Children’s Day in Nigeria, celebrated annually on May 27, holds significant importance as it aims to honour, protect, and nurture the rights, growth, and joyful essence of the nation’s children. In line with FMDQ Group PLC’s (“FMDQ Group’s”) corporate responsibility agenda and its focus on promoting financial literacy and education among the next generation, FMDQ Group, through its flagship corporate responsibility programme, the FMDQ Next Generation Financial Markets Empowerment Programme (“FMDQ-Next”), commemorated 2024 Children’s Day by hosting students from Let It Shine Secondary School, Yaba, Lagos, on a one-day excursion at its business complex, Exchange Place, in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday, May 24, 2024.
The excursion featured a series of engaging events that provided the participating students and their tutors a rich and diverse learning experience about the institution and financial markets. Starting with a tour of Exchange Place, the students had an exclusive opportunity to explore the intricacies of FMDQ Group and its diverse range of business services. During a tour of the FMDQ Archives, the participants and tutors explored the institution’s rich history, from its inception in 2013 as an over-the-counter market, to its evolution into a key financial market infrastructure group (“FMI”). The tour offered valuable insights into the institution’s critical role in the Nigerian financial markets and significant achievements over the years. The educational segment of the excursion provided the students with impactful learning about the importance of money, savings, investments, and various investment vehicles. The students were also introduced to the financial markets, basic financial concepts, the roles of different market participants, and key market stakeholders. The excursion was not only enjoyable, interactive, and impactful for the participants, but no doubt, also served to leave a very positive impression on the students and tutors.
As a passionate advocate for youth education and the empowerment of future generations, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (“SDG”) 4 – Quality Education and SDG 1 – No Poverty, FMDQ-Next is dedicated to nurturing the next generation to become financially savvy individuals capable of contributing to Nigeria’s development. By integrating theoretical learning with practical experiences, the FMDQ-Next Programme bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. Ultimately, participating students not only broaden their understanding but also gain a deep appreciation for the complexities of the financial markets. Since FMDQ-Next launched in July 2018, over one thousand and fifty-two (1,052) participants, from primary students, through to fresh graduates, have been positively impacted through four (4) Summer Camps; seven (7) Excursions; eight (8) Virtual Financial Literacy Sessions; twelve (12) Trading Challenges; and eight (8) Internships with FMDQ Group.
FMDQ Group is Africa’s first vertically integrated FMI group, strategically positioned to provide registration, listing, quotation and noting services; integrated trading platform, clearing & central counterparty, and settlement services for financial market transactions; depository of securities, as well as data and information services, across the debt capital, foreign exchange, derivatives and equity markets, through its wholly owned subsidiaries – FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited, FMDQ Clear Limited, FMDQ Depository Limited and FMDQ Private Markets Limited. As a sustainability-focused FMI group, FMDQ Group, through FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited, operates Africa’s premier Green Exchange – FMDQ Green Exchange – positioned to lead the transition towards a sustainable future.