The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Youth Development, has launched a nationwide financial education initiative to equip millions of young Nigerians with the skills to earn, manage, and grow wealth in a rapidly evolving economy.

It said that financial literacy had become a survival skill, stressing that the initiative would help close long-standing knowledge gaps among young Nigerians.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, highlighted the government’s commitment to empowering young people to succeed in business, investment, and financial planning.

The programme, the Investonaire Learning Management System (LMS), was launched in collaboration with the Investonaire Academy of Future Millionaires, under the theme: “Empowering Nigerian Youth Through Financial Literacy, Investment & Wealth Creation.”

He urged youths to take action by embracing the opportunities provided through the LMS, adding that real change comes not from motivational speeches but from practical learning and implementation.

Olawande said: “Today, we are launching a program that will give millions of Nigerian youths the same access to financial education and opportunities. Financial literacy is no longer an advantage; it is a survival skill.

“Many of you admire successful people, but every one of them started somewhere. The era of motivational speeches is over. We want you to take action. When I spoke about the European Academy during camp, some thought I was joking. Today, over 200 startups have emerged because of that initiative.

“Go to our platforms, submit your ideas, and get involved. The young people who will lead Nigeria into prosperity will be those who understand money, how to save, invest, build assets, manage risks, and create value.”

Olawande noted that President Bola Tinubu‘s administration was committed to ensuring that no Nigerian child drops out of school due to financial challenges, describing it as a transformative step in youth development.

In his remarks, the International Program Director of Investonaire Academy, Dr. Enefola Odiba, said the initiative was born out of the urgent need to close Nigeria’s financial literacy gap, especially among young people.

He said, “It is easy to make money, but knowing how to retain, multiply, and manage that money is one of life’s greatest challenges. That is why, at the Institute, we have developed this concept in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and the Federal Government, so that together, we can drive this process.

“Everything in life relates to money. We say knowledge is power, but knowledge is only potential power unless properly applied. Many of us have handled money at different stages of life, but ask yourself: What did you create with it? That question alone shows why collaboration with the government is crucial as we design a more effective financial literacy system.

“Financial literacy is simply the possession of the skills needed to manage financial resources. According to the CBN’s 2015 framework on National Financial Literacy, Nigeria developed a national strategy centred on several key pillars.

“It is easy to design programs and create frameworks, but implementing them is the real challenge. One of the strategy’s major principles is collaboration between individuals, federal institutions, religious bodies, and academic institutions. That is the basis of this initiative.

“Financial literacy includes components such as budgeting, saving, and investing. Many of us struggle with budgeting. As earlier said, it is not about how much you earn, what matters is how much you keep and how well you use it.”

Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the initiative as timely, given Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms and the need to raise a generation equipped with modern financial skills.

He noted that achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 depends heavily on youth participation.

Bagudu said: “The drive toward a trillion-dollar economy demands innovation, bold thinking, and youth participation.”

He urged young Nigerians to leverage emerging technological opportunities, stressing that digital markets increasingly power the global economy.