By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr Dele Alabi, and other financial sector leaders have urged Nigerian youths to embrace technology, practical skills, discipline and integrity to become active contributors to economic development.
They spoke at the fourth edition of the CIBN Generation Next Forum, held in Lagos on Saturday, 15 August, 2026 themed “Building Tomorrow Today: Youth as Catalysts of a Digital, Inclusive, and Sustainable Economy.”
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the state Commissioner for Finance, Abayomi Oluyomi, commended CIBN for placing young people at the centre of discussions on the country’s economic future, noting that young innovators, fintech entrepreneurs and remote workers were already shaping the nation’s economy.
He, however, warned that technology without integrity and discipline could undermine the financial system, stressing that the sector cannot afford to compromise on integrity, since banking is built on trust, and that as technology changes how financial services are delivered, that trust becomes even more important.
The Governor disclosed that the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) had disbursed more than N15bn in affordable loans to over 20,000 micro, small and medium enterprises, supporting the creation of more than 320,000 jobs.
He added that Lagos Innovate had issued over 750 workspace vouchers, supported 240 startups and trained nearly 1,000 young people in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and software development.
