The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has developed and introduced a Financial Education Curriculum for basic and senior secondary schools, to educate children on how to use financial services responsibly.
The Head of Consumer Education, CBN, Khadijah Kasim, said this on Monday in Abuja after a road walk with school children within Nyanya, Karu, Orozo and Jikwoyi in commemoration of the Global Money Week.
The Week is an annual global celebration, aimed at inspiring children and youth to learn about money, saving, creating livelihoods, gaining employment and becoming an entrepreneur.
Ms. Kasim said the curriculum was designed in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, to teach kids about savings and investment to enable them make informed financial decisions in future.
She said that educating children and young people about their social and economic rights and responsibilities was key to creating a generation of capable adults who could make wise decisions for their future.
Ms. Kasim further revealed that he new curriculum, which had been approved by Nigeria Council on Education, would be introduced in pilot states across the six geo-political zones and would take effect from the next academic year starting in October.
“This is a strategy put in place to impart the younger population by teaching them about savings, investments and financial concepts from their early years rather than wait until they grow older.
“We believe that once these habits are imbibed, they would become part of them. On the contrary, if allowed to grow without financial education, it will be difficult for the children to learn financial discipline,” she said.