By Ayomide Otitoju
Wema Bank has unveiled a series of new initiatives aimed at rewarding, educating and empowering children through its Royal Kiddies account and ALAT Xplore platform as part of activities marking the 2026 Children’s Day celebration.
The announcements were made during the bank’s Children’s Day Special Event held on May 25, 2026, by the bank’s One-Day Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Chinmamanda Diamond Ozoakpata, who used her first official act in office to introduce a range of incentives targeted at children across different age groups.
The initiatives include year-long birthday cash rewards, academic excellence incentives, financial literacy materials and STEM-focused challenges designed to promote leadership, innovation and responsible financial habits among young Nigerians.
Under the new birthday reward initiative, active Royal Kiddies account holders turning five years old will receive ₦5,000, while those turning 10 years old will receive ₦10,000 as birthday gifts. The programme will run from May 2026 to May 2027. According to the bank, children who turned five or 10 before May 2026 within the qualifying period will also receive the reward this month.
Wema Bank also announced a ₦100,000 reward for each of the top 100 students in the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE). The initiative, scheduled to commence in June 2026, is open to students who rank among the top performers in the examination and maintain an active Royal Kiddies account.
As part of its financial literacy drive, the bank launched Money Adventures, a financial literacy book created for children aged six and above. The publication is designed to introduce young readers to concepts such as saving, money management and responsible financial habits in an engaging and age-appropriate format. Copies of the book will be made available to children with active or newly activated Royal Kiddies accounts.
The bank further introduced the Evolve School Tour STEM Challenge for secondary school students aged 13 to 17 under the ALAT Xplore platform. The programme, which will be held across six schools with established STEM programmes nationwide, is expected to promote innovation, technology awareness, financial literacy and savings culture through competitions and school engagements. Participants will also compete for monetary prizes.
To participate in the STEM challenge, students must hold an ALAT Xplore account, fall within the eligible age bracket and attend one of the participating schools.
Wema Bank said the initiatives reflect its continued commitment to using Children’s Day as a platform for leadership development, financial literacy and long-term empowerment for children.
The bank noted that while it has implemented several child-focused programmes over the past four years, the 2026 package marks its most extensive Children’s Day initiative yet, combining year-long rewards, academic incentives, educational resources and nationwide school engagement programmes.
