The Regional Financial Education Program of the Central Bank of West African States (Bceao) should be adopted at the end of the Regional Consultation Workshop on the subject which opened on Monday, October 28 in Dakar. . A meeting which aims to validate the draft document of the Regional Financial Education Program developed by the Central Bank and to equip its participants for implementation. The vice-governor of the issuing institute who chaired the opening of the work of this two-day meeting made it known. Mr. Norbert Toe underlines that the regional financial education program wanted by the central bank and which must be validated during this workshop, aims to improve the quality of life of the populations of the West African Economic and Monetary Union ( Uemoa). According to him, this instrument aims to boost the implementation of national programs and invites countries that have not yet developed their national program to draw inspiration from the reference framework offered by the regional program. “I urge the national committees, the state authorities to vigorous action for convincing results”. For him, financial education is a major priority to improve financial inclusion. Mr. Toe believes that individuals of all ranks, ages and levels of education make financial decisions at every stage of their lives. “Whether it is a question of schooling your child, the purchase of equipment, investment or undertaking an income-generating activity, optimal financial choices are essential”. In his opinion, these choices seem relatively easier for educated people, thanks to their ability to take advantage of the products and services offered by financial institutions. Before warning about the complexity and difficulties that envelop these choices. “Several studies have revealed that populations, especially vulnerable ones, do not dare to approach financial institutions because they do not feel sufficiently confident or are unaware of their mode of operation”. This observation, underlines Mr. Toe, demonstrates that the absence of financial education hinders the financial inclusion of vulnerable populations, more particularly that of young people and women. Thus, he continues, by enabling people to improve their knowledge of financial products and services, by developing their skills in basic finance, by strengthening their confidence in their institutions, financial education contributes to access to financial services. financial resources and judicious use of the services offered. He pointed out that around the world, about fifty countries have a financial education strategy, led either by the central bank or by the relevant government structures. The BCEAO Vice-Governor underlines that the regional financial inclusion strategy plans to strengthen financial education and the protection of financial services.

Scheduled over two days, inform the services of the Central Bank, this workshop brings together representatives of the National Committees for Monitoring the Implementation (Cnsmo) of the Regional Strategy for Financial Inclusion from member countries of the Union, the Bank Al-Maghrib, Banks, Decentralized Financial Systems, technical and financial partners as well as the BCEAO. The seminar is co-facilitated by BCEAO officials, experts from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Education of Côte d'Ivoire as well as representatives of the Observatory for the Quality of Financial Services of Senegal, Bank Al-Maghrib and the private sector. Among other topics, experts discuss the contribution of technology to expanding financial education; the integration of financial education into the education system. It will also discuss the development, monitoring and evaluation of a financial education program; but also the mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the regional programme.

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