FINANCIAL LITERACY AND INVESTMENT CONDUCTS OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATES IN NIGERIA: THRIVING THROUGH ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES

This study examined the investment conducts of graduates of Universities in Nigeria, in relation to their financial literacy. The study was anchored on three specific objectives: (i) to assess level of financial literacy among graduates in Nigeria, (ii) to examine the relationship between their financial literacy and propensity to save, and (iii) to evaluate the impact of their financial literacy on investment conducts. The study applied the Life-Cycle Hypothesis (LCH) and Behavioural Economics theory to guide the discourse. The study employed a descriptive survey approach. A sample of 573 graduates, who were currently serving as Corps members in June 2025, were covered in the study through google-link questionnaire pasted on the media chats of NYSC Kano and Katsina states. The data was analysed using linear multiple regression on SPSS. The evidence show that the graduates are significantly acquainted with basic financial concepts, this knowledge correlates positively with their desires to save. However, the impact of their knowledge level on actual long-term investments was negative and insignificant. These results imply that whereas the youthful graduates were financially reasonably literate, their savings are geared more towards consumption expenditures than capital investments. The study demonstrated that investment knowledge was low among the graduates: they were generally unsure how to begin investing, lacked trust in the financial system, and feared losing money or failing in business. There is, therefore, need to stress the investment aspects in the delivery of the entrepreneurship curriculums and related core courses in universities, as every discipline has a business aspect.