Polaris Bank has hosted children of its employees at its workplace, giving them an opportunity to see where their parents work and learn basic lessons about banking, saving and career choices.
The “Bring Your Child to Work” programme, held on 13 August, brought together children aged six and above for a day that combined workplace discovery with educational and recreational activities.
The children were selected through an internal trivia draw among staff, according to the bank.
They toured the bank’s premises, including the banking hall and various departments, and interacted with employees to learn about the different roles involved in running a financial institution.
For the children, the visit offered a practical introduction to the workplace rather than simply hearing about their parents’ jobs at home.
Learning about money and banking
A key part of the programme was an interactive session led by Polaris Bank’s Executive Director, Corporate & Investment Banking, Abimbola Ozomah.
The children were introduced to basic banking concepts and discussed the importance of saving, responsible financial habits and the role banks play in helping individuals and businesses manage money.
The session also allowed them to ask questions and share what they had learns.
Speaking to the children, Polaris Bank's Managing Director and Chief Executive, Kayode Lawal, encouraged them to use the opportunity to explore and ask questions.
“At Polaris Bank, we believe that work is more than meetings and desks.
It is about solving problems, helping people, making life easier, learning, and making a meaningful contribution.
So, while you are here today, be curious, ask questions, learn, and most importantly, have fun.”
Lawal was represented at the event by Olanrewaju Oyekunle, Head of Human Resources.
Oyekunle said the programme was intended to help the children understand their parents’ professional lives and consider the range of careers available to them.
“Who knows?
Perhaps one day, some of you will become bankers, entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, technology experts, or even leaders of great organisations.”
Why workplace visits matter
For parents, bringing children into the workplace can provide a clearer picture of what happens during their working day.
The programme also gave participating employees an opportunity to share part of their professional lives with their families and discuss values such as responsibility, teamwork and service.
The children were encouraged to make friends, interact with one another and talk about what they had learns during the programme.
A wider focus on financial education
Introducing children to saving and responsible money management also comes against a broader push for financial literacy in Nigeria.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has previously promoted financial literacy as part of efforts to increase financial inclusion and improve people's understanding of financial products and services.
For children, early exposure to concepts such as saving can provide a foundation for understanding money.
But a one-day workplace programme cannot, on its own, demonstrate a lasting change in financial behaviour.
The effectiveness of initiatives like this would be easier to establish if organisers tracked outcomes such as participants’ knowledge before and after the programme or followed up on what they retained from the experience.
Beyond a single dayPolaris Bank described the initiative as part of its focus on employee wellbeing and engagement, arguing that employees’ professional and family lives are closely connected.
The event may also help children understand their parents as professionals and expose them to careers they may not otherwise encounter.
But workplace engagement programmes are only one part of employee wellbeing. Issues such as remuneration, workload, job security, career progression and work-life balance are likely to have a much larger effect on employees’ long-term experience.
The bank has not provided evidence linking this particular programme to improvements in employee retention, satisfaction or productivity.
For now, the immediate outcome is a workplace experience for the participating children and an opportunity for their parents to share more of their professional lives with their families.
The longer-term test will be whether Polaris Bank continues such initiatives and whether it can demonstrate measurable benefits for employees and their families.
