National News
Financial Inclusion: FG Signs MoU With 6 Professional Bodies To Train 10m Nigerians
Financial Inclusion: FG Signs MoU With 6 Professional Bodies To Train 10m Nigerians
By: Our Reporter
Nigeria will reap from its demographic dividend if youths, women are prioritised, equipped with skills, says VP Shettima
The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Monday, flagged off a free nationwide training of 10 million Nigerians on financial inclusion and literacy.
This is just as the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said Nigeria can reap bountifully from its demographic dividend only if young Nigerians and women are equipped with the needed skills and ethical grounding required for a speedily progressing digital economy.
The training being undertaken by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, is designed to equip Nigerians, particularly women and youths, with essential financial skills, investment knowledge, and digital competencies for sustainable wealth creation.
Accordingly, the Office of the Vice President, through the PreCEFI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with six professional bodies to jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms that would strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.
The professional bodies include the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS); National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA); Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI) and Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NIIE).
Speaking when he officially flagged off the free nationwide training of 10 million Nigerians, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Vice President noted that the signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six of Nigeria’s foremost professional bodies was more than a formal agreement.
“It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,” he stated
Senator Shettima noted that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which the PreCEFI is mandated to implement, recognises the fact that “financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability.”
According to him, the nation “cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.”
He explained: “This MoU therefore establishes a working framework to harness the collective expertise of ICAN, CIBN, CIS, CRMI, NICA, and NIIE to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and support for small and medium practitioners.
“It establishes a structured mechanism for joint training programmes, policy dialogue, digital skills development, and professional standards that align market practice with national inclusion goals.”
VP Shettima pointed out that while capacity building is financial inclusion, “without accountants who understand MSME formalisation, credit administrators who can assess risk beyond collateral, bankers who embed consumer protection, risk professionals who anticipate digital threats, and innovators who translate ideas into enterprises, inclusion remains a slogan rather than a system.”
Maintaining that the training programme must prioritise young Nigerians and women, the VP said, “Importantly, this collaboration prioritises women and youth inclusion and digital transformation, recognising that Nigeria’s demographic dividend will only materialise if young people are equipped with relevant skills and ethical grounding for a fast-evolving digital economy.”
He charged the PreCEFI and the professional bodies not to treat the MoU as a mere document, but as a living platform for execution.
“Accordingly, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians with priority for women and youth across the country,” VP Shettima declared.
Earlier, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, applauded the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its bold economic reforms that has culminated in the flag off of the financial inclusion free training programme for 10 million women and youths in Nigeria.
He said the decision to embark on the project was prompted by visible improvements in the economy as a result of the gains of the Federal Government’s policy reforms.
Yahaya assured the Vice President of their professional support in the realisation of set objectives, describing their involvement involvement in the project as an institutional honour.
For his part, the CEO of WAWU Africa – technical partners in the programme, Mr Emmanuel Lennox, assured of the company’s readiness to deliver on the project, particularly in providing the digital platform and overall enabling environment for its success.
Also, explaining why the training of 10 million Nigerians on financial inclusion had become necessary, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, said said, “Exclusion is not only by lack of access, but by limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support.
“Consequently, financial inclusion is not achieved by infrastructure alone; it is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use that infrastructure responsibly, productively, and sustainably.”
The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU for the capacity building programme by the Federal Government and the six professional bodies.
Financial Inclusion: FG Signs MoU With 6 Professional Bodies To Train 10m Nigerians
VP Shettima Attends AU Heads of State Plenary Session
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima is attending the plenary of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The opening session has drawn leaders from across the continent and beyond, as delegates convene to address critical issues under this year’s theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
The Vice President is representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the high-level gathering.
VP Shettima Attends AU Heads of State Plenary Session
National News
Experts Warn Senate Amendment to Electoral Act May Weaken Electronic Transmission Safeguards
Experts Warn Senate Amendment to Electoral Act May Weaken Electronic Transmission Safeguards
By: Michael Mike
A coalition of electoral reform advocates, legal experts and technology specialists has warned that the proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act could undermine recent gains in electoral transparency if not carefully revised.
