Oyebanji, Babalola Hail CIS Conference as Catalyst for Collaboration

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji and Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University, praised the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers for its first International Academic Conference, calling it a strategic platform that brings together capital market stakeholders and academia to strengthen Africa’s financial markets and enhance financial literacy.

The conference, titled “Capital Markets, Sustainable Finance and Economic Transformation in Africa,” was held at ABUAD in Ado‑Ekiti. It convened academics, regulators, investors, policymakers and capital market operators to discuss ways to reinforce Africa’s financial ecosystem, promote sustainable finance and mobilise long‑term investment for economic development.

Speaking on behalf of Governor Oyebanji, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment Tayo Adeola said that African capital markets must drive the continent’s economic transformation through infrastructure financing, enterprise growth and sustainable development.

Oyebanji highlighted Ekiti State’s infrastructure financing model, including the N32.5 billion, 20‑year infrastructure bond issued in April 2025 to fund a 17.84‑kilometre dual carriageway toll road project, which is part of a broader road network.

Director‑General of the Securities and Exchange Commission Emomotimi Agama urged African academics to deepen research collaboration with regulators, stressing the need for empirical studies on liquidity, investor behaviour and market regulation. He noted that “the academy is not a spectator of Africa’s transformation but a co‑author.”

Earlier, the 14th President and Chairman of the CIS Council Fiona Ahimie described the conference as a landmark initiative to strengthen academia‑industry collaboration and advance sustainable finance and innovation across Africa.