Determined to push for financial literacy among youths in Africa, Junior Achievement (JA) Africa and The Richer TM Media Limited has partnered to produce an animated TV series called ‘The Junior Billionaires Club TM (JBC), aimed at teaching children across Africa wealth principles.
Speaking recently in Lagos during the partnership signing ceremony, Simi Nwogugu, chief executive officer of JA Africa, said that expanding financial literacy across the continent is a key area of focus for Junior Achievement Africa.
He said that the animated series gives JA Africa the opportunity to reach and educate millions of African children and young adults, especially those in hard to reach communities who may not have access to its classroom programmes or digital activities.
Nwogugu said the animated series is developed jointly based on The Richer TM Kids Club, an affiliate of The Richer TM Media and JA’s financial literacy, entrepreneurship and wealth education curricula which gives young people the knowledge and skills to make informed financial, business, career and life decisions.
According to her, JA Africa hopes that through the launch of the animated series in March, 2022, schools across Africa will be encouraged to set up Junior Billionaires Clubs to inspire their students.
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She added that the animated series will feature Lola and Kweku-Sika, two young Africans who will go on different adventures to learn key financial and wealth concepts as well as African history and other social studies/economics topics on Africa.
She said that the series will air in English, French and eventually Portuguese across different African countries on traditional and digital media.
Omi Oshikoya, chief media officer of The Richer TM Media, said the partnership gives will the company an opportunity to inspire a new generation of Africans that are not only creating wealth, but also successful in all areas of their lives.
“Africa has a high poverty rate, and this can be traced to the lack of financial literacy. To reduce the financial literacy gap, it is important to note that in every African country two -fifths of the population is younger than 15 years old, therefore, to foster economic development, the focus should be on children who are the future leaders,” Oshikoya said.
She also said that the curriculum has been created to include financial literacy, business as well as life and wealth principles to ensure the children are well equipped to thrive in the world today.
Oshikoya noted that the Covid-19 global pandemic has made it imperative for children to be financially educated and to learn how to invest in their physical, emotional and mental health as well as other areas of their lives.
“The animated series will educate children in a fun and interactive way to prepare them for life as adults as well as to learn good values and life skills such as leadership and public service. Junior Billionaires Club will contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal one and four that said ‘No Poverty,’ and ‘Quality Education’,” she said.
The Junior Billionaires Club curriculum has been created to include financial literacy, business as well life coaching and wealth principles to ensure that children are well equipped to be successful in every area of their lives.
