FG eyes emerging market status after FTSE upgrade

n n

The Federal Government has set its sights on advancing Nigeria’s capital market to Emerging Market status following confirmation from global index provider FTSE Russell that the nation’s market will be officially reclassified to Frontier Market status from Monday, 21 September 2026.

n

The reclassification marks Nigeria’s formal return to the global Frontier Market index nearly three years after its exclusion in September 2023, a period during which severe foreign exchange illiquidity and execution bottlenecks hindered foreign investors from repatriating capital.

n

At the height of the FX crisis, foreign institutional portfolio investors faced months-long backlogs attempting to repatriate equity proceeds, prompting FTSE Russell to downgrade Nigeria to “Unclassified” status and remove its index constituents.

n

In a statement, the Federal Ministry of Finance welcomed the upgrade, describing it as a major endorsement of the government’s macroeconomic agenda and FX market overhaul.

n

“The reclassification is an important validation of Nigeria’s reform trajectory and a foundation for the next phase of the country’s capital market development,” the ministry stated.

n

It added, “It is a meaningful signal to global capital that our market is open, orderly and improving.”

n

Reacting to the development, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, highlighted that the upgrade reflects prolonged structural adjustments across both public and private institutions to restore investor confidence.

n

“We see this as a milestone, not a destination,” Oyedele said. “Our ambition remains to build a capital market that is deep, liquid and competitive enough to earn Emerging Market status in the near term.”

n

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to collaborating with regulatory authorities to deepen liquidity, broaden market participation and strengthen investor protections.

n

He acknowledged the multi-agency push required to reverse the 2023 downgrade, commending the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Exchange Group, the Central Securities Clearing System and capital market operators for their aligned regulatory reforms.

n

The PUNCH reports that the path to readmission followed significant regulatory milestones earlier in 2026, most notably the implementation of a T+1 trade settlement cycle on 1 June 2026.

n

While FTSE Russell had conditionally approved Nigeria’s upgrade earlier in the year, it temporarily placed the market under review to observe the transition from a T+2 to a T+1 settlement cycle.

n

A subsequent operational review by the index provider confirmed that the compressed cycle produced no settlement or funding frictions for foreign institutional investors, clearing the final hurdle for the 21 September effective date.

n

Analysts say the return to Frontier Market status will reignite foreign portfolio inflows by automatically re-indexing Nigerian equities into exchange-traded funds and passive index funds managed by global asset managers.

n

Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, has welcomed Nigeria’s return to FTSE Russell Frontier Market Index, describing it as an important moment for the country’s capital market.

n

Commenting on the development in a statement on Thursday, Popoola said, “This is an important moment for Nigeria’s capital market. But the real significance of returning to Frontier Market status is the opportunity it creates for the next phase of our market’s development. We have to turn greater international visibility into broader participation, deeper liquidity, and more capital for Nigerian businesses.

n

“Our ambition is to build a market that is increasingly competitive globally and more relevant to Nigeria’s economic growth. We are encouraged by the continued support of the Federal Government and the commitment of stakeholders across the market as we work towards that ambition.”

n n