CBN introduces financial education curriculum for primary, secondary schools

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has developed and introduced a Financial Education Curriculum for basic and senior secondary schools, to educate children on how to use financial services responsibly.

The Head of Consumer Education, CBN, Mrs Khadijah Kasim, said this on Monday in Abuja after a road walk with school children within Nyanya, Karu, Orozo and Jikwoyi in commemoration of the Global Money Week.

The Week is an annual global celebration, aimed at inspiring children and youth to learn about money, saving, creating livelihoods, gaining employment and becoming an entrepreneur.

This year’s theme is “Learn, Save and Earn’’.

Kasim said the curriculum was designed in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, to teach kids about savings and investment to enable them to make informed financial decisions in future.

She said that educating children and young people about their social and economic rights and responsibilities was key to creating a generation of capable adults who could make wise decisions for their future.

Kasim said the new curriculum, which had been approved by Nigeria Council on Education, would  be introduced in pilot states across the six geo-political zones and would take effect from the next academic year starting in October.

“This is a strategy put in place to impart the younger population by teaching them about savings, investments and financial concepts from their early years rather than wait until they grow older.

“We believe that  once these habits are imbibed, they would become part of them. On the contrary, if allowed to grow without financial education, it will be difficult for the children to learn financial discipline.

“As the popular saying goes, `catch them young or else you cannot teach an old dog new tricks’.

“The ultimate goal of this is no doubt the achievement of financial stability and overall economic growth and development of Nigeria,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, a Junior Secondary School (JSS) student from JSS Karu, Nasarawa State, Miss Joanna Durunguma, said that she was learning how to save “a little extra from her lunch money, for a better tomorrow’’.