Africa’s leading commodities player, AFEX, highlighted the critical role of capital market operators in increasing market engagement in the commodities value chain, following the administration’s push to transform the agriculture sector. This was shared during the just concluded CEO breakfast forum, which gathers industry leaders across the financial market and agriculture sector, to explore strategies that drive agriculture growth.

This call for increased collaboration between capital market players and relevant food players follows the administration's push to make agriculture a lucrative and self-sufficient sector, as indicated during the 26th Democracy Day Speech, where the president, committed to working with a broad range of public and private sector stakeholders to drive investment to the agriculture sector.

The CEO forum gathered key stakeholders within the capital market and financial market ecosystem, alongside key regulators like SEC, to explore the increasing role of capital market players in driving food security for the country by unlocking patient capital, deployed through innovative alternative investment instruments, with a goal of increasing participation in the commodities market. The forum also featured a high-level panel discussion on leveraging partnerships with the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) to improve market participation in the value chain.

Present at the event, was the chairman of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Ayo Adeonipekun, who highlighted the association’s focus on agriculture. He said “Agriculture today in Nigeria, is responsible for a considerable contribution to the nation’s GDP, underscoring a strong nexus between the capital market as a driver of economic growth through targeted investments, and the agriculture sector. The CIS has, over the years, worked extensively in tandem with the government to boost GDP growth through agriculture development, and we remain committed to working with commodities players like AFEX to reach that goal.”

Similarly, speaking at the event, the President/CEO AFEX Nigeria, Akinyinka Akintunde, said, “Today, food security is a national priority requiring concerted efforts to address. The capital market remains a critical part of the solution, not only in unlocking much-needed financing, but also in driving innovation and transparency through the commodities market, which serves as the vehicle for channeling investment into the sector.”

He added, “With this support, we are improving much needed access structured financing that ultimately scales production capacity to meet the country's food needs.” These partnerships between private and public sector players, contribute to stimulating liquidity and participation in Nigeria’s commodities market, creating an ecosystem where smallholder farmers, traders, and institutional investors can thrive.