The latest internet sensation and Managing Director of NG Clearing Limited, Mr Farooq Oreagba, wants to use his new-found fame to deepen capital market participation.
Mr Oreagba came to public consciousness last week after photos of him leading his family’s procession during the yearly Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, surfaced online. Since then, the investment banker has attained celebrity status.
Speaking at an engagement organised by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited with the Director General of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, towards the advancement of digital solutions in the market, Mr Oreagba noted that the opportunity served as a perfect pivot to reach the underutilized youth generation.
“I find myself with an audience that I never expected that I could appeal to, but it has provided me with an opportunity to deepen our markets on a professional and personal level,” he stated.
According to Mr Oreagba, he has already turned down certain brand endorsements due to the sensitivity of his position but said he was open to a capital market-oriented collaboration that involves using his appeal to reach his new base.
“It is essential that we use this development to drive and build the capital market,” he noted.
During the event, Mr Agama said the Nigerian business and investment communities were not tapping into a positive resource available to the economy, its youthful population known as Gen Z.
He stated that 74 per cent of Nigerians are below 24 years old and if utilised, could speed up the $1 trillion economy by 2030 target of the federal government.
Mr Agama advocated that digital solutions were necessary to reach the demography, noting that the SEC would play its role as the regulator to ensure adequate development.
“By leveraging technology, we can attract the younger generation of investors, enhance regulatory oversight and create a world-class market,” he said.
–By Adedapo Adesanya