From Uche Usim, Abuja
Joy swelled in the hearts of pupils of different primary schools and kids from different orphanages on Friday, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) took them through different educational programmes and donated cash and gift items to them, to commemorate the 2023 children’s day celebration.
The children congregated at the Maha Events centre in Abuja where they sang and danced; engaged in some competition, sensitised on financial literacy, financial inclusion, saving culture, prudential resource management among other events.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Ishaku Hauwa Aji, a Deputy Director, CBN Governor’s Office said the theme of this year’s celebration; “investing in children means investing in the future”, was carefully chosen in recognition of their prime place in national development.
She added that the orphanages got food items that will buoy them for weeks, aside stipends given to all the pupils who attended the event.
According to her, the programme was inspired by need to support the younger generation right from basic level.
She said: “The CBN is a financial institution that has a corporate social responsibility to take care of the needy in the society.
“So, today is children’s day and we need to carry the children along. We want to make them have a sense of belonging in the society. That’s why we brought them out like others to have fun. We brought children from orphanages and LEA primary schools. We’re celebrating their day.
“We’re going to have some talks with them about financial inclusion and how they can help themselves as they’re growing up and how they can manage their finances.
“We have lots of gifts. We also have stipends they can use to buy some books. The orphanages can buy more foodstuffs”, she explained.