How banks align products, services to include children

Ever since the establishment of financial inclusion strategy in 2012 by the Central Bank of Nigeria, deposit money banks have not relented in taking advantage of the scheme to get the under banked into the financial service sector.

The banks extend their corporate social responsibility to schools and engage children in various financial programmes.

Specifically, Last week was the national children’s day and banks took turn to celebrate with them in various styles.

Unity Bank for instance donated instructional materials to Okun Ajah Community Senior High School in a bid to support facility upgrade in the school.

Okun Ajah Community Senior High School is a public school located on the shoreline of Eti-Osa L.G.A of Lagos State and the intervention is in line with the Unity Bank’s CSR philosophy of advancing the interests of communities, particularly those at the bottom of the pyramid.

The items donated include internet facility for the Schools ICT centre, multi-functional photocopying machine to enhance the efficiency of the School’s administration as well as sets of books for the school library.

The three areas of intervention were carefully selected not only to create direct impact on students of the school but also, those children that would be enrolled into the school in future. The initiative is also aimed at equipping this public school, such that, the poor and financially challenged in our communities are able to access quality but affordable education.

Dahiru Chadi, an Executive Director, who presented the items on behalf of Unity Bank Plc, said the Bank’s gesture is in response to the call by Government on corporate organizations to contribute to the development of institutions as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“This presentation is to celebrate the Children’s Day and give value to educational development in our communities”, he said.

Also, activities marking the Heritage Bank Children Banking Month peaked last weekend with the celebration of the Nigerian child, when it feted children in the “biggest children’s party of the year” at the King’s College Annex grounds, Victoria Island, Lagos.

  Sponsored by the bank’s kiddies account, the Bud Account, under the theme, “Taking the Early Lead,” over 700 children gathered to be treated to various great and exciting experiences that included both physical and cerebral exercises, in which many prizes were won to the delight of watchful parents who were also not left out of the fun.

Ifie Sekibo, managing director, who was represented by the Executive Director, Lagos/Southwest and Corporate Banking, Mary Akpobome, reiterated the objective of the bank to do all that it can to equip the Nigerian Child with the requisite knowledge they require to be remarkable leaders of the future.

Sekibo, said in keeping with the vision of the bank of helping its partners, including children, to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations, the bank has introduced the first ever financial literacy comic book, “The Protectors, Keepers of the Heritage,” to teach children, in a fun way, rudimentary financial education and how to save and invest money for bigger things.

Wema Bank Plc has identified the need to promote financial literacy among parents and children in the country as the bank paid host to pupils from Taadel Primary School and Maryland Covent School at its Headquarter in Marina Lagos.

Speaking during the visit that took the children around the bank to witness, firsthand key banking operations, the head of retail banking, Wema Bank, Dotun Ifebogun noted that there is the need to create more awareness on the relevance of financial literacy to the Nigerian child and the citizens at large.

Addressing the need for the event that brought the children on excursion to the bank, he explained that “What we want for the children is not just to hear about banking but to also feel it by getting them acquainted with key banking operations. For instance, taking them through how the ATM works, how fund from their parents moves through the banking system among others.”

He added that with the high level of exposure among school children today, it is good for them to have better knowledge of finance and financial operations.“Financial literacy should not be taken for granted among children and even the adults.” He said

Furthermore, Ecobank Nigeria Limited has opened its annual national essay competition for children as part of activities to engender financial literacy among the young people. The topic for the easy competition is “The need to imbibe the culture of savings at an early age”. Prizes to be won include Laptops, Educational Tabs and several consolation prizes. The Ecobank National Essay competition is for children with the Ecobank MyFirst Account between the ages 8 to 12 in category one and ages 9 to 14 in category two.

HOPE MOSES-ASHIKE