesday at the 4th Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) Generation Next Forum 4.0 in Lagos.
The forum had the theme, “Building Tomorrow, Today: Youth as Catalysts of a Digital, Inclusive and Sustainable Economy.”
He said young Nigerians were already shaping the future through applications, online businesses, remote work and fintech innovations.
He said that technology must be matched with integrity, discipline, creativity and problem solving.
Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had disbursed over N15 billion to more than 20,000 MSMEs.
He said the intervention had supported the creation of more than 320,000 jobs, including N1.9 billion disbursed in 2025.
He added that Lagos innovation had supported over 240 startups and trained about 1,000 youths in software development, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Sanwo-Olu said government would continue creating opportunities for youths through funding, skills development, technology hubs and workplace partnerships.
He urged banks and businesses to treat young people as partners in innovation by providing mentorship and opportunities.
“Tomorrow belongs to the young, but tomorrow is being built today,” he said.
The CIBN President, Dr Dele Alabi, said the institute would collaborate with state governments to establish youth innovation hubs.
Alabi said the initiative would provide platforms for young Nigerians to develop skills, innovate, network and build businesses.
He said the programme would begin in Lagos before expanding to other states.
He said youths constituted about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population and remained critical to economic growth.
The CIBN president said the institute’s IMPACT Vision prioritised generational, gender and geographical inclusion, alongside skills development and innovation.
Alabi said five of Africa’s nine billion dollars startups were in Nigeria, describing the development as evidence of Nigerian youths’ innovative capacity.
He urged youths to take advantage of emerging opportunities, mentorship and digital platforms to develop their potential.
Speaking with journalists, Alabi said artificial intelligence had fundamentally changed banking and the future of work.
He urged bankers and young Nigerians to acquire AI skills and leverage technology to improve productivity and efficiency.
He also warned that AI came with risks, including cybersecurity, fraud and identity theft, which must be properly managed.
The Managing Director of Lotus Bank, Dr Isiaka Ajani-Lawal, urged youths to develop four qualities to succeed in a changing economy.
Ajani-Lawal unveiled the H E L D framework, representing Habits, Execution, Learning to Lead and Discipline.
He said consistent positive habits could build credibility and a strong reputation over time.
The banker urged youths to bridge the gap between ideas and results through effective execution.
He also stressed the need for continuous learning, particularly as artificial intelligence and other technologies reshape the workplace.
Ajani-Lawal, who has 29 years of banking experience, described self discipline as essential for integrity, credibility and lasting success.
He challenged youths to develop one productive habit, execute a delayed idea, learn a new skill and overcome one personal weakness. (NAN)
A.I
Aug. 12, 2026
Tags: CIBN Dr Dele Alabi Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu Mr Abayomi Oluyomi Mr Akin Morakinyo