Temi Popoola, group managing director/chief executive officer of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, stated that Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms are strengthening domestic capital formation and positioning the country for deeper global investment partnerships. He noted that economies implementing structural reforms often witness strong domestic capital mobilisation and strengthened corporate balance sheets, drawing comparisons with countries like Indonesia, Brazil, and India.

Popoola made these remarks at the Nigeria–United Kingdom Investment Roundtable in London, organised by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission in collaboration with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. He observed that Nigeria is currently experiencing a similar trend, with local investors and corporates increasingly responding to policy reforms.

“The real test of reforms is what local capital does and how domestic corporates respond,” Popoola said. “In Nigeria today, local capital is playing a very strong role. Markets were up more than 50% last year, issuers are raising new capital, retail investors are returning to the market, and corporate balance sheets and governance standards are improving.”

He also highlighted the strong capital market relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, noting that collaboration between the Nigerian Exchange Group and the London Stock Exchange has facilitated cross-border capital raising for corporates in both jurisdictions. Popoola envisions a future where capital markets support business expansion and wealth creation beyond just facilitating capital raising, with continued market modernisation and digital transformation strengthening the country’s financial ecosystem.

Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, highlighted the Federal Government’s reform agenda aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability, strengthening fiscal sustainability, and attracting long-term investment. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State emphasised Lagos’ role as Africa’s leading economic hub and invited participants to the upcoming Lagos Investment Forum in June.

Meanwhile, RMB Nigeria reaffirmed that sustained policy reforms, institutional strengthening, and scalable sustainable finance solutions are critical to unlocking Nigeria’s long-term economic potential. At the RMB Nigeria Economic Forum 2026, themed “Charting Nigeria’s Future: Reforms, Resilience and Growth,” discussions focused on building stability and financing the future through sustainable finance for energy transition and industrial development.

Bayo Ajayi, Chief Executive Officer, RMB Nigeria, noted that Nigeria is at a defining inflection point, with reforms presenting an opportunity to accelerate growth and deepen financial markets. Bismarck Rewane, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, underscored the importance of Nigeria’s reform agenda for economic resilience, highlighting fiscal discipline, monetary stability, exchange rate realignment, and structural transformation as critical pillars.

Tshepo Ntsane, Transactor, Sustainable Finance (Climate and Transition), RMB, stressed that Africa’s energy transition must balance energy access, security, and environmental sustainability, with transition finance being crucial for countries like Nigeria. A panel discussion on Financing the Future included Dr. Adeyemi Adun (Dangote Industries), Eniola Akinsete (Bank of Industry), Eric Idiahi (Evercorp Industries), Ojuru Adeniji (InfraCredit), and Laju Atake (RMB Debt Capital Markets, Nigeria).

Laju Atake highlighted that access to sustainable finance depends on clear corporate sustainability strategies and credible frameworks, with institutions like RMB playing a key role in structuring these and connecting issuers to sustainable capital pools.