By Chioma Obinagwam
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with various grassroots groups in its financial literacy campaign.
This the Commission said is in a bid to ensure that Nigerians in the rural areas are effectively sensitised on the benefits of investing in the capital market.
Ag. Director General of SEC, Ms Mary Uduk, stated this during a meeting with executive members of National Youths Initiative for Peace and Governance (NYIPG) at the Commission’s head office in Abuja.
Uduk who was represented by Ag. Executive Commissioner Corporate Services of SEC, Mr. Henry Rowlands, commended the organisation on the various good governance and entrepreneurship sensitisation campaigns they have carried out and expressed the desire of the commission to tap into their already existing structures to also sensitise the grassroots on financial literacy.
She said “ we are delighted at the various sensitisation you have carried out to enlighten the people in your region on the need to engage in meaningful vocations. When someone is fully engaged, he will work for the peace of the country as he would not want any activity that would destroy his business.
“The SEC as part of its market development mandate would like to partner with you to educate the people on the best ways to invest these money they are making from their businesses.”
“ As a regulator, we need peace to function properly and we are willing to support any initiative that will promote peace in our country.
The Ag. DG said the Commission has been in the vanguard of inculcating financial literacy for quite a long time because SEC had realised that it was very important for Nigerians to imbibe the culture and habit of being financially literate and be familiar with the operations of the capital market.
Uduk disclosed that already, the Commission is involved in various campaigns that takes its staff to schools, rural areas among others all in a bid to ensure that Nigerians are aware of the benefits of investing in the capital market.
“We have school children come to our office on excursion visits where we educate them on various themes like saving culture, investment opportunities in the Market among others and are also infusing Capital Market Studies (CMS) into schools’ curriculum. We have already signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
She therefore commended them for their efforts at promoting peace and good governance adding that it is only in an atmosphere of peace that the capital market can function effectively.
Speaking earlier, the Vice President of the organisation, Abdulmalik Alfo, commended the SEC on its various initiatives as contained in the 10 year capital market master plan and pledged the readiness of his association to collaborate with the Commission in any area necessary.