The maiden edition of ‘The Money Summit’has ended with a call on the youth to inculcate the habit of saving as part of their upbringing.
The programme, which was held at the Academic City University College, Accra, on Saturday, was on the theme “Money 3.0 – Wealth Creation in the New Age.”
It was organised by BezoSmart, the financial literacy arm of BezoMoney Technologies Limited, a Ghanaian Fintech company that provides digital financial products for young people and for the unbanked.
The Money Summit brought together students from different tertiary institutions across the country and some financial experts who used the opportunity to provide valuable financial management advice to participants.
In her address, Co-Founder of BezoMoney and Director of Bezo Foundation, Diana D. Osei, stated that it was very important for the youth to recognise the fact that financial independence had nothing to do with one’s background.
She said all that one needed to do to become successful was to be hardworking, disciplined and resilient; adding that, there were many people who came from poor backgrounds, but managed to become very successful business owners.
“You only have to have the aspiration to create wealth and work relentlessly towards achieving that. Make sure you keep the right company and make good use of time,” she advised.
Ms Osei challenged the participants to set goals for themselves and to use all the tools available to work towards accomplishing their dreams.
On his part, Mr Harrison Ahorgba, a financial expert, underscored the need for individuals to realise the significance of planning one’s finances.
He explained that one of the best ways to create wealth was by “starving your distractions to feed your needs.”
Securing one’s future at an early stage in life, he said,would help to promote financial independence, especially when a person is old and weak.
“You must learn to protect your future today by working hard and saving. If you live irresponsible lives, you might regret it in the near future. So just be determined and work very hard to achieve greater heights,” he added.
He also advised students to always ensure they lived within their means and desist from buying expensive clothes and gadgets just to seek attention.
In her address, prominent media personality, NaaAshorkor reiterated the need for students to stop creating excuses and take saving seriously, adding that no matter how little one had, saving must still remain a priority.
“While saving,” she said “it is also necessary to know that it is not right to spend one’s savings”.
Touching on the benefits of social media, she stated that students could find innovative ways of increasing their followers on their various social media handles, as this could increase their chances of being contacted by big brands for adverts.
“People with a large following get juicy deals to advertise different kinds of products on their timelines so please use social media wisely and you will enjoy some of the enormous benefits that come with it,” she added.
Multiple award winning musician Stonebwoy, was also present at the event to share some tips on savings and financial independence.
Meanwhile, Bezosusu, BezoMoney’s flagship product that serves as an individual and group savings platform was also unveiled at the event.
The platform, which is currently available at Bezosusu.com and features a personal wallet with a lock feature which allows users to create multiple savings goals and save over a period of time whilst building their savings history and creditworthiness.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU