The Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) says it is intensifying efforts to attract more Nigerians to the capital market, leveraging a pipeline of major public offerings expected to hit the market in the coming months.
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The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, disclosed this on Friday while delivering his keynote speech at the 2026 Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards held at the Civic Centre, Lagos.
Popoola also commended Nairametrics, describing the financial media and advocacy platform as a visionary institution that recognised early the need for stronger financial journalism, deeper investor education and greater access to quality market information to support the growth and development of Nigeria’s capital market.
What Popoola is saying
Speaking at the award night, Popoola stressed that expanding participation in the capital market remains a critical priority, noting that wealth creation must extend beyond a small segment of society to reach a broader population of Nigerians.
He noted that participation in the capital market has continued to rise in recent years, adding that the banking sector recapitalisation exercise initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria provided a significant opportunity to bring more investors into the market.
- “One of the key objectives arising from that process has been bringing more Nigerians into the capital market and making participation easier and more accessible. We have seen encouraging progress, and we remain focused on broadening that participation even further,” he said.
The NGX chief further highlighted the growing pipeline of public offerings expected in the market, expressing optimism that the listings would attract first-time investors and deepen retail participation.
His comments come amid plans by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote to list 10% of the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery on the Nigerian stock market later this year, a move widely expected to rank among the largest listings in the history of the exchange.
- “One of the developments that excites us most is the pipeline of significant public offerings expected in the market. We hope to use these opportunities to attract a new generation of investors, especially those who have not traditionally participated in the market,” Popoola said.
More insights
The NGX boss also touched on responsible wealth creation, inclusive growth, market transparency and the role of the capital market in driving economic development.
According to him, sustainable value creation requires balancing financial performance with broader economic, social and environmental considerations, adding that capital markets must not only generate growth but also ensure that such growth is inclusive.
- “We must continue to reinforce the principle that long-term value creation requires balancing financial performance with broader economic, social and environmental considerations. Taken together, these efforts reflect a simple but powerful principle: markets should not only generate growth; they should ensure that growth is inclusive,” he said.
He noted that capital markets remain critical for providing long-term financing for businesses, connecting innovation with investment and supporting economic transformation through equity issuances, debt instruments and enterprise financing.
Popoola further stressed the need to strengthen market transparency and broaden participation, expressing confidence that Nigeria’s capital market can play an even greater role in financing national development and supporting Africa’s growth story if these priorities are sustained.
What you should know
NGX Group emerged as the Exchange of the Year at the 2026 Nairametrics Capital Market Choice Awards, beating other nominees including NASD and FMDQ.
- The award follows a strong financial performance by the Group in 2025. NGX Group recorded double-digit growth across key financial indicators, with core revenue rising by 36% to N22.9 billion and operating profit increasing by 44.4% to N11.8 billion.
- Profit Before Tax grew to N15.6 billion, driven by robust investor activity, deeper customer penetration and improved cost efficiency.
The Group also strengthened its balance sheet, with total assets rising to N71 billion and shareholders’ equity increasing to N55.2 billion.
Finance costs declined by 67% following significant deleveraging, enabling the Board to approve a 50% increase in dividend payout to N3.00 per share and a one-for-three bonus share issue for shareholders.
