Financial Literacy Is No Longer Optional, CBN Warns Nigerian Youths
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has intensified its financial literacy drive, urging secondary school students across the country to stop viewing money purely as something to spend and to start treating it as a vehicle for investment and long term wealth creation.
Speaking in Abuja at the 2026 edition of Global Money Week, the CBN’s Director of Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion Department, Mrs. Aisha Isa Olatinwo, stressed that understanding how money works is no longer optional for young Nigerians.
She made it clear that financial education must begin early and be taken seriously at every level of society.
“In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, financial literacy is no longer optional; it is essential.|
The ability to make informed financial choices is a critical life skill that not only empowers individuals and strengthens families but also supports national economic growth,” she said.
Olatinwo challenged students to fundamentally rethink their relationship with money.
She advised them not to see money only as something to spend, but instead as an instrument for investment, noting that spending the returns from investment rather than the principal is how a secure financial future is built.
She also urged participants to pass on financial knowledge to others in their communities, describing peer learning as a key strategy for sustaining the impact of the initiative.
The apex bank’s engagement was part of the 2026 Global Money Week, running under the theme “Smart Money Talks.”
According to the Head of the Consumer Education and Evaluation Division, Mr. Amuwa Nelson, the theme was designed to encourage open and honest conversations about money as a pathway to better financial decision-making.
Nelson said the Financial Literacy Fair was structured to give participants hands-on experience in managing money, saving, and spending wisely, while also exposing them to the range of financial opportunities available to young Nigerians today.
To back its financial education push with practical tools, the CBN revealed several initiatives designed to deepen public understanding of financial management, including the Bank Consumer Education Series and the “Sabi Money” e-learning platform both created to provide accessible, practical knowledge especially for young people.
The outreach is not limited to students.
The CBN confirmed that this year’s campaign would extend to parents, traders, and grassroots communities across Nigeria, signalling the apex bank’s recognition that financial literacy must permeate all layers of society to drive meaningful economic change.
The Head of the Financial Inclusion Division at the CBN, Mrs. Temilade Akinfadeyi, added that the 2026 financial literacy fair was designed to create a hands-on, engaging learning environment that would introduce students to practical knowledge on managing money, saving responsibly, and exploring financial opportunities.
This latest campaign builds on years of similar interventions by the CBN.
The apex bank has consistently maintained that making a substantial income does not guarantee financial security, and that what truly matters is the ability to develop the skills and attitudes needed to manage financial resources effectively over time.
CBN officials have also stressed the importance of teaching young Nigerians how to identify financial fraud and scams, how to respond when targeted, and how to protect their money in both online and offline environments.
With Nigeria’s financial inclusion rate having grown significantly in recent years, the CBN’s push to embed financial literacy in schools and communities reflects a broader national ambition: to build a generation of Nigerians who are not only economically active but financially informed, disciplined, and empowered to grow wealth from an early age.
