Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja
The Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) has expressed its desire to strike a strategic collaboration with the Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing (HKEX), alluding to the significant value in strengthening institutional cooperation between both exchanges.
NGX Group Chairman, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, unfolded this Wednesday when he engaged officials of the institution in the East Asian country.
According to the talking points which were made available to THISDAY, Kwairanga
noted that the HKEX has established itself as one of the world’s leading exchange groups and an important gateway connecting global capital with Asia.
The NGX Group, he explained, shares a similar ambition within Africa, to build a globally-competitive market infrastructure that supports economic development, innovation and efficient capital allocation.
“We therefore see significant value in strengthening institutional cooperation between our two exchanges,” he said, adding that capital markets are evolving rapidly.
The NGX Group chairman stated that exchanges currently no longer simply constitute venues for trading securities, but have become platforms for economic development, technological innovation, sustainable finance and international capital connectivity.
“As this evolution continues, partnerships between exchanges will become increasingly important. We believe NGX Group and HKEX can jointly contribute to shaping stronger financial linkages between Africa and Asia,” he said.
He pointed to strategic areas for collaboration, including institutional partnership, cross-border market development, technology and innovation, sustainable finance, and Africa–Asia Investment promotion.
Kwairanga expressed the readiness of the NGX to welcome the development of a formal cooperation framework between NGX and HKEX that provides structure for long-term engagement.
Such cooperation, he said, could include annual executive meetings, technical working groups and knowledge exchange.
On cross-border market development, he noted that areas of collaboration may include cross-border listings, depositary receipt structures, ETF development, international investor access, and capital market integration.
“We are particularly interested in hearing from HKEX’s experience in: Exchange technology, Artificial Intelligence, market surveillance, digital infrastructure, data commercialisation, and product innovation.
“Another area of mutual interest is sustainable finance. Potential collaboration could include: Green finance, climate disclosure, ESG reporting, transition finance, and carbon market development.
“We would welcome structured collaboration involving: Executive exchange programmes, technical secondments, joint research, staff training, and market development initiatives.
“There is also an opportunity for both exchanges to jointly promote investment opportunities. This could include: Annual investment forums, joint investor conferences, issuer roadshows, and research publications highlighting opportunities across both markets,” he said.