SENSITIZATION ON FINANCIAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Our 2014 Global Money Week Celebration started off with the sensitization of over 10,500 children/youths in 16 selected primary and secondary schools in Ibadan, Oyo State.
CDCF staffs together with some bank officials were at all the schools on Tuesday, 11th of March, 2014 to further enlighten the children on the need to imbibe the habit of savings. Teachers and some parents at the programme were excited about the programme.
PUBLIC LECTURE ON FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND INCLUSION
Attendance: 100 school children
20 School teachers
20 Special Guests including a Chartered Accountant as Chairman, a Retired Banker as Guest Lecturer, representative of Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Oyo State as Special Guest of Honour, Chief Executives of Child Focused NGOs, School Proprietors and Press men.
On Wednesday, 12th March, 2014, 100 school children were brought together at a public lecture to be given financial education.
The Executive Director of Child Development and Concern Foundation (CDCF), Alh. Iskil Yussuf , in his welcome address recalled that the celebration was an initiative of Child and Youth Finance International (CYFI) based in the Netherlands. The celebration, he said, was a Global event and a perfect opportunity to offer children and youths holistic education on finance, such as developing true value for money, developing savings culture, building assets, investing wisely and having access to financial services. He admonished the children to cultivate savings habit from childhood in order to have a guaranteed brighter future.
He said CYFI have the target of ensuring 100million children and youths from 100 countries have holistic financial education and own bank accounts by 2015.Nigeria should take her proportionate share of the population.
In his own remark, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Gbenga Adekanmbi, stated that the children should appreciate the rare opportunity to be part of the programme. He talked about financial independence, financial growth and financial discipline. He said the children need to distinguish between their wants and needs, and also that needs are more important than wants because human wants are insatiable. He stated that children should learn to save and spend wisely. Most importantly, the chairman said savings start with financial discipline and that it is better inculcated at young age.
The Guest Lecturer, Mr. Lukman Fasasi, a retired banker talked about money being a store of value and about saving culture. He said, saving culture is a habit and that we must all learn to spend wisely and prudently.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs as the Special Guest of Honour, who was represented by Mr. Oke, appreciated CDCF for the programme to educate children on financial literacy and inclusion. He also advised the children to imbibe savings and gave a brief talk on Child Protection and especially to protect them from being sexually abused.
The Branch Managers of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Ecobank who were at the programme as Special Guests also talked to the children to save for the future. They introduced the various products offered by their banks.
Dr (Mrs) Ebun Walker, the Executive Director of Initiative for Integrated Community Welfare in Nigeria (IICWIN) also gave a short speech on savings and shared her personal experience on how the saving culture imbibed at childhood helped her to achieve what she has been able to achieve in life today.
The Chairman of Community Chest Council and the ED of Child Growth and Concern Initiative (CGCI), also gave a brief speech on savings and advised the Government to encourage savings amongst students in the schools.
A prototype Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was made available at the programme. It was used to demonstrate how it is used in the banks to the children. The children were also made to operate it. They were visibly excited about it.
After the various speeches, the children were thrilled with quiz programme (Pick n Talk) on finance and investment related questions which attracted prizes. All the children and the guests were entertained with delicious snacks and drinks.
In his closing remarks Alh. Yussuf said all the students should discuss with their parents to open bank accounts for them and get qualified to join Child Development Finance Club. One of the children at the programme said he had learnt how to spend wisely.
The programme came to an end for the day with vote of thanks made by Barr. Yussuf-Subair.
VISITATION TO BANKS
The children were also taken on visit to Stanbic IBTC Bank and Ecobank. They were exposed to and educated on the operations of the various sections of the banks.
RADIO PROGRAMME
As a way of educating the general public on the need to have proper financial education and inclusion, the ED of CDCF, Alh Iskil Yussuf was on a 30 minutes radio programme of Radio Nigeria, Ibadan, on Tuesday, 18th of March, 2014.
He enlightened the public on the importance of giving children and youths financial education and making them have access to financial services. During the programme he also answered various questions relating to the topic.
The discussion on the programme was conducted in local language.