Participants at the FSDH Investors Conference held in Lagos yesterday called for stronger collaboration, improved infrastructure and deeper trust in financial systems to ensure a smart and inclusive market in Nigeria.
Key Pillars for Market Development
Speaking during a panel themed ‘Collaborating for smarter markets, bridging the gap between banks, tech and investors,’ the experts noted that building a smart financial market goes beyond technology. They stressed that trust, liquidity and access remain the critical pillars for sustainable market development.
Trust, Liquidity, and Access
Co-founder of Bamboo, Yanmo Omorogbe, said a smart financial market is not defined solely by digital innovation but also by the ability of capital to move securely, transparently, and efficiently across the system. She explained that trust in financial systems was fundamental, as investors must be confident that transactions would be executed smoothly and that they can enter and exit positions without friction.
She pointed out that liquidity remained essential to ensure capital is deployed productively rather than sitting idle, noting that a well-functioning market enables funds to flow from inactive holdings into productive investments. Omorogbe also emphasised access as a key challenge, pointing out that participation in the capital market must expand beyond institutional and high-net-worth investors to include a significantly larger retail base, aligning with broader goals of financial inclusion.
According to her, while progress has been made through technology adoption and regulatory reforms by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria is still evolving into a fully smart financial ecosystem.
Infrastructure and Interoperability
Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of Payaza Africa, Seyi Ebenezer, emphasised the importance of trust and infrastructure as foundational elements of a smart financial system. He noted that while trust forms the first layer of financial system development, robust infrastructure must complement it to enable seamless operations, arguing that both must work together to create an efficient and scalable ecosystem.
Executive Director of FSDH Merchant Bank, Hakeem Mohammed, identified interoperability as a major gap within the financial system, noting that fragmentation among institutions continued to limit efficiency. He called for enhanced collaboration between banks, technology firms, and investors to bridge these gaps and foster a more integrated market.
The conference highlighted the urgent need for policy interventions and private sector initiatives to upgrade infrastructure, build trust, and improve access, ultimately driving deeper market growth in Nigeria.
