Analysts Urge Boost in Domestic Investment at Money Fair

At the Money Fair held in Lagos, analysts discussed the urgent need to unlock domestic investment in Nigeria's financial market. Bolaji Balogun, CEO of Chapel Hill Denham, highlighted a troubling disconnect within the financial system, noting that despite an estimated N124 trillion in money supply, total equity investment remains at a mere N95 billion.

This significant gap poses a serious threat to Nigeria's ambition to build a N50 trillion capital market by 2030. Temi Popoola, MD/CEO of the Nigerian Exchange Group, stressed the importance of improving financial literacy and digital access to enhance domestic participation in the capital market.

The forum revealed that pension fund equity holdings rose from N3.9 trillion in December to N5.4 trillion in February, representing 18.8% of total assets. Abdullahi Shiru from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission noted that Nigeria continues to attract strong foreign direct investment, with inflows increasing from $90 million in Q1 2025 to $720 million in Q3, driven by policy reforms and macroeconomic stability.