By Providence Obuh

To  capture financial literacy from the grass root, Monopoly has been identified as a tool due to financial mistakes of so many in the past. Monopoly  is an educative game especially when it comes to financial management and investment,   demonstrating that an economy which rewards wealth creation is better than one in which monopolists work under few constraints.

In a separate interview with FV, Marketing Representative of Best Man Games Nigeria Limited, Mr. Femi Fajemisin, said that a lot of Nigerians are borrowing to start up micro and small businesses as a result of past financial improprieties. Fajemisin said, “We realise that most of the adults have made their financial mistakes in life and they have had money in the past and used it severally or squander it as the case may be, but bringing it to kids gives us an idea of trying to capture the idea of financial literacy from the grass root, so that when they make money they will know what to do with it.

“The kids must understand that the first money they make is not for goody goody but for investment and have an idea of buying properties and paying rents. It is basically for children and the age group in focus is about eight to 12, although anybody can play the game but the financial lessons is basically centred on children.”

He added that the game teaches children to manage money and using that money to invest, investments that yields profit. “The beauty of it is that putting such financial imperative into a game gives us a very competitive beauty. It is educative and have financial implication. The lessons in the game are basically financial management, money management and personal financial management,” he said.

In the same vein, Mr. Ogunlamoye Willy, from Ministry of Education, stated, “Monopoly is an avenue to expose the students to think outside the box, to really think of what they can become in future and encourage them to get there.

It is a life experience game that shows that even when you are going on the way, anything can happen at any point in time. If you are a master of this game, the experience you gain in this game will transfer you to life experience, if you have a certain amount and you have list of things to purchase, then there should be a scale of preference.”