Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nigerian Exchange Group, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, have co-hosted a technical capacity-building workshop to advance labelled bond issuance in Nigeria, supporting the real sector and accelerating the country’s sustainable finance objectives.
The workshop, themed “Unlocking Sustainable Capital for the Real Sector: A Deep Dive into the Labelled Bonds Issuance Process”, brought together issuers, market operators, institutional investors, regulators, and policymakers for practical discussions on opportunities and challenges within the sustainable bond ecosystem.
Labelled bonds, including green, social, blue, and sustainability-linked instruments, are increasingly used globally to channel private capital into climate-resilient infrastructure, clean energy, and inclusive development.
While cumulative global issuance surpassed $6.2 trillion by end-2024, uptake in Nigeria remains limited, largely due to gaps in technical structuring, certification, and disclosure frameworks.
Jude Chiemeka, CEO of NGX, emphasised the critical role of sustainable finance in Nigeria’s growth strategy. “Unlocking sustainable capital is central to achieving Nigeria’s vision of a $1 trillion economy, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience,” he said. The workshop builds on NGX’s ongoing initiatives, including its Sustainability Disclosure Guidelines, the Impact Board, and pioneering green bond listings.
Christian Mulamula, Principal Country Officer at IFC, highlighted IFC’s commitment to deepening market infrastructure and sustainability-linked investments across Africa. “We share an ambition for Nigeria to become a model for green and sustainable finance on the continent,” he noted.
The Federal Ministry of Environment announced Nigeria’s largest green bond to date, a N50 billion sovereign green bond to finance renewable energy, afforestation, clean transport, and sustainable agriculture. “This issuance underscores Nigeria’s commitment to scaling private finance in line with national development goals,” said Olaitan Fajuyitan, Special Adviser and Coordinator of Sovereign Green Bonds.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Husaini Shettima described the workshop as timely for advancing sustainable marine finance. “The next frontier is developing a robust blue bond framework that aligns with national priorities and global standards,” he stated.
The workshop also provided guidance on the issuance process and highlighted the advantages of listing bonds through NGX. “Bond listings on NGX offer issuers access to a diversified investor base and enhance market transparency, key for sustainable capital mobilisation,” said Abimbola Babalola, Head of Trading and Products at NGX.
As Nigeria pursues climate-resilient inclusive growth, deepening the sustainable bond market is seen as critical to unlocking the scale of capital required for its long-term ambitions.
