Caption: From left, Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities Clearing System Plc, Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group, Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso; Group Managing Director/CEO, NGX Group, Temi Popoola; and Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, CBN, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, at the Nigerian Investment Forum organized by the CBN in collaboration with the NGX Group, JPMorgan, and AVCA, held at Nasdaq, New York City on Thursday.
In an audacious move to woo global capital and enhance investor confidence, Nigeria’s top financial leaders, on Thursday, at the Nasdaq Market Site in New York, presented a unified front at a strategic investment forum.
The event organized by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in partnership with the Nigerian Exchange Group, JPMorgan, and the African Private Capital Association (AVCA), brought together leaders from the Nigerian diaspora, global investment institutions, and corporate executives for insightful dialogue on the country’s evolving financial landscape and its readiness to attract global capital for sustainable growth.
Speaking at a fireside chat with Nobel Prize-winning economist Dr. James Robinson, Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the CBN, outlined Nigeria’s monetary policy direction, growth prospects, and efforts to deepen its financial markets.
He reaffirmed the CBN’s commitment to a disciplined policy management, market-friendly reforms, and enhanced transparency that foster a stable, investor-friendly environment.
The CBN governor also stressed the importance of strong collaboration between regulators like the CBN and market operators such as NGX Group, which he said is critical to building a resilient financial system and mobilizing long-term investments.
The forum featured a comprehensive overview of Nigeria’s financial transformation and FX reforms delivered by Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy at the CBN. This was followed by a dynamic panel discussion on “Repricing Nigeria: Assessing the Scope for Sustained Change,” with senior executives from JPMorgan Chase, Standard Chartered, Citi, and Jadara Capital Partners.
Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director/CEO of NGX Group, moderated an engaging discussion on how Nigeria’s reforms are repositioning the country as an increasingly attractive destination for global capital.
According to him, “today’s dialogue marks a pivotal step in reshaping global perceptions of Nigeria’s investment story. The candid engagement between policymakers, market operators, and investors reflects the real progress Nigeria is making. NGX Group remains committed to supporting reforms that strengthen market structures, drive innovation, and accelerate economic growth.”
While the investors welcomed Nigeria’s reform agenda, they emphasized that sustained confidence will require consistent FX policies, lower transaction costs, reduced regulatory friction, clearer direction on non-oil revenue reforms, an improved ease of doing business, and continued transparency in monetary and fiscal communication.
The forum ended on an optimistic note, with participants expressing strong confidence in Nigeria’s economic prospects and its potential for deeper integration into global financial markets, provided reform momentum continues.
