A leading pension fund administrator in the country, the TrustFund Pension, has stressed the need to introduce saving culture among the youths, especially from those in secondary school to build in them the culture of early savings.
The Managing Director of TrustFund Pension, Helen Da-Souza, emphasised on the imperative of early savings, when she was speaking during a prize giving ceremony of the 2019 TrustFund Pensions Essay competition for senior secondary school students in the FCT.
Represented by the Head of Business Development, Mrs. Eno Adetayo, the managing director said the prize giving is in commemoration of the World Savings Day celebrated every October 31.
“In accordance with a directive from PenCom for all Pension Fund Administrators to voluntarily participate in this celebration, we at Trustfund Pensions Limited decided to organise this essay competition annually, as our own way of introducing the savings culture to our youths who are tomorrow’s leaders.
“The event is being hosted under the robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) initiative, our channel of giving back to the society, thereby touching the world. It is our belief that there is no age restriction to savings and the earlier we teach our young ones the enormous advantage of savings, the better they appreciate its essence and adopt it as a lifestyle.” She said.
Border closure: January 31 not sacrosanct ― Ali
Mrs Da-Souza added, “when they are gainfully employed or become entrepreneurs in the future, they will need no persuasion to join the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), and save for their retirement as savings has already become a lifestyle for them.”
She explained that 67 Government Senior Secondary Schools took part in the competition; adding that the students wrote on essay topic as approved by the FCT Secondary Education Board’
The topic, according to her is: “Savings should be considered a virtue and followed as a practice, discuss,” which was carefully chosen to expose the students to savings and make them see savings as a great personal virtue.
Four leading students were rewarded for their out siding performance with prizes. Miss Nwawa Chineye Joan from School for the gifted, Gwawalada emerged the winner; Miss Ezechukwu Victoria, from Government Science Technical College, Garki came second, while Adewale Dorcas from GSS, Gwagwalada came third, and Osoria Rejoice from Model Secondary School, Maitama emerged fourt.
Speaking to journalists, Miss Chineye Joan commended Trustfund Pensions for the competition and urged youths in Nigeria to imbibe the culture of savings for raining days. She dedicated the award to God, her teachers and parents.