In a bid to inculcate financial discipline, Sterling Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, held a financial literacy training session for secondary school pupils in Jigawa State.
The interactive session equipped the pupils with skills for making informed and effective decisions on the use and management of money.
Tagged Financial Literacy Day, the event, which held at Dutse Commercial Secondary School, Takur, Jigawa State, at the instance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was part of activities lined up to celebrate the annual Global Money Week.
In his speech, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, said the bank chose to train the pupils to shape their thinking and expose them to important financial lessons needed to beat future economic challenges.
The CEO, who was represented by the North-West Regional Manager of the bank, Mr. Ibrahim Salihi, said the one-day training was also aimed at helping the pupils better understand the importance of savings and investments.
“We are optimistic that if the pupils can understand the importance of savings and investments at a young age, they would grow into adults who can achieve financial security and success,” he said.
Salihi, who facilitated the training, said, “It is crucial to prepare young people to manage their finances before reaching adulthood. Sterling Bank is committed to financial literacy for primary and secondary school pupils because the financial marketplace is becoming increasingly complex. And teaching young people to manage their finances should be a national priority.”
He emphasised the need for anyone who wants to save money to carefully select recognised financial institutions and advised the pupils to avoid dealing with shadowy institutions.
“Financial discipline guides an individual to spend what he earned, and his spending should not exceed his earnings. This is first the step for one to be able to save and use the savings for investments.”
He also highlighted the need for the pupils and the general public to embrace digital literacy as the global economy and social life are now operated on digital platforms. “Learning how to use the computer and other basic information and communication technology tools is almost compulsory for any businessman or service provider that needs to compete in local and international markets.”
Salihi reminded the pupils that Sterling Bank has chosen them to be agents of spreading financial literacy and urged them to share the knowledge they have learned with their friends, siblings and immediate communities.
He also enlightened the participants about the numerous opportunities offered by Sterling Bank to pupils, parents, teachers and schools to achieve their aspirations.
In his remarks, the Director Dutse Commercial Secondary School, Takur, Jigawa State, Malam Abdulmumini Jibrin expressed gratitude to the management of Sterling Bank for choosing the school for the training.
He noted that going by the responses from the pupils, it showed that the lecture had opened their minds and shaped their thinking on financial discipline, savings, and investments.
The director expressed the readiness of the school to continue collaborating with the bank to promote financial literacy and academic excellence.
