Capital market is critical to country’s development, says SEC Chairman

Mr Olufemi Lijadu, Chairman, Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), says the capital market is important to any nation’s development.

A statement by SEC in Abuja on Thursday quoted Lijadu as saying that the capital market had played critical roles in attracting investments.

The board chairman made the observation during the maiden meeting of the new board with members of staff of the Commission in Abuja.

“Everyone is aware of the very important roles capital markets play. We need to attract investments to develop our country and each one of you play a critical role in that regard.

“We are happy to be here and we are going to enable you do your job well so that together we can find solutions to our challenges.

“We are going to learn, brainstorm and work together to move the capital market forward.

“We need to see how we can move forward to have a more orderly market, a market that is fair and transparent and can attract investments to build Nigeria,” he said.

Lijadu assured members of staff that the board would work swiftly, but surely to ensure that the country has the capital market Nigerians would be proud of.

“There has been incredible progress in our capital markets in the last 20 years. I know that we can be the best and we aspire to be the best”, he said.

Lijadu thanked the staff for the warm reception accorded the board members, adding that the board would be guided by the knowledge, capacity and ability of staff to perform effectively.

Mr Nelson Oleghe, Chairman of SEC Branch of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), pledged its members’ support and commitment needed to perform.

Oleghe was represented by Mr Musa Dakup.

The commission board members was inaugurated in June by Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, four years after its last board in 2015.