Some industry operators have advocated introduction of capital market studies as part of the educational curricula in Nigerian secondary schools.
They said the introduction would adequately equip younger Nigerians for equitable investment opportunities and better investment culture.
The operators gave the advice in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
Mr. Gbadebo Olatokunbo, Co-Founder, Noble Shareholders Solidarity Association, said that younger Nigerians knew little about capital market and were not thinking about investing in it.
According to Olatokunbo, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited is making efforts to get younger Nigerians educated on activities of the market.
He, however, said that there was still much to be done in that regard, especially on the part of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“We seriously need to start teaching capital market at the early stage of our secondary education, or the market shall, in near future, belong only to the elite and foreign investors,” he said.
The operator said that some Nigerian graduates had yet to believe in the capital market and had no interest in it because their dreams were elsewhere.
“Capital market stakeholders need to seriously open up on activities and operations of the market in order to make it easy for understanding of the market to new comers.
“Many of the systems and activities are of technicalities that are confusing to the younger generation.
“There must be simplicity of capital market activities to make the market more attractive to the younger generation,” he said.
Olatokunbo, who is also a shareholder activist, urged capital market regulators and operators to have simplified books on activities of the market.
He added that public enlightenment on capital market through radio and television programmes would enable more youths and others to get involved in the market.
On his part, Mr. Moses Igbure, President, Issuers and Investors Alternative Dispute Resolution, said there was an urgent need to employ strategies to get young Nigerians involved in the capital market.
According to Igbure, the strategies should involve awareness campaigns by all stakeholders.
“The way to deepen, encourage and attract younger Nigerians to the equity investments on the Nigerian Stock Market is through continued education.
“There should be a calculated strategy of mass awareness campaign by all stakeholders in the value chain of capital market – from stock brokers, NGX, to regulators,” he said.
Mr. Olumide Bolumole, Divisional Head, Business Listing, NGX, had at a recent webinar said it was necessary to educate business promoters on funding opportunities of the capital market to catalyse business growth.
