By Peter Egwuatu
Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) has been named Africa’s Best Exchange at the Euromoney Markets Awards 2026, recognising its contribution to market infrastructure, digital innovation and capital formation. Presented at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, on Thursday, 15 October 2026, the award recognises achievements in market development during 2025 and comes amid robust growth in Nigeria’s equities market.
A key driver of wider primary-market participation has been NGX Invest, the Group’s electronic public-offering platform, which simplifies subscriptions to public offers and rights issues. The platform played a significant role in Nigeria’s banking sector recapitalisation exercise, facilitating more than ₦2.8 trillion in capital raising. By September 2026, its distribution network had grown to more than 180 channels spanning stockbrokers, banks and fintechs, with a WhatsApp subscription channel providing investors with an additional channel for subscribing to public offers.
Nigeria’s equities market recorded strong growth in 2025, with the NGX All-Share Index gaining 51.19 per cent, equities turnover rising 109.48 per cent to ₦5.96 trillion and market capitalisation reaching ₦99.38 trillion. This momentum has continued in 2026. As of 16 October, the All-Share Index had gained 59.07 per cent year-to-date. Equities turnover stood at ₦7.82 trillion, up 73.78 per cent from ₦4.50 trillion in the corresponding period of 2025, while market capitalisation reached ₦160.73 trillion.
Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, said: “This award reflects our continued commitment to strengthening the infrastructure and technology that support capital formation and investment. We appreciate the trust and collaboration of our regulators, policymakers, issuers, investors, the stockbroking community and other market participants, whose support contributes to the development of our capital market. By widening digital access to investment opportunities, improving market efficiency and deepening connections with other African markets, we are working to make our capital market more accessible, resilient and competitive. We see this not simply as an achievement, but as encouragement to keep building a market that can mobilise capital for businesses and offer broader investment opportunities.”
Beyond digital innovation, NGX Group continues to advance sustainable finance through the NGX Net-Zero Programme (N-Zero), implemented in partnership with DEG Impulse gGmbH and Africa Foresight Group, with support through DEG Impulse’s develoPPP programme. The initiative helps Nigerian businesses strengthen climate readiness, establish science-based emissions-reduction targets and develop transition plans that can support access to climate-aligned finance. The programme has engaged more than 50 companies, with 19 onboarded as community members.
The Group’s broader market-development priorities also include improving post-trade efficiency and strengthening regional connectivity. Nigeria’s transition to T+1 settlement in June 2026 shortened the settlement cycle, while strategic engagements with other African exchanges are supporting efforts to deepen cross-border investment and strengthen regional market linkages.
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