To drive deepen sustainable finance in the country so as to support the $1 trillion economy target of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has teamed up with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to organise a workshop on labelled bond issuance.
Labelled bonds, including green, social, blue, and sustainability-linked instruments, are increasingly used globally to channel private capital into climate-resilient infrastructure, clean energy, and inclusive development.
While cumulative global issuance surpassed $6.2 trillion by end-2024, uptake in Nigeria remains limited, largely due to gaps in technical structuring, certification, and disclosure frameworks.
It was because of this the two organisations joined forces to co-host a technical capacity-building seminar to advance labelled bond issuance in Nigeria, supporting the real sector and accelerating the country’s sustainable finance objectives.
The event, themed Unlocking Sustainable Capital for the Real Sector: A Deep Dive into the Labelled Bonds Issuance Process, brought together issuers, market operators, institutional investors, regulators, and policymakers for practical discussions on opportunities and challenges within the sustainable bond ecosystem.
It provided guidance on the issuance process and highlighted the advantages of listing bonds through the stock exchange as Nigeria pursues climate-resilient and inclusive.
The chief executive of NGX, Mr Jude Chiemeka, at the programme, emphasised the critical role of sustainable finance in Nigeria’s growth strategy.
“Unlocking sustainable capital is central to achieving Nigeria’s vision of a $1 trillion economy, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience,” he said.
The Head of Trading and Products at NGX, Abimbola Babalola, stated, “Bond listings on NGX offer issuers access to a diversified investor base and enhance market transparency, key for sustainable capital mobilisation.”
Also, the Principal Country Officer at IFC, Mr Christian Mulamula, highlighted his organisation’s commitment to deepening market infrastructure and sustainability-linked investments across Africa, declaring, “We share an ambition for Nigeria to become a model for green and sustainable finance on the continent.”
A representative of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Husaini Shettima, described the workshop as timely for advancing sustainable marine finance, noting that, “The next frontier is developing a robust blue bond framework that aligns with national priorities and global standards.”
As the Special Adviser and Coordinator of Sovereign Green Bonds, Olaitan Fajuyitan, said the issuance of a N50 billion sovereign green bond by the federal government to finance renewable energy, afforestation, clean transport, and sustainable agriculture “underscores Nigeria’s commitment to scaling private finance in line with national development goals.”