Wema Bank expands Children’s Day impact with cash gifts, academic rewards

Wema Bank has unveiled a fresh wave of initiatives aimed at rewarding, educating and empowering Nigerian children, as part of activities marking its 2026 Children’s Day celebration.

The announcements were made during the bank’s Children’s Day Special Event held on Monday, where the bank’s One-Day Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Chinmamanda Diamond Ozoakpata, used her first official assignment in office to introduce several child-focused benefits under the Royal Kiddies account and ALAT Xplore platform.

The initiatives include year-long birthday cash rewards, academic excellence incentives, financial literacy resources and a nationwide STEM challenge targeted at young Nigerians across different age groups.

Speaking during the event, the bank explained that its Children’s Day interventions have evolved over the years from mere celebrations into intentional programmes designed to build leadership, boost confidence, promote financial literacy and create meaningful opportunities for children.

One of the key highlights unveiled at the event is the Birthday Cash Gift initiative for Royal Kiddies account holders.
Under the scheme, active Royal Kiddies customers turning five years old will receive ₦5,000, while those turning 10 years old will receive ₦10,000 as birthday gifts from the bank.

The initiative, which will run from May 2026 to May 2027, will also cover eligible children who had already turned five or 10 before May 2026.

To qualify, children must hold an active Royal Kiddies account and fall within the qualifying age bracket during the stated period.

In another major announcement, the bank introduced a ₦100,000 reward package for the top 100 students in the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE).

The initiative, scheduled to commence in June 2026, is designed to encourage academic excellence among young Nigerians.

According to the bank, beneficiaries must emerge among the top 100 performers in the examination and also maintain a Royal Kiddies account with the bank.

The Children’s Day event also witnessed the official launch of “Money Adventures,” a financial literacy book developed for children aged six years and above.

The book was designed to simplify conversations around money, savings and responsible financial habits for young readers in a fun and engaging format.

Wema Bank noted that copies of the book would be made available to children with active Royal Kiddies accounts as well as newly activated account holders.

As part of efforts to encourage innovation and technology awareness among teenagers, the bank also unveiled the Evolve School Tour STEM Challenge under its ALAT Xplore platform.

The programme, targeted at secondary school students between the ages of 13 and 17, will be implemented across six schools nationwide that already operate active STEM programmes.

The challenge will feature practical STEM competitions and educational engagements aimed at promoting innovation, technology exposure, financial literacy and responsible savings culture among students.

Participants are also expected to compete for monetary prizes at the end of the programme.

To participate, students must be ALAT Xplore customers within the specified age bracket and attend any of the participating schools.

Over the last four years, Wema Bank has consistently expanded its Children’s Day engagements through initiatives such as the One-Day MD/CEO experience, leadership development opportunities, school tours and child-focused financial literacy campaigns.

However, the bank described the 2026 package as its most comprehensive children-focused initiative so far, noting that it is the first time its Children’s Day programme would run for an entire year.

With the combination of cash rewards, academic incentives, financial education materials and nationwide STEM engagements, the bank said the initiative reflects its growing commitment to creating lasting impact for children beyond the annual celebration.

The latest intervention, according to the bank, further reinforces its resolve to support the growth, learning and development of young Nigerians while helping them build healthy financial habits from an early age.