CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso says Nigeria’s youth are the nation’s most valuable asset for future growth.
Speaking at Lagos Business School, he urged young people to embrace innovation, leadership, and nation-building.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, has described Nigeria’s youth as the country’s most valuable resource, stressing that they hold the key to future growth and stability.
Cardoso made this remark on Friday while delivering the inaugural edition of the CBN Governor’s Annual Lecture Series at the Lagos Business School. The program, themed “Next Generation Leadership in Monetary Policy and Nation Building,” forms part of the bank’s new Knowledge Acceleration and Thought Leadership Initiative.
According to him, the lecture series is designed to strengthen public understanding of monetary policy, encourage innovation, and promote inclusive growth. He said it would also help position Nigeria as a leading player on the African continent and globally.
The CBN governor told participants that leadership built on credibility, transparency, and innovation would define Nigeria’s economic future. “Nigeria’s most important asset is its next generation,” he said, addressing the audience of students and professionals. “You are not simply participants in this dialogue; you constitute its very subject. Leadership cannot be divorced from nation-building. It must be anchored on trust, stability, and the collective confidence of millions of economic actors.”
He pointed out that with more than half of Nigeria’s population below 30 years and a median age of 18, the country is one of the youngest in the world. He said this demographic reality offers both a major opportunity and a serious responsibility.
Cardoso also highlighted recent monetary and fiscal reforms. He noted that inflation, which had climbed close to 35 percent, has now been reduced to around 20 percent, while the economy recorded a 4.2 percent growth in the second quarter of 2025. External reserves have risen above 42 billion dollars, while investor confidence and capital inflows are beginning to return.
He added that the credibility of monetary policy has been restored after the bank stopped direct government financing and unified the exchange rate system. These steps, he explained, have helped stabilize the naira and improve Nigeria’s international credit rating.
Cardoso also referred to the reopening of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts earlier in the week as a symbol of restoring national pride. He explained that the project was not just about renovating a building but about strengthening Nigeria’s reputation. “Reputation is one of the most valuable assets a person, an institution or a nation can possess,” he said. “When it falters, confidence weakens; when it is rebuilt, opportunities multiply.”
The CBN governor acknowledged that many Nigerians are still struggling and that leadership has not always met expectations. However, he stressed that citizens must learn to balance constructive criticism with the need to speak positively about the nation in order to inspire trust at home and abroad.
He urged young Nigerians to embrace digital innovation, sound decision-making, and active involvement in public life, noting that they will be the ones shaping Nigeria’s future as policymakers, entrepreneurs, and financial leaders. “Today’s students will be tomorrow’s central bankers,” he said. “They must not only inherit leadership but transform it.”
