Introduction
As we approach the final phase of planning for
the FiLEX Awards Ceremony on 27 May 2016, it
is entirely in order to pause and look back at the
journey up till this point. The truth is in 2006,
when DIN launched its financial education
programmes for small and medium-scale
entrepreneurs, our narrow concern was to
simply ensure that they had the knowledge and
awareness to engage more effectively with and
use the services of the newly established
microfinance banks. So we piloted and tested a
basic financial education curriculum to meet
their needs given that so many of them were
unbanked and had limited literacy skills. But
what rapidly became clear was that against the
backdrop of the financial crisis that hit in 2009
and the growing use of digital financial products,
closing knowledge gaps about financial
subjects would need to go beyond ad hoc
measures no matter how successful. What the
situation clearly called for was a more strategic
approach, which would have national reach.
Today, Nigeria has a National Framework on
Financial Literacy. So we view the FiLEX Awards
as an apt celebration of the progress that has
been made in this space. This is one of the ways
in which we can further entrench best practices
and achieve successful outcomes in
programme delivery.
Global Money Week (GMW) comes up in the
second week of March every year. This year's
theme, Take Part, Save Smart is sound advice
not just for children and youths who are the
main target audience for the celebration but
also adults. In the current economic recession,
it is an evident truth that those who are best
placed to weather the financial headwinds are
those who have worked to achieve resilience by
having adequate savings and sound
investments. This was also the core message
from our 2016 GMW Guest Speaker, Mrs Nimi
Akinkugbe, CEO, Bestman Games Limited and
Founder, Money Matters with Nimi.
Just time to mention that in the coming months,
we will be rolling out our new initiative for startups, which will provide advice, mentorship and
training services to small business owners at
launch or to facilitate their growth.
Watch this space!
Implementing Diamond Bank’s Beta Financial Education Programme
New Perspectives 1