NGX spurs next phase of capital market innovation with Made of Africa Awards

NGX spurs next phase of capital market innovation with Made of Africa Awards

 COMFORT EKELEME, Business Editor

Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) Tuesday held the 2022 edition of the NGX Made of Africa (MoA) Awards ceremony

The event saw the recognition of innovativeness and compliance with best practices in the Nigerian capital market for the calendar year.

The Awards ceremony, which took place in Lagos spotlighted excellence, creativity and integrity as NGX sought to amplify the activities of its stakeholders to further reinforce the values that attract investors to the market and grow the African economy.

Players in the capital market ranging from Issuers, Securities Dealers, Issuing Houses, Fund Managers, Trustees, Legal firms and stakeholders including the media and content creators were rewarded for their contributions to the development of the market.

Some of the awardees were Dangote Cement as Best Issuer in Terms of Number of Fixed Income Listings; Lafarge Africa as Leader in Sustainability Reporting; Pilot Securities Limited as Most Compliant Trading License Holder; Aluko and Oyebode as Best Solicitor in terms of Value of Deals; and Coronation Securities Limited as Best Sponsoring Trading License Holder of the Year.

Lagos State won the State with the Largest Sub-national Debt Instrument; MTN Nigeria Communications won the Most Compliant Listed Company; CardinalStone Securities won the Best Trading License Holder Across Asset Classes; and BUA Foods was awarded the Listing of the Year.

Other winners include Meristem Securities Limited won the Award for Issuing House with the Highest Number of Primary Market Transactions – Equity; Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited was recognised as Issuing House with the Highest Number of Debt Transactions; Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited won Issuing House with the Largest Value in a Single Deal; while Capital Trust Investment and Assets Management Limited was the Fund Manager with the Largest Listed Fund Size for the year.

ARM Trustees Limited was recognised as the Best Trustees in Terms of Deal Value and APT Securities and Funds Limited won the Most Active and Innovative Trader in Derivatives. Money Africa, Capital Markets Correspondent Association (CAMCAN) and TAJ Bank were recognised for Capital Market Content Creation, Capital Market Reportage, and Excellence in Islamic Finance respectively.

In his goodwill message, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki highlighted the importance of the capital market to the economy, calling together all stakeholders to move Nigeria towards a more productive economy and less import-dependent.

He also noted that NGX has continued to stand out as a market infrastructure of choice for public and private sector capital formation.

The Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Lamido Yuguda, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi said that the Commission had championed innovative measures that have improved the market including dematerialisation, direct cash settlement and e-dividend.

“The long-term sustainability in the market requires innovation of which the fundamental outcome was maximum return on investment, reduction in cost of doing business and increased production,”

On his part, the Chairman, NGX, Mr. Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud SAN, OON during his opening remarks said the goal of the Exchange with the Awards is to further catalyse innovation, corporate performance, shareholder return, compliance to rules and regulation in driving investor confidence and aiding regulatory oversight on the market.

“It is essential that we continue to collaborate, encourage and incentivise our partners through initiatives like the NGX Made of Africa Awards. At NGX, relationships, partnerships, collaboration and inclusivity continue to drive our actions in the quest to spotlight ‘The Stock Africa is Made Of’,” he said.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, NGX, Mr. Temi Popoola, NGX Made of Africa Awards which was previously named the NSE CEO Awards, had been reviewed to reflect the dynamism of the capital market and the transformation it had witnessed so far.

He said, “We are delighted to be extending the reach of these Awards to further highlight our commitment to inclusivity, innovation and integrity whilst highlighting NGX as the platform of choice to raise capital.

Speaking on the African capital market potentials, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokuede, Chairman, Coronation Capital and a former President of the Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange pre-demutualisation said that after a long haul of liquidity in global markets, central banks across the globe are implementing hawkish monetary policies to revive price stability and tame inflationary pressures. He noted that the capital market in this period of restrained global growth had an important role to play in stimulating economic growth and development through the efficient allocation of resources.

The Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Dr Umar Kwairanga and the Chief Executive Officer, NGX Group, Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, during their respective goodwill messages commended NGX for driving market development with the Made of Africa Awards while agreeing that inclusivity and transparency were reflected in its design and execution.

BUA Group and CardinalStone Partners Limited were the headline sponsors for the 2022 NGX Made of Africa Awards. Other sponsors were United Bank for Africa Plc, Coronation Asset Management Limited, Bank ofIndustry, Notore Chemicals Plc, Access Holdings Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Seplat Energy Plc, and Central Securities and Clearing System Plc.

NGX as the sustainable Exchange at the centre of capital formation and wealth creation is committed to positioning the capital market as a globally renowned platform for raising capital and catalysing Africa’s development.