Yemisi Izuora
FIRST Bank of Nigeria Limited has launched its Financial Literacy programme for Secondary Schools in Ebony State, under the auspices of the FirstBank Future First Programme.
The initiative launched in 2013 in partnership with Junior Achievement Nigeria and the Lagos State Empowerment & Resource Network (LEARN), is designed to empower students of secondary schools with requisite knowledge of financial literacy and career counseling to equip them with knowledge of money management, early entrepreneurship skills, and financial independence whilst stimulating the development of a savings culture at an early age.
The Future First Financial Literacy Programme is an ongoing Corporate Responsibility initiative of FirstBank which aligns with the Bank’s Sustainable Finance objective, a key focus area of the Bank’s Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Strategy.
The Bank has recorded immense success in implementing the programme in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abuja which saw staff volunteer their time and resources to teach students in over 80 secondary schools, impacting over 60,000 students and committing over 220,000 staff volunteering hours since the programme was launched.
In order to further expand its reach with the financial literacy agenda to Nigerian youths, FirstBank has spread its tentacles to Ebonyi State, South-Eastern Nigeria, launching the FutureFirst Financial Literacy Programme in the State with the Commissioner for Education; the Secretary to the State Government; Head of the State Board of Education; 30 principals of selected schools and staff of the Bank in attendance.
Subsequently, FirstBank staff volunteers were trained by Junior Achievement Nigeria as part of the requisite train-the-trainers exercise and assigned to schools. School teachers in the state were also trained to ensure sustainability of the programme. Thirty schools are currently participating in the financial literacy exercise in Ebonyi State with more schools to follow.
FirstBank’s Future First Financial Literacy Programme is in line with the CBN’s drive for financial inclusion which seeks to ensure financial inclusion for the unbanked having a strong bearing on financial stability, economic growth and development for the citizenry. – Independent