By Abdi Ali
Published July 4, 2020
An initiative that aims at reaching and influencing behaviour of millions of unbanked young people across Africa by giving them the requisite financial literacy skills to become financially informed adults in the future has been forged.
Known as Banking on Africa’s Youth and fronted by Ecobank and Junior Achievement (JA) Africa, this campaign is expected to equip more than 600 000 young people with financial literacy knowledge as part of Ecobank’s Junior Savers initiative which in part seeks to grow financial inclusion for young Africans using Ecobank’s mobile/digital resources.
RELATED:Looking Beyond Nairobi’s 100th Premier Critical Movie Meeting
The campaign, that taps into JA’s young social media followers spread across Africa, targets youth groups, online influencers and communities with knowledge of some basic financial concepts such as earning, budgeting, spending and banking, is expected to reach various youth groups in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal through all JA Africa’s media outlets over a three year period.
The Ecobank and JA Africa say the purpose of their online campaign is to empower potential and existing Junior Savers account holders with the requisite financial literacy knowledge to understand and begin to build a culture of savings as part of their personal financial habits.
RELATED:Intern Gets Grounded in Culture and Development
“The Ecobank Group is committed to building financial literacy and money management skills amongst the youth as they transition into Africa’s productive workforce,” says Nana Araba Abban, Group Consumer Banking Head at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated. “Our collaboration with JA Africa will enable us positively impact young citizens who are our investment in the future of the continent.”
RELATED:Digital Literacy Programme for African Youth Launched
On her part, Elizabeth Elango Bintliff, JA Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, says: “This partnership with the Ecobank Group reinforces both JA Africa’s and the banking group’s commitment to financial literacy and inclusion for all Africans, especially the youth. We believe in educating a new generation of leaders with the knowledge they need to navigate their economic futures while giving them the tools to succeed.”