Yemisi Izuora
The FBNQuest, the investment banking and asset management subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, has partnered with the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) program designed to educate preteens and teenagers on how to preserve, save and grow money.
In commemorating Global Money Week and as part of the organisation’s Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CR&S) activities, to promote financial literacy FBNQuest employees volunteered to teach Youths from the Araromi Youth Training Hub in Gbagada, Lagos and provided insights and techniques on how they can commence their journey to financial independence.
The key topics discussed centered around Financial Planning and cultivating a healthy saving habit from a young age. Questions on investing, preserving and securing your future financially were answered by the experts who spoke during the interactive session.
The organisation continues to show its commitment to improving and deepening the financial knowledge of Nigerian children through its support of Global Money Week. The Chief Financial Officer of FBNQuest Merchant Bank, Olamide Adeosun and other employees of the organisation through the employee volunteering initiative volunteered to train over 400 students on Financial Literacy across Nigeria. This year’s event was themed “Plan your money, Plant your future”. The Representatives shed more light on having clear and specific goals to guide financial decisions.
These were communicated using simple relatable illustrations making it easy for the students to understand. The investment certified professionals went further to cover and highlight how students can take advantage of investment opportunities from a young age, cultivating the habit of putting money away to meet goals requiring money. The schools visited spanned across Lagos, Abuja and Rivers states.
Commenting on the Partnership with USAID, Head Marketing and Corporate Communications at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, Barbara Ezeife stated that “At FBNQuest, one of our pillars as responsible corporate citizens focuses on driving financial literacy, as we believe it is pivotal to building sustainable economic growth and personal development. We remain committed to contributing to this collective goal by participating in more trainings that will enable us add value to individuals across the country.”
The USAID Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) is aimed at improving the health and well-being of out-of-school youths in urban slums in selected communities in Lagos and Kano States. The program seeks to empower young Nigerians to think about their future differently and access the skills, social capital, and resources needed to realize their aspirations. The YPE4AH project has successfully trained over 300 adolescents to be change agents in their communities and provided several livelihood opportunities for over 500 adolescents with its unique life skills programming that builds the capacity of out-of-school adolescents to make healthier decisions, improve their understanding of gender norms, and empower them to think about their futures differently.