Teaching Kids About Money: Breaking Cycles, Building Better Futures

Growing Up with Proverbs & Mattress Money
Growing up in Lagos in the ’90s, my money education was a patchwork of stern warnings and cryptic proverbs. “Òbè tó dùn, ọwọ́ ló p’à.” ( A delicious soup is made with money), my father would say, but no one explained how. My pocket money vanished on kulikuli, suya, and Agege bread, while “saving” meant hiding Naira notes under my mattress-until siblings (or my mom- don’t tell her I said so abeg!) “borrowed” them. Fast-forward to today, as a tech professional designing financial tools for kids, I realise how those gaps shaped me.

Are We Teaching Kids About Money Too Late?
Here’s the question haunting me: Are we waiting too long to teach kids about money? Imagine explaining budgeting or investing to teens already steeped in Instagram’s “luxury life” or TikTok’s “get-rich-quick” hype. By the time many young Nigerians face real financial decisions, they’ve absorbed half-truths about wealth-like equating flashy cars with stability or viewing debt as a shortcut.

Financial literacy isn’t just about Naira and kobo- it’s about mindset. When kids budget pocket money or negotiate spending choices, they’re building discipline, critical thinking, and self-trust. For parents, teachers, and mentors, the challenge isn’t just…