Lagos, Nigeria: - The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDB Institute) joined forces with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) to deliver an influential Islamic capital markets capacity-building workshop in Lagos, Nigeria.

Organized under the theme “Economic Growth and Business Development Opportunities through the Islamic Capital Markets”, the workshop aimed to contribute to deepening the Nigerian capital markets through the listings and issuances of Islamic financial instruments.

The workshop was held on 21 November 2023 and attracted 90 participants from across the Nigerian economic and financial sector. These included the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Pension Commission, Debt Management Office, Lagos State Government, NGX staff, and pension fund administrators. Others were senior representatives from law firms, banks, investment banks, fund managers, leasing and asset management companies, and heads of leading corporate and financial industry associations.

The program commenced with keynote speeches by Mr. Jude Chiemeka (Executive Director, Capital Markets at the NGX), Mr. Dayo Obisan (Executive Commissioner, Operations at the Securities and Exchange Commission), and Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem (Acting Director General, IsDB Institute).

The keynote messages celebrated this important partnership between the IsDBI and the NGX, and highlighted the prominent role that Islamic financial products and services can play in supporting Nigeria’s economic development, including through Sukuk for infrastructure projects, as well as providing liquidity to the corporate sector through equity and fund listings.

The rest of the day featured six interactive and tailored capacity building sessions providing practical knowledge to the participants on Islamic capital markets regulations, products, and services. The sessions included discussions on contemporary issues and practices of Islamic finance in different jurisdictions and enriching the participants’ learning experience with real example case studies and success stories from around the world.

The last session featured an open dialogue between the participants and the IsDBI trainers on practical measures needed to utilize Islamic capital markets to support inclusive economic growth and sustainable business practices in Nigeria. The overall program and its sessions were organized and delivered by two Senior Islamic Finance Specialists at IsDBI: Mr. Syed Faiq Najeeb and Dr. Abozer Mohamed.

A closed-door workshop was also held on 22 November 2023 at the NGX Group House as a roundtable with the two IsDBI trainers and the NGX management and staff, focusing on building the prerequisite enabling environment at the NGX for boosting Islamic capital markets activity.

Overall, this partnership between the IsDBI and the NGX opens doors for a longer-term strategic relationship between both institutions to further develop and deepen the Islamic capital markets in Nigeria.

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About the Islamic Development Bank Institute

The Islamic Development Bank Institute is the knowledge beacon of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Guided by the principles of Islamic economics and finance, the IsDB Institute leads the development of innovative knowledge-based solutions to support the sustainable economic advancement of IsDB Member Countries and various Muslim communities worldwide. The IsDB Institute enables economic development through pioneering research and original economic analysis, human capital development, and knowledge creation, dissemination, and management. The Institute leads initiatives to enable Islamic finance ecosystems, ultimately helping Member Countries achieve their development objectives. More information about the IsDB Institute is available on https://isdbinstitute.org/

Media contact:
Habeeb Idris Pindiga
Associate Manager, Knowledge Horizons
hpindiga@isdb.org