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By Omodele Adigun
Polaris Bank Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Innocent Ike, has stressed the need for teens and youth in Nigeria to imbibe the culture of saving money early in life, to enable them secure their future.
Mr. Ike gave this advice on Wednesday while addressing students of First Golden Grace International School, Abeokuta, Ogun state capital. The school was adopted by Polaris Bank to mark this year’s Global Money Week (GMW) which is aimed at raising awareness on the importance of savings and youngsters becoming financially aware early in life.
The Polaris Bank CEO represented by the Group Head, South West 1, Dr. Abimbola Akorede, in his presentation to the students, expressed concern at the negative consequences that young people with little or no savings or financial investment awareness have to contend with. He assured that Polaris Bank will continue to sustain efforts at promoting financial literacy among youths in particular and Nigerians in general.
According to the top banker, “We need to learn, earn, save, and invest money”. You do not save after spending but rather, you save first before spending. The idea of inculcating financial awareness and knowledge is to catch them young through education on finance and financial investment so that in future, their personal and financial lives can be guaranteed. To achieve this, we need to imbibe the culture of saving, no matter how little”.
Mr. Ike further explained that the financial sensitisation campaign was part of the activities of the Global Money Week (GMW), an annual programme organised in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in partnership with an NGO, Junior Achievers (JA) Nigerian. The programme is designed to help raise awareness and sensitise students on the need to be financially independent and empowered.
He noted, “Although it is an annual event, we will however, continue to engage schools, parents and teachers, because we believe that by being financially literate, students and indeed, the young ones, will be able to build their capacity for future business endeavours, thereby securing their future from poverty and other financial challenges”.
Dr. Akorede later responded to several questions put to him by a cross section of the students, stressing that Polaris Bank, the CBN and other players in the banking sector, were ready to carry out enlightenment on a continuous basis; educate and teach students how to manage money that comes to them more frequently.
