The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria has emphasised that the nation’s young population, which accounts for over 60 per cent of its total demographics, remains an underutilised economic asset that must be strategically harnessed to accelerate sustainable growth.
Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday at the CIBN Generation Next Forum 4.0, themed ‘Building Tomorrow Today: Youth as Catalysts of a Digital, Inclusive, and Sustainable Economy,’ the President and Chairman of Council, CIBN, Dr Dele Alabi, urged policymakers and private sector leaders to actively build capacity among young Nigerians rather than treating their demographic weight as a passive statistic.
Alabi noted that while emerging and developed markets across the globe typically leverage burgeoning youth demographics to drive rapid economic expansion, Nigeria has yet to fully optimise this potential.
He explained that the institute’s strategic direction, anchored on its “IMPACT Vision,” prioritises generational inclusion alongside gender and geographical inclusion.
He said, “If you look at what is happening in Nigeria today, young people constitute about 60-something per cent of the population. This ought to be an asset for us.
