At Premiere Academy in Lugbe, Abuja, a group of teenagers spent their afternoon learning how to build wealth—not through inheritance or luck, but through the deliberate mechanics of investing, saving, and protecting their earnings from an age when many of their peers haven't yet opened a bank account.
The one-day workshop, hosted by Emerging Africa Group, an ESG-focused investment financing organization, brought real-world finance into the classroom under the banner "How to Start Investing at an Early Age." The program reflects a quiet but powerful shift taking place in Nigerian education: the recognition that financial literacy cannot wait until adulthood. It must begin now, when curiosity is high and time is abundant.
Umaru Jemilah, Head of Emerging Africa Group's Northern Region, led a three-person team that included Relationship Manager Ekule Mercy and Technical Assistant Ahmed Mutiat. Together, they walked students through the African investment landscape with a focus on sustainable investment solutions—from traditional stocks and bonds to cryptocurrency and other modern opportunities. The presentation centered on the four pillars of financial literacy: earn, save, invest, and protect. Rather than abstract theory, the team bridged classroom knowledge with real-world global finance, showing students not just what wealth-building looks like, but how they could become architects of it themselves.
The session was part of Premiere Academy's annual Money Matter Program, a co-curricular initiative that regularly brings industry experts to campus to discuss intentional savings, investments, and philanthropic spending as vehicles for wealth management. The school's commitment to this kind of holistic education impressed even seasoned professionals. Jemilah praised Premiere Academy's approach as "one of the best approaches to total education anywhere in the world," noting that the school's rich academic and co-curricular offerings position its students for a bright future.
Beyond the formal presentation, the workshop included quiz and debate sessions where students could demonstrate their grasp of money management and wealth-building strategies. These interactive elements transformed passive listening into active engagement—students weren't just receiving information, they were testing their understanding against their peers in real time.
Principal Chris Akinsowon emphasized the broader vision underpinning these efforts. "By combining the vision of the school board, the expertise of staff mentors, and the insights of international industry leaders from different walks of life, Premiere Academy will continue to ensure that the next generation of Nigerian leaders is prepared to navigate and dominate the financial complexities of the 21st century," he said. The school's commitment extends beyond academics: it aims to foster confidence, creativity, teamwork, and all-round leadership—the essential life skills that separate graduates who merely pass exams from those who are genuinely ready to shape their own futures and influence their communities.
The initiative speaks to a broader truth: financial independence is not a privilege reserved for those born into wealth. It is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and mastered by anyone willing to start early. For the students of Premiere Academy, that learning began on an ordinary afternoon in Abuja—and the implications will ripple through their decisions for decades to come.