They gave support to the position of the House of Representatives over that of the Senate, stating that the lower legislative arm position on the amendment of the electoral act was a lesser devil than that of the upper chamber.
The position emerged from an Expert Round Table convened in Abuja on Friday by ActionAid Nigeria, YIAGA Africa and the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria. The meeting brought together academics, civil society leaders, lawyers, engineers, election administrators and governance specialists to examine the implications of the National Assembly’s amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
At the centre of deliberations was the provision dealing with electronic transmission of election results. While the current law provides for electronic transmission, the Senate’s amendment affirms that manually signed polling unit results remain legally valid if electronic transmission fails. Participants argued that this caveat could reopen long-standing vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Experts at the forum stressed that credible elections are the bedrock of democratic legitimacy and political stability. They noted that Nigeria’s democratic history has repeatedly been strained by allegations of manipulation, flawed collation processes and protracted post-election litigation. According to participants, strengthening transparency in result transmission is critical to rebuilding public confidence.
A major focus of the discussion was the role of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in safeguarding results at polling units. Participants described electronic transmission not merely as a technological innovation but as a protective mechanism against manipulation during collation — historically considered the weakest link in Nigeria’s elections.
Technical experts at the meeting maintained that electronic transmission is largely feasible nationwide, citing data that shows approximately 98 per cent network coverage across polling units, with only about two per cent classified as connectivity blind spots. They recommended targeted infrastructure investment to address these gaps rather than reverting to manual safeguards that could compromise transparency.
Concerns were also raised about legal ambiguities in the proposed amendment. Participants observed that the Senate version does not explicitly mandate electronic transmission through BVAS, nor does it clearly outline procedures in the event of technical failure. This, they argued, could create loopholes and fuel conflicting interpretations between manual and electronically transmitted results.
Another issue highlighted was the legal status of regulations issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Many operational guidelines governing electronic transmission are contained in subsidiary regulations rather than entrenched in the Act itself, potentially weakening their enforceability in court.
The experts warned that ambiguity in the law could increase election petitions and deepen what they described as the “judicialization of politics,” where electoral outcomes are increasingly determined in courtrooms rather than at the ballot box.
Beyond the amendment, participants identified broader institutional challenges affecting electoral integrity, including perceived executive influence in appointments to INEC, vote buying, weak enforcement of electoral offences and political interference. They called for comprehensive reforms to strengthen the independence and technical capacity of the electoral body.
In their resolutions, the roundtable participants reached consensus that electronic transmission should be clearly established in law as the primary and legally binding method for transmitting election results. They expressed preference for the version passed by the House of Representatives, which does not prioritise manually signed results in cases of transmission failure, while recommending further refinements to ensure clarity.
They also urged lawmakers to incorporate key INEC regulations directly into the Electoral Act, reform judicial procedures governing election disputes for faster resolution, and invest in election technology infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the experts advocated a long-term reform agenda that could eventually include electronic voting, drawing from international best practices. They further called on the National Assembly to conduct a public hearing on the technical glitches recorded during the 2023 general elections to prevent recurrence and enhance accountability.
The meeting concluded that Nigeria’s democratic future depends on ensuring that electoral reforms strengthen — rather than dilute — safeguards designed to reflect the true will of voters. Participants pledged continued legislative engagement and public advocacy to protect the integrity of the country’s electoral framework.
Experts Warn Senate Amendment to Electoral Act May Weaken Electronic Transmission Safeguards
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria in Ethiopia
By: Our Reporter
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria Hajiya Nana Shettima arrived Addis Ababa With Her Husband, Senator Kashim Shettima to attend the 30th General Assembly of Organization of African First Ladies For Development (OAFLAD) while The Vice President will be attending the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of States and Government on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Mrs Shettima is Representing First Lady of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON.
The African First Ladies are expected to Focus on internal issues and advance OAFLAD’s strategic priorities.
The 30th General Assembly’s open session under the theme “Building Resilience for Women and Girls: Climate, Conflict, and Sustainable Futures will be held on the 15th of February.
Mrs Shettima who left Abuja this afternoon for Addis Ababa the Capital of Ethiopia will participate in various meetings with African First Ladies spanning for Three Days
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