NSE, FMDQ to host conference on SME financing through capital markets

November 20

00:32 2020

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Leading global and Nigerian firms will hold a webinar conference that would guide Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on how to use the capital market to attract domestic capital for growth and sustainability.

The conference, sponsored by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); CardinalStone; Fidelity Bank; and United Capital Asset Management, would provide and share ideas on how various capital market regulators and stock exchanges in Nigeria could attract more SMEs listings on their platforms.

It would demonstrate how international exchanges have successfully attracted SMEs for capital raising on their platforms and facilitate interactive discussions among participants in order to extract real needs and opportunities toward a new regime of non-bank and market-based financing for SMEs.

The conference, the inaugural from the “SME Finance Series”, is titled “Private Equity: A Bridge or An Albatross? Role of the Capital Market,” and is scheduled to hold on November 26. The SME Finance Series is promoted by a consortium led by the Hamilton and George Advisers Limited (H&G), a full-service boutique investment bank led by Joseph Edgar, a 22-year investment banking veteran.

The consortium also includes Foothold Advisors Limited, an independent financial advisory and management consulting firm that supports entrepreneurs seeking to grow sustainable businesses with strong corporate governance, and Africa Strategy Advisers, an SME Focused, business advisory and venture incubation firm with hundreds of SMEs in its network.

The key speakers at the conference are the President & chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nick Okoye Organisation and Anabel Group, Nicky Okoye, who was also a former executive director the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Paul Calvey, Partner, Oliver Wyman South Africa; the chief executive officer of FMDQ Group, Bola Onadele Koko; the managing director/ chief executive officer of NASD, Bola Ajomale and the divisional head, NSE trading business, Jude Chiemeka.

The conference will be moderated by Femi Awoyemi, the Chairman of Proshare Nigeria Limited and Ugodre Obi-Chukwu, Promoter of the Nairametrics and the CMO of Ikeja Electric.

According to Ore Sofekun, a panel discussion titled “SME Financing via Capital Markets- Challenges and Opportunities” would feature the head, private capital division at FMDQ Private Markets Limited, Yemi Osinubi; divisional head; NSE Listings Business Divisional Head, Olumide Bolumole and the Partner, Africa Strategy Advisers, Brainerd Efe Odiete.

The conference would answer questions on such vital topics like the requirements for listing on the exchanges for successful fund raising; issues hampering businesses from listing on the exchanges such as poor corporate governance, transparency, key man risk, corporate structure, inadequate financials, etc.; support structures in place to guide SMEs as they consider listing as well as initiatives aimed at boosting investor confidence and Investor protection by the exchanges.