A former Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede on Tuesday became the ninth member inducted as an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.
The institute, at an investiture which was held in Lagos said that its Governing Council had decided to admit into its membership, persons who have distinguished themselves as thoroughbred professionals of the calibre deserving of being a stockbroker.
While speaking in his opening address, the President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Oluwole Adeosun, noted that Aig-Imoukhuede’s involvement with the Capital Market reached a significant peak in 2013 when he succeeded Aliko Dangote as President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
He described the newly inducted fellow as a leading banker, investor and philanthropist who, as a president of the Nigerian Exchange Group exercised great passion for the demutualisation of the entity when it was a non-profit known as the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Adeosun said, “He was also the Founding Chairman of the FMDQ Securities Exchange, which is another major securities exchange, especially in the fixed-income trading area. You will agree with me that it is no mean feat to have served as the lead driver of the two significant exchanges in Nigeria at one time or the other.
“By the same measure, it is obvious that our investee of today is eminently qualified to stand in the hall of fellows of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, more importantly as an honorary fellow.”
In his acceptance speech, Aig-Imoukhuede, who is also the founder and Chairman of Coronation Capital Limited, said that if operators of a nation’s capital market were properly resourced in terms of skill, capacity and conduct, nothing could stop its citizens from leaving the tarmac and developing from third world to first world.
According to him, it is stockbrokers who planted the trees of merchant banking, investment banking, investment management, venture capital, among others, that have grown into Nigeria’s financial ecosystem.
He said, “Today I acknowledge that for many years, despite my not being one of you by qualification, you have regarded me as a member of your fraternity. This spirit of partnership collaboration must be extended by you to others, particularly the Financial Market Dealers Association and other key stakeholders in our financial markets.
“Capital markets are the ideal platforms for driving savings, setting up financial institutions, implementing fiscal measures, facilitating public borrowing, privatisation of government owned sectors and I can go on and on.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the NGX, Oscar Onyema described Aig-Imoukhuede as a visionary that has contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria’s capital market ecosystem.
