By Ademola Alawiye

Tuesday, 22 Feb 2011

Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and its stockbroking subsidiary, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, have concluded arrangements to host institutional investors keen on making forays into the Nigerian economy through stakeholdings in leading quoted firms on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The investors are expected to meet with top-rated corporate companies in the West Africa region in Lagos, under a special investor conference being planned b the Stanbic IBTC Group.

“The conference, titled, ‘2011 Stanbic IBTC Conference’ is designed to create a forum between companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Ghana Stock Exchange and investors around the world.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Chris Newson, Stanbic IBTC is pleased to play host to a significant number of institutional investors, both local and foreign, and to provide them with corporate access to highly capitalised companies in Nigeria, and very reputable non-listed companies.

The Deputy CEO, Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Yinka Sanni, who represented Newson, said that the aim of the conference was to facilitate direct information exchange between the fund managers and the executive management of the Nigerian companies.

He said, “The exchange, it is hoped, will provide investment managers the opportunity to meet with the companies they have investments in, or where they hope to make investments. Africa is increasingly a market of interest to both international and local investors who seek value in emerging market frontiers.”

The keynote speaker at the conference is the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh.

Other speakers at the conference are the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; the Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi; the Interim Administrator of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Emmanuel Ikazobor; and the Chairman of Bharti Airtel Networks, Ghana, Mr. Pianin Kwame.

Sanni added, “This is the second investors’ conference organised by the Stanbic IBTC Group. Given the highly acclaimed success of the inaugural conference in 2010, more than 60 institutional investors, international and local, have already confirmed attendance this year as this has been established as the go-to-conference for investors in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Highly rated corporate institutions listed in Nigeria, Ghana and the BRVM have accepted invitations to be at the conference. International investors that have confirmed attendance at the conference include reputable sub-Saharan African-focused fund managers from the United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Singapore.”

The Head, Corporate Investment Banking, Stanbic IBTC, Ms. Rele Adesina, said that the apathy in the financial market was gone.

According to her, markets worldwide experience the boom and burst cycle.

 

Source: Punch