The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers has announced that its 30th Annual Conference will focus on translating Nigeria's record capital market growth into real economic prosperity. Scheduled for November 4-5, 2026, in Lagos, the conference will bring together policymakers, regulators, market operators, investors, and international stakeholders. The event aims to explore ways to link capital mobilisation to productive investment and broader economic benefits.
The conference theme, 'From Capital Mobilised to Prosperity Realised: Financing Nigeria's Next Era of Growth and Global Competitiveness,' reflects the need to move beyond the size and performance of the capital market to its impact on the real economy. According to Saheed Bashir, Chairman of the Conference Committee, the value of listed companies has risen to about N160 trillion from roughly N30 trillion in May 2023. The market is currently hosting the country's largest capital raise through the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals IPO.
Despite the capital market's growth, Bashir noted that a rising index is not the same as a rising standard of living. He stressed that capital mobilisation must translate into productive investment and broader economic benefits. To achieve this, Nigeria needs a deliberate 'transmission mechanism' linking funds raised in the capital market to key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The conference will examine measures required to attract greater domestic and foreign participation in the capital market. These include improved market access, efficient repatriation of investment proceeds, transparent foreign exchange arrangements, investor protection, digital onboarding, and a stronger pipeline of quality listings. The event will also consider product innovation, retail participation, market infrastructure, technology, ethics, and capacity building.
The Dangote Refinery IPO provides an example of how public capital can be deployed to support productive capacity. The primary offer is designed to channel funds into the company and support its expansion plans. Bashir identified deeper institutional investment, macroeconomic stability, and a shift from measuring market performance solely by market capitalisation as critical to achieving the desired impact.
The conference is expected to produce a policy communique containing recommendations to government and key financial-market regulators. An outcome framework for measuring the impact of capital mobilisation on the wider economy will also be developed. The event marks three decades of the Institute's annual conference and follows the historic emergence of Dr. Fiona Ahimie as the Institute's 14th president and first female President.
The capital market should increasingly serve as the economy's principal source of long-term finance, particularly for infrastructure and productive assets that require patient capital. The conference will explore ways to position Nigeria's capital market for its next phase of development, with a focus on linking market growth to economic prosperity.
Key points
- The conference aims to explore ways to link capital mobilisation to productive investment and broader economic benefits.
- The event will examine measures required to attract greater domestic and foreign participation in the capital market.
- The conference is expected to produce a policy communique containing recommendations to government and key financial-market regulators.
