NDIC urges early financial education for teenagers

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has said Nigerian teenagers must be equipped with financial literacy early to develop a culture of saving, attain financial independence and avoid falling victim to financial fraud.

According to the corporation, exposing secondary school students to money management at an early age will help them build responsible financial habits that would serve them into adulthood.

The Principal Manager, Communication and Public Affairs of the NDIC, Sa’adatu Bowsan, stated this on Thursday during a financial literacy programme tagged “Smart Money Talks” held for students of the Federal Technical College, Ukana Offot, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The programme formed part of activities marking the 2026 Financial Literacy Day, an annual awareness campaign organised by the NDIC in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria to encourage conversations on money management and equip young people with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions.

Bowsan said the initiative was driven by the conviction that today’s young people would become tomorrow’s economic decision-makers, making it imperative to instil sound financial habits early in life.

According to her, exposing students to financial education at a young age will encourage prudent financial management, strengthen saving habits and reduce their vulnerability to financial scams.

“We are here in Akwa Ibom State as part of the commemoration of the Financial Literacy Day 2026, which is a global initiative of the Bankers’ Committee. We are here basically to teach financial literacy, targeting young people, especially secondary school students.

“The whole idea is to reach them while they are still young. We believe the young people of today will become the adults of tomorrow, so it is important to inculcate the right financial habits in them early so that they will become financially responsible adults.

“The initiative will promote financial independence and also protect young people from financial fraud,” she said.

Also speaking, the Zonal Controller of the NDIC, Port Harcourt Zonal Office, Adefemi Shaba, said the programme was designed to help students develop healthy financial habits that would benefit them throughout their lives.

He noted that although the lessons might not appear immediately relevant to many of the students, they would become increasingly valuable as they advanced in their education and eventually entered the workforce.

“We are here for the commemoration of Financial Literacy Day 2026, where we introduce students to the culture of saving and encourage them to cultivate good financial habits.

“We do this so that as these students grow older, the habit of saving will already be part of their lifestyle,” Shaba said.