Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has hosted its fourth quarter Investors’ Clinic targeted at youths in the country.
The clinic themed ‘Securing Your Tomorrow, Today’, had over 100 youths in attendance.
The investors’ clinic is a free and open financial literacy and inclusion programmes to educate Nigerian youths on the culture of investment in the capital and money markets.
According to Bola Adeeko, Head, Corporate Services Division, NSE, “we are committed to building a financially literate generation and will continue to commit resources to implement a variety of programmes that will enable young people imbue the requisite skills and knowledge that will help them navigate the future through smart investing .”
Speaking on their experience at the investors’ clinic, Miss Damilola Obafemi an applicant, said “I’ve always heard that the stock exchange is relevant to the Nigeria and the economy. Being here today is an opportunity for me to get information that will allow me to participate in the market”.
Mr. Kayode Awokoya, an applicant and a participant, also said “It is a very well organized event basically for the youths, and I think being here is an opportunity for me to take away skills and knowledge on investment opportunities available for youth in the country” while Michael Adewunmi from Portfolio Adversory Limited, a stockbroking firm, said “I got the information about this event from the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s website. I’m here to acquire knowledge about the market and to apply and disseminate such information to people who need it”.
Pai Gamde, Head, Human Resources at The NSE reiterated that “It is imperative that this financial literacy clinic hits home. With the startling statistics that 47% of our 29.4 million youths within the ages of 18 and 25 years are financially excluded and they have no access to financial services either formally or informally.
As a responsible organization, we will continue to play our part in deploying financial literacy programmes that will develop our youths to become sound leaders of tomorrow.”
The Nigeria Stock Exchange is a social responsible organisation with a robust corporate social responsibility strategy anchored on four pillars of Marketplace, our platform for promoting market- based approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) imperatives; Community, where we make contributions to positively impact lives; Workplace, through which we facilitate diversity, wellbeing and harness the talent and skills of our people; and the Environment as we focus on reducing the Exchange’s environmental impact.
As part of efforts to deepen the Nigeria capital market, NSE organises a series of financial literacy and inclusion programmes. In 2014, the NSE executed over 250 financial literacy programmes across Nigeria.