The federal government on Monday, flagged off a free nationwide training program, signing agreements with six professional bodies.

Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President, said in a statement that about 10 million Nigerians will benefit from the financial inclusion and literacy.

Kashim Shettima, the vice president, said Nigeria can reap bountifully from its demographic dividend only if young Nigerians and women are equipped with the needed skills and ethical grounding required for a speedily progressing digital economy.

The training being undertaken by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, is designed to equip Nigerians, particularly women and youths, with essential financial skills, investment knowledge, and digital competencies for sustainable wealth creation.

The training agreement was signed by  the PreCEFI, with six professional bodies to jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms that would strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.

The professional bodies include the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS); National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA); Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI) and Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NIIE).

Shettima described the MoU as a  strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,

He also noted that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which the PreCEFI is mandated to implement, recognises the fact that “financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability.”

According to him, the nation “cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.”

“This MoU therefore establishes a working framework to harness the collective expertise of ICAN, CIBN, CIS, CRMI, NICA, and NIIE to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and support for small and medium practitioners.

“It establishes a structured mechanism for joint training programmes, policy dialogue, digital skills development, and professional standards that align market practice with national inclusion goals.”

He stressed the importance of involvement of relevant institutions in financial inclusion adding that such exercise remains a mere slogan “without accountants who understand MSME formalisation, credit administrators who can assess risk beyond collateral, bankers who embed consumer protection, risk professionals who anticipate digital threats, and innovators who translate ideas into enterprises”

He also stressed the need for th training programme to  prioritise young Nigerians and women.

” This collaboration prioritises women and youth inclusion and digital transformation, recognising that Nigeria’s demographic dividend will only materialise if young people are equipped with relevant skills and ethical grounding for a fast-evolving digital economy.”

He therefore, charged the PreCEFI and the professional bodies not to treat the MoU as a mere document, but as a living platform for execution.

“Accordingly, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians with priority for women and youth across the country,” VP Shettima declared.

Haruna Yahaya,  President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria ICAN, in his remarks , applauded the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its bold economic reforms that has culminated in the flag off of the financial inclusion free training programme for 10 million women and youths in Nigeria.

He said the decision to embark on the project was prompted by visible improvements in the economy as a result of the gains of the Federal Government’s policy reforms.

Yahaya assured the Vice President of their professional support in the realisation of set objectives, describing their involvement involvement in the project as an institutional honour.

Emmanuel Lennox, CEO of WAWU Africa –  technical partners in the programme,  assured of the company’s readiness to deliver on the project, particularly in providing the digital platform and overall enabling environment for its success.

Nurudeen Zauro,  Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, said  “Exclusion is not only by lack of access, but by limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support.

“Consequently, financial inclusion is not achieved by infrastructure alone; it is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use that infrastructure responsibly, productively, and sustainably.”