Umaru Kwairanga, group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, has urged global investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s investment opportunities on the Nigerian Exchange. 

Mr Kwairanga made the call while speaking at the Nigeria Investment Forum 2026 in New York on Saturday, with the theme: “Connecting Capital to Opportunity: Investing in Africa’s Next Frontier”. 

In a statement on Sunday, Mr Kwairanga said opportunities abound for venture capital, private equity and institutional investors in infrastructure financing, solid minerals development, large-scale agriculture, fintech and tourism.

“We therefore invite global investors to be part of Nigeria’s growth story through the Nigerian Exchange. 

“We have desk officers available to respond to investors’ enquiries and connect them with trusted local partners,” he said. 

Mr Kwairanga also invited individual investors to invest in more than 300 securities listed on the exchange’s premium and main boards. 

He said many of the listed securities were generating returns through capital appreciation and dividends. 

He said more than 150 investment firms with active trading licences on the Nigerian Exchange were available to guide investors in investing in Nigerian financial assets and commodities. 

According to him, the firms are staffed by experienced professionals and equipped with modern market technology. 

Mr Kwairanga said Nigeria’s investment opportunities were supported by its natural resources, fertile land, favourable climate for large-scale agriculture and a large youthful population. 

He said the country’s risk profile had improved over the past three years, while investment returns remained attractive. 

“Nigeria is akin to China in the 1980s, a giant that is about to unleash its full potential. 

“I invite you to take the right step and invest in Nigeria at the best time. That time is now,” he said. 

Mr Kwairanga said the federal government’s fiscal and monetary reforms had contributed to improvements in the macroeconomic environment and business climate. 

He listed the removal of fuel subsidy, the discontinuation of parallel foreign exchange regimes, monetary policy reforms and changes to the tax system among the measures. 

He said the reforms have also positively affected the Nigerian capital market, which has recorded double-digit growth annually since 2023. 

According to him, NGX Group’s role goes beyond providing a platform for securities trading to supporting capital formation and economic growth. 

He said the exchange was focused on creating an environment where businesses could access long-term financing, and investors could participate in credible opportunities. 

Mr Kwairanga emphasised that investor confidence remained critical to attracting and retaining capital. 

He said such confidence depended on sound regulation, credible corporate governance, transparency, market integrity and efficient market infrastructure.

The NGX chairman said the exchange had recorded growth in market capitalisation, trading volumes and values in recent years. 

He said it had also onboarded millions of new investors through licensed trading firms, marketing initiatives and digital innovations such as NGX Invest. 

Mr Kwairanga said the exchange had continued to attract more companies to list on its platform, citing the ongoing Dangote Refinery Initial Public Offering (IPO) as a major example. 

He described the IPO as record-setting in terms of capital raised and number of subscribers on the African continent. 

He said a strong capital market should ultimately support businesses, channel savings into productive investments, finance infrastructure and broaden ownership. 

“Connecting capital to opportunity is ultimately about connecting investment to the real economy. 

“It is about creating the conditions for capital to finance productive enterprise, enabling businesses to grow and ensuring that investment translates into jobs, innovation, productivity and sustainable economic value,” he said. 

Mr Kwairanga said Nigeria had investment opportunities that deserved global attention, urging stakeholders to strengthen institutions, markets and partnerships needed to turn such opportunities into scalable investments. 

(NAN)