Nigeria’s premier capacity-building institution, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), has reiterated its commitment to equipping the workforce with relevant skills to thrive in an evolving global landscape.
The institution, established in 1981 by the Federal Government and supervised by the Central Bank of Nigeria, offers specialised advisory services, helping institutions strengthen corporate governance, internal controls and fraud detection systems.
During a courtesy visit to The Guardian Newspapers Limited Headquarters in Lagos yesterday, the FITC Managing Director, Chizor Malize, emphasised the institution’s resolve to transform the financial sector through strategic workforce development.
“We created the Future of Work Academy to address the emerging needs, where technology is driving things and activities. There is a need for organisations to be digitally equipped and digitally agile. The skillsets that were required five, ten, and fifteen years ago have evolved and totally changed.
“So, what we have done at FITC is to create the Future of Work Academy, where people are taught these emerging skills. We train and retrain and continue to have a talent solutions approach to dealing with it,” Malize said.
According to her, the world has witnessed the rise of emerging technologies to make work easier and efficient; notable among these emerging technologies is Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is now being incorporated into many sectors, including finance. She highlighted the growing role of AI in reshaping work processes, particularly within the financial services sector.
According to her, FITC has embedded AI and machine learning into its curriculum to enhance learning outcomes and maintain global relevance.
“We use artificial intelligence and machine learning to design and create curriculum, create learning outcomes and learning experiences that are required. With artificial intelligence, we are able to ensure that it is foolproof, global and locally relevant as well.
“More importantly, we also encourage people to use it. We teach and encourage people to embrace and use it. If you work in a research department, you don’t need to spend a week working on research. AI can give it to you in 15 minutes,” Malize added.
In line with its sustainability goals, FITC also launched its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Institute in 2024, aimed at fostering collaboration among policymakers, industry leaders, and change-makers on sustainable business practices.
As part of its commitment to embedding ESG practices and promoting sustainability, FITC is set to host an ESG and Sustainability Conference. The institution’s Head of Brand and Experience, Dooyum Okwong, spoke about its upcoming 2025 Sustainability and ESG Conference slated for June 26, 2025.
Okwong stated that the conference would gather practitioners, leaders from different sectors, academia, among others, to discuss how ESG can impact organisations.
“We are bringing together top leaders in the environmental, social and governance sectors as well as different spheres of the economy. We are bringing all of them into one room, and we are going to be discussing and deliberating on how ESG can impact organisations.